Once Upon A Crime

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Ghosts in the Attic: Otto Sanhuber Oct 12, 2020

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The mysterious murder of Fred William Oesterreich in Los Angeles in 1922 would be revealed years later as one of the strangest and most bizarre true crime cases in California history Resources: A Crime to Remember: Guess Who?, Season 4, Episode 6, The Investigation Discovery Channel "The Story of Dolly Oesterreich" by Erin Kelly for All That's Interesting, Dec 19, 2017.

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Ghosts in the Attic: Natasha Ryan Oct 05, 2020

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In 1998, a 14-year-old disappeared from Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It would be feared she had become a victim of serial killer, Leonard Fraser, but this story would end with a shocking revelation. Resources: 60 Minutes Australia - ‘The Girl in the Cupboard’”(2003) - https://youtu.be/os_K-e_qwu8 "She had everyone fooled" in TheAge.com.au, Apr 11, 2003 "The girl who returned from death" by Greg Ansley for NZHerald.co.nz, Apr 18, 2003 "The 'dead' schoolgirl who fooled a nation" by Shannon Molloy for News.com.au, Dec 22, 2018. Crime Investigation Australia - Predator: Leonard John Fraser - https://youtu.be/ueb8xNmxZF8 Additional music: Halloween Theme 1 by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4735-halloween-theme-1 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Bad Teacher: John J. Donovan, Sr. Sep 20, 2020

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A multimillionaire in a feud with his family over money and property perpetrates a bizarre hoax in order to get revenge on his children and hold on to his assets. Resources: "Professor Donovan's Magnificent Entanglements" by John Wolfson for Boston Magazine, July 1, 2006 "Ex-professor found guilty of staging own shooting" by John R. Ellement for The Boston Globe, Aug 18, 2007. "When Hollywood Moved In" by Sara Rimer for The New York Times, July 29, 2009 "John J. Donovan III" by Ray Lamont for The Gloucester Times, April 28, 2015. "Hamilton Estate Auction to Feature English Antiques, Cars" by Taylor Rapalyea for The Patch, July 12, 2017 Links: Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/OnceUponACrimePod

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Bad Teacher: Vincent Brothers Sep 14, 2020

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A well-respected educator in Bakersfield, California is accused of a brutal crime - the murders of five of his family members. Resources: "The Mystery of the Lost Weekend", by Keith Morrison for Dateline NBC, July 24, 2009. "Vincent Brothers and murdered wife had rocky relationship say witnesses" by Jessica Logan for Bakersfield.com, March 7, 2007. "Vice Principal is still a suspect in fatal shootings of wife, kids, mother-in-law" by Kerri Ginis for The Fresno Bee, July 10, 2003. "Woman Says Officials Covered Up Abuse by Murder Suspect" by John Johnson forThe Los Angeles Times, Aug 11, 2004. Links: Patreon -www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

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Bad Teacher: Mary Kay Letourneau Sep 07, 2020

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In this month's series "Bad Teacher" I'll share cases of educators who committed newsworthy crimes. First up, a 34-year-old teacher scandalizes the nation when she is convicted of child rape with one of her 6th grade students. Resources: "Strange Love: Mary Kay Letourneau", 7 News Spotlight, July 8, 2020, retrived on YouTube. "Mary Kay Letourneau: 15 Shocking Facts" by John Whitefoot for Crimeola.com, May 29, 2018. "How the Media Turned Child Rape into a 'Tryst' for Mary Kay Letourneau" by EJ Dickson for Rolling Stone, July 8, 2020. "Lawsuit over Letourneau affair blames police, school", HeraldNet, March 21, 2002 "Letourneau is a predator and don't forget it", Susan Paynter for Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 8, 2004. Video Interview: Mary Kay Letourneau, 7News Spotlight, July 8, 2020 - https://youtu.be/7mowKsGWuW4 Links: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime www.truecrimepodcast.com

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Familiar Strangers: Anastasia Romanov - Part 2 Aug 31, 2020

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We conclude this two-part episode with a young woman who comes forward claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov. The investigation into her claim would take decades to unravel. I welcome back my sister, Yolanda, to help me discuss all the ins and outs of this intriguing mystery! Time Stamps: 05:03 - "Miss Unknown" 22:47 - Investigating the Claim 28:06 - "Fraulein Annie" 30:20 - Anastasia Tchaikovsky - Rescue Story 53:30 - Anna Anderson - United States 57:41 - Anna the Hoarder 01:01:00 - Mrs. Manahan 01:07:00 - What Really Happened to The Romanovs? 01:16:00 - The DNA 01:19:00 - Who Was Anna Anderson? Franziska Schanzkowska 01:34:00 - Why Was She Believed? Resources: Resurrection of The Romanovs, Greg King and Penny Wilson, Turning Publishing, 2010. The Woman Who Convinced the World She was Grand Duchess Anastasia, Crime Vault, Nov 8, 2018, retrieved on YouTube. Romanovs: The Missing Bodies, National Geographic, Nov 5, 2019, retrieved on YouTube.

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Familiar Strangers: Anastasia Romanov - Part 1 Aug 24, 2020

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On this first part of a 2-part episode, I share the fascinating story of the disappearance of the last imperial family of Russia, the Romanovs. After their disappearance, most believed they had been executed by the Bolsheviks, but sightings of one or more of the Romanovs would continue for years. Did some of Tsar Nicholas II's family members escape? Resources: The Resurrection of the Romanovs by Greg King and Penny Wilson, published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2011. Romanovs: The Missing Bodies, produced by National Geographic, YouTube.com, Nov 5, 2019. Music Credits: Spring In Russia by Alexander Nakarada. Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4845-spring-in-russia. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime To help in the California Wildfire Relief efforts: https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/21/northern-california-wildfires-how-to-help-fire-victims-and-fire-fighters/ Our website: www.truecrimepodcast.com

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Familiar Strangers: Walter Collins, Part 2 Aug 07, 2020

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On this second part of a two-part episode we continue the story of 9-year-old Walter Collins who went missing from Los Angeles in 1928. In part two, we discover that a serial killer, Gordon Stewart Northcott, has been preying on boys and young men in the LA area. Was Walter Collins a victim of Northcott's? Resources: The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, retrieved online at crime museum.org. https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/wineville-chicken-coop-murders/ The Disappearance of Walter Collins, by Gabriela Serrato for STMUhistorymedia.org. https://stmuhistorymedia.org/author/gabriela.serrato/ Movie: Changeling (2008), Written, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood for Imagine Entertainment. Starring Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan and Amy Ryan. Links: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime Fruit Loops: Serial Killers of Color Podcast - https://fruitloopspod.com

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Familiar Strangers: Walter Collins - Part 1 Aug 02, 2020

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In this month's series I'll tell you stories about people who missing and then, months or years later, miraculously reappeared. But, these stories all have a twist - were they who they claimed to be or were they imposters? In this first episode, you'll hear about a young boy who goes missing in 1928. When he returns home, his mother will say he's an imposter, but her claims are dismissed. Who was the boy claiming to be her missing son and what happened to the real Walter Collins? Resources: The 1920s boy who impersonated a kidnapping victim, Suzanne Raga for MentalFloss.com, Jan 20, 2016 Collins Hoax Comes to an End, The Los Angeles Times, Oct 3, 1928 The Disappearance of Walter Collins, Gabriela Serrato, STMU History Media, March 26, 2017 Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

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Stranger Than Fiction: Starr Faithfull and "BUtterfield 8" Jul 27, 2020

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The life and tragic death of a young socialite in the 1930s inspires an Academy Award winning movie. But, Starr Faithfull's life was far from the glamorous treatment it would receive on the big screen. Resources: Ripped from the Headlines: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movie's Most Memorable Crimes by Harold Schechter (Little A, 2020) The Passing of Starr Faithfull by Jonathan Goodman (Piatkus, 1990). Open Files: A Narrative Encyclopedia of the World's Greatest Unsolved Crimes by Jay Robert Nash (Rowman & Littlefield, 1983). BUtterfield 8, (1960), directed by Daniel Mann for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Fisher, Laurence Harvey Links: www.haroldschechter.com

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