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297. Thrill Killers: The Murders of Jeremy Giordano and Giorgio Gallara Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

The night of April 19, 1997, was like any other Saturday at Tony’s Pizza in Hardyston, New Jersey. The dinner rush had come and gone, and as the clock neared 10:45 p.m., Jeremy Giordano, 22, and Giorgio Gallara, 25, prepared to call it a night. But first, there was one last order to deliver—two pizzas bound for 196 Scott Road. A routine run. A simple transaction. They had no idea they were driving straight into an ambush. As Giordano pulled up to the curb, a car sat waiting in the darkness. Gallara, the restaurant's owner, rolled down the passenger-side window and called out, “Sixteen-fifty,” expecting a quick cash exchange. But instead of a wallet, one of the waiting men reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The first shot shattered the quiet night. Then another. And another. The gunman emptied the chamber. His accomplice, unwilling to be a spectator, drew his weapon and joined in. Shots ripped through metal and glass, through the inside of the vehicle. The car lurched forward, rolling off the road before finally coming to a stop, its frame riddled with bullet holes. But the horror wasn’t over.
Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled “Thrill Killers: The Murders of Jeremy Giordano and Giorgio Gallara.”
Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS
Music and EP by @theinkypawprint
Sources:
https://www.njherald.com/story/news/crime/2017/04/19/1997-thrill-killings-2-pizza/4127116007/
https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrNP7BkJLZnNZ0g9w0PxQt.;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1740018917/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.njherald.com%2fstory%2fnews%2f2015%2f04%2f19%2fslain-son-s-memory-still%2f4043273007%2f/RK=2/RS=z03AcPdo0uYot7mkSYhG4z7H0eM-
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/22/nyregion/2-held-in-thrill-killings-of-pizza-men.html
https://www.njherald.com/story/news/crime/2019/08/09/convicted-killer-pizza-deliverymen-can/4321608007/
https://law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/supreme-court/2001/a-22-99-opn.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/25/nyregion/mother-apologizes-to-families-of-deliverymen-slain-by-her-son.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-feb-26-mn-2826-story.html
https://www.nj.com/news/2010/07/former_sussex_county_man_convi_1.html

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296. Twisted Fascination: Rachel Barber Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

15-year-old Rachel Barber. a bright and promising teenager from Melbourne, Australia, disappeared after leaving class in 1999.
Rachel's boyfriend told the Barbers his cryptic conversation he had with Rachel earlier in the day about her having a job lined up for that evening and how now she could buy some shoes she had wanted. Another friend mentioned that Rachel had planned to “meet up” with an unnamed female friend. When the Barbers reported their daughter missing to the police, they got the speech, “Most missing teenagers show up within 48 hours alive and well”.
Her family, desperate for answers, launched an extensive search, unaware that the person responsible for her disappearance was someone they knew who had a deadly obsession.
Join Cam and Jen as they discuss "Twisted Fascination: Rachel Barber" on this week's episode of Our True Crime Podcast.
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from Octoberpod AM
Executive Producer Nico Vetesse of The Inky Pawprint
Producer Jesse Fyffe-Vetesse of The Inky Pawprint
Sources:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/958866.Perfect_Victim
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/caroline-reed-robertsons-deadly-obsession-with-beautiful-dancer-rachel-barber-led-to-murder/news-story/ca370d6f83a0f9a2c37b8075cfef2913
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=HspjEK5bb2E&ab_channel=Dr.ToddGrandeqhttps://www.youtube.com/watchv=DPkDk1ay0A8&list=PLf6JoKlW9k2akQi9zQ7k7nQq62ccw_TGo&ab_channel=CasefilePresents
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/caroline-reed-robertson-who-strangled-dancer-rachel-barber-in-1999-freed-on-parole/news-story/5ce7e1bd298fbc40145f6aacf02dbfed
https://rachel barber official memorial.yourwebsitespace.com/bio.h
tml https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/elizabeth-southall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Her_Skin
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3267106/
Deadly Women Season 7, Episode 11 "Heartless Souls"
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/dancers-fixated-killer-a-real-danger-parole-rejection-bid-20120718-229nt.html

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295. Snatched As She Slept: Rowan Ford Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

Nestled in the small, unassuming town of Stella, Missouri, in the heart of the Ozarks, nine-year-old Rowan Ford lived a life like any kid would. She shared a modest home in Newton County with her mother, Colleen Munson, and her stepfather, David Spears. 25-year-old David Spears had a long-standing friendship with 32-year-old Christopher Collings, a man who wasn’t family by blood but had become close to the family over the years. Collings moved into the Spears household during the summer of 2007, living in the basement and being looked up to by the young Rowan, who fondly called him “Uncle Chris.” But by late October, Collings left the Spears home and relocated to a farm in Wheaton, Missouri, where he had a trailer parked on the property. On the chilly evening of November 2, 2007, Nathan Mahurin, another friend of both Spears and Collings, joined the two men at the Wheaton farm. The trio stopped at a local liquor store to stock up on malt liquor before returning to Spear's home to drink and play pool. The following morning, November 3, her mother, Colleen, returned from her shift around 9:00 a.m. to find Rowan missing. At first, she assumed her daughter was somewhere in the house, but after a frantic search, she realized Rowan was gone.
Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode, ' Snatched As She Slept: Rowan Ford.’
Listener discretion is by @octoberpodVHS
Music is by our EP @theinkypawprint
Sources:
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/mo-supreme-court/1676021.html
https://casetext.com/case/collings-v-state-2
https://www.ozarksfirst.com/crimetraveler/crime-traveler-what-happened-to-rowan-ford/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/12/03/christopher-collings-execution-missouri-rowan-ford/76744499007/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/christopher-collings-missouri-execution-rowan-ford-murder/
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/missouri-execution-christopher-collings-rape-murder-b2658052.html
https://krcgtv.com/news/local/parson-state-of-missouri-will-execute-man-convicted-of-rape-murder-of-nine-year-old-girl
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/breaking-death-row-inmate-christopher-838753
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna21708153
https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/videotape-confession-presented-in-rowan-ford-case/article_16eca7b2-73ee-519c-8000-2d3ed82751c9.html

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294. Revenge and Ruin: The Pearson Family Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

In the early hours of December 11, 2017, the small, tight-knit community of Walkden, Salford, was thrust into the heart of a nightmare that would forever scar its residents. It was just after 5 a.m. when Michelle Pearson, a single mother of five, dialed emergency services. Desperate and trembling, her voice cut through the static as fire and rescue teams scrambled to the scene, racing against time. Flames already consumed the house. Neighbors watched helplessly as the fire raged. Inside, Michelle’s family was trapped. Michelle was a mother to five children: 17-year-old Kyle, 15-year-old Demi,8-year-old Brandon, 7-year-old Lacie, and the youngest, 3-year-old Lia. Michelle was their protector and rock. But on this fateful morning, she was about to find herself in a battle for their lives, a battle she would lose.
Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode entitled ‘Revenge and Ruin: The Pearson Family Arson.’
Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS
Music and Editing courtesy of @theinkypawprint
Promo by our own @rett1214 and her new podcast Mystery, History and Crime.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-56829229
https://www.gmp.police.uk/news/greater-manchester/news/news/2021/april/trio-jailed-for-mothers-death-following-2017-petrol-bomb-attack/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/26/michelle-pearson-mother-of-four-children-killed-in-2017-house-fire-dies-salford
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/michelle-pearson-walkden-bolland-worrall-20435550
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9495581/Judge-jails-cowardly-monsters-life-murdered-mother-four-young-children.html
https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-03-30/walkden-fire-zak-bolland-and-david-worrall-found-guilty-of-murdering-michelle-pearson-in-fire-that-killed-four-children
https://news.sky.com/story/mum-michelle-pearson-told-all-her-four-children-died-in-december-fire-11346054
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/heartbroken-mum-spent-final-months-23954952
https://www.amazon.com/Killers-Caught-On-Camera/dp/B0DBDHM2HZ
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/24768140.inquest-deaths-michelle-pearson-four-children-go-ahead/

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293. She'll Pay: The Stalking and Murder of Shana Grice Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.
-Margaret Atwood
Shana Grice was a bubbly teenager who worked as an office receptionist in Portslade in the summer of 2015. At the time, she was just 18, bright-eyed and full of promise. She was excited to be able to save money for the wedding she planned with her boyfriend of two years, Ashley.
Shana's co-worker Michael Lane, a 26-year-old mechanic was instantly smitten with Shana. Lane was eight years older than Shana, and she was quite flattered by this older guy’s attention. So, when Shana’s and Ashley’s relationship hit a rough patch, and the couple decided to “take a break,” her relationship with Michael Lane went from flirtatious to something more physical.
After a three-month relationship with Michael, Shana decided she wanted to be with her high school sweetheart, Ashley, and broke off the relationship him. Michael, however, couldn’t abide by her decision and told a friend, “She’ll pay for what she’s done.”
Michael became obsessed with Shana and began stalking her. Shana was afraid and went to the police for help on five occasions. It seems her complaints fell on deaf ears.
Join us as we discuss, "She'll Pay: The Stalking and Murder of Shana Grice."
We will be in London at CrimeCon UK! Come see us! You can use our discount code OTCP10 for 10% off the ticket price!
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from Octoberpod AM
Executive Producer Nico Vetesse of The Inky Pawprint
Producer Jesse Fyffe-Vetesse of The Inky Pawprint
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex49297674
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shana_Grice
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-39363003
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/08/police-told-not-to-use-fines-in-stalking-cases-after-shana-grice
https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/murder-in-slow-motion-the-shana-grice-story/umc.cmc.3omacvuai5ho5g7uzu3lq7ep4
https://www.hudgellsolicitors.co.uk/news/civil-liberties/the-murder-of-shana-grice-why-police-attitudes-must-change
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sarah_Everard h
ttps://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/crime/sarah-everard-what-happened-wayne-couzens-report-b2504551.html

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292. Officer Down: The Execution of Sergeant Carl D. "Dewayne" Graham Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

It was a cold November evening on the 26th, 2004, in Van Buren, Missouri, when the events that would soon unravel in the small, unsuspecting town began to take shape. Two men, Lance Shockley and his sister-in-law’s fiancé, Jeffrey Bayless, embarked on an innocent enough drive in Bayless' truck. But as they made their way, something went wrong. Under Shockley’s control, the vehicle careened off the road, plunging into a ditch. But it wasn’t the crash that would raise the most questions—it was what happened afterward that would haunt everyone involved. As the investigation unfolded under Highway Patrol Sergeant Carl DeWayne Graham, Jr., the small town would see another person lose their life. Join Jen and Cam on this Our True Crime Podcast episode entitled, ‘Officer Down: The Execution of Sergeant Carl D. "Dewayne" Graham.’
Listener Discretion by @OctoberpodVHS
All Music is by our Editor @theinkypawprint
Sources:
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/mo-supreme-court/1641767.html
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/17/17-8599/48167/20180524163117353_2018-05-23%20-%20Shockley%20BIO%20-%20FINAL.pdf
https://notes.mshp.dps.mo.gov/si01/si01p001.nsf/035631d21d12b3ca8625729800536894/f2437dc3b16326358625726d006c4fe8?OpenDocument
https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/state-v-shockley-no-899789387
https://www.kfvs12.com/story/10410825/lance-shockley-sentenced-to-death/
https://www.dexterstatesman.com/story/1993757.html
https://missouritrooper.com/sergeant_carl_d_dewayne_graha.php
https://www.kait8.com/story/10074122/prosecutions-witnesses-testify-about-guns-at-trooper-murder-trial/
https://notes.mshp.dps.mo.gov/si01/si01p001.nsf/9c752498db6706a18625729800536890/93f4fb63106cf0a1862575be00749277?OpenDocument
https://www.kansas.com/news/article1005976.html
http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/2008/09/delay-again-in-lance-shockleys-murder.html
https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Man-who-killed-Missouri-trooper-loses-appeal-433906243.html
https://ktvo.com/news/local/conviction-upheld-for-man-convicted-of-killing-missouri-trooper
https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Missouri-Supreme-Court-upholds-conviction-for-Ozarks-man-in-death-of-trooper-508656111.html

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291. Snapped: The Kastanis Family Murders Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

Sam and Margaret Kastanis met while playing in a band and were married in 1987. When the children came along, they quit the band to focus on family. Margaret said that even after a decade of marriage, she still often had butterflies in her stomach when she looked at her husband. The couple had three beautiful children: Melissa, 11, Clinton, 9, and Christine, 6. The neighbors described the family as idyllic.
Margaret became severely ill with the Epstein-Barr virus and had been out of commission for more than a month. Sam eventually had to take time off from work to stay home with her and the children because she had no energy to care for them. By November 17th, 1991, Sam had been off work for several weeks, and Margaret was frustrated she wasn't getting better.
The couple recently put their house up for sale and received a bid. Now, it looked like they would be moving and buying a bigger and better house during the holiday season, yet Margaret was still not fully recovered. Add to this the fact that Margaret had made friends with a mentally unstable woman in the neighborhood and that she, too, had recently shown signs of paranoia. It became evident to some that the Kastanis family was beginning to unravel.
But nobody who knew the couple could have known that four of the five members of the Kastanis family would never make it to Thanksgiving. A tragedy of epic proportions was about to unfold in the upscale suburb of Salt Lake City.
Join Jen and Cam as they discuss "Snapped: The Kastanis Family Murders."
Cam and Jen will be in London at CrimeCon UK! Come see us! You can use our discount code OTCP10 for 10% off ticket price!
A HUGE shoutout to Newspapers.com! They have been our resource and we've relied on them since we started in 2018.
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from Octoberpod AM
Executive Producer Nico Vetesse of The Inky Pawprint
Producer Jesse Fyffe-Vetesse of The Inky Pawprint
Sources:
h ttps://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/kastanismargaret.htm
https://www.newspapers.com/image/613665361/?match=1&terms=Kastanis
https://www.newspapers.com/image/613664961/?match=1&terms=Kastanis
https://www.newspapers.com/image/613664417/?match=1&terms=Kastanis
https://www.newspapers.com/image/613664128/?match=1&terms=Kastanis
https://www.newspapers.com/image/613666265/?match=1&terms=Kastanis
https://www.newspapers.com/image/469680036/?match=1&terms=Kastanis
https://www.newspapers.com/image/613665851/?match=1&terms=Kastanis

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The Personification of Evil: The Chicago Ripper Crew: Day 12: 12 Nightmares Before Christmas Dec 24, 2024

Show notes

Listener warning: this case is extremely disturbing.
It is our final day of the 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. In May 1981, on the outskirts of Chicago, a hotel maid went to work like she did every day. For the most part, the day was uneventful, except when she noticed a horrible smell. The Moonlit Hotel wasn’t exactly a five-star place to stay. It was known as a place for drug deals and quick sex. Even so, the maid had never noticed a smell like this before. This was something new. And all day long, she tried to find the source of the stench but never found it. She returned to work the next day, and the smell was even worse. It is a medical fact that women have a better sense of smell than men. They are also better at identifying a specific odor. And what the maid smelled that day was death. Her gut told her that something was dead on the hotel premises, but no matter how much she looked for the source, she couldn’t find it. The stench was making it almost impossible to work. Finally, she went to the hotel manager, who said that, yeah, now that she mentioned it, he smelled something, too. She told him that she’d already checked all the rooms, so the manager began to search the grounds. The manager came upon a gruesome discovery in an empty field behind the hotel. This would not be the final victim, but the biggest shock was yet to come.
Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode entitled ‘The Personification of Evil: The Chicago Ripper Crew.’
A huge thank you to Sleep Creme for sponsoring this episode. Order your bottle today at sleepcreme.com. Use the code OTCPODCAST at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order!
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from Octoberpod AM
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Pawprint
Sources:
https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/the-ripper-crew-satanic-murderers-thomas-kokoraleis
https://law.justia.com/cases/illinois/supreme-court/1989/65229-7.html
https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/The_Ripper_Crew
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/03/29/ripper-crew-killer-thomas-kokoraleis-paroled-after-37-years-prison/3308889002/
https://www.cracked.com/article_35559_the-ripper-crew-the-scariest-cult-youve-never-heard-of.html
https://mail.murderpedia.org/male.G/g/gecht-robin.htm
https://www.newspapers.com/image/387761257/?match=1&terms=%22Shui%20Mak%22%20
https://www.newspapers.com/image/387816419/?match=1&terms=%22Shui%20Mak%22%20
https://www.newspapers.com/image/387816597/

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Trail of Terror: The Bloody Benders and Their House of Death: Day 11: 12 Nightmares Before Christmas Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

Here is day 11 of the 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. After the American Civil War, the U.S. government decided it would be delightful to shuffle the Osage Indians from Labette County, Kansas, to what would soon be the state of Oklahoma—because who doesn’t love a good game of human chess? As they cleared the land, they rolled out the red carpet for homesteaders, luring them in with shiny promises of opportunity. By October 1870, five families of spiritualists—because obviously, that’s who you want on the frontier—decided to stake their claim on this “untamed paradise.” As noted by the proclamation issued on May 17, 1873, this was far from paradise for many travelers. Several atrocious murders have been recently committed in Labette County, Kansas.
Join Jen and Cam on this episode entitled ‘Trail of Terror: The Bloody Benders and Their House of Death.’
Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS
All music by our executive producer and editor @theinkypawprint
Sources:
https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2024/10/bloody-benders/
https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/bloody-benders
https://www.kctv5.com/2024/07/04/kansas-bloody-benders-digging-clues-century-old-murders/
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-benders/
https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/ku-researchers-dig-deeper-into-the-bloody-benders-site/
https://www.humanitieskansas.org/get-involved/kansas-stories/people/true-crime-in-kansas-the-mystery-of-the-benders
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sale-kansas-land-where-bloody-benders-committed-their-crimes-180974121/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/13godpkiaP4Ile72PYAIL5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Benders

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Ohio's 22 Caliber Killers: The Lewingdon Brothers Day: Day 10: 12 Nightmares Before Christmas Dec 22, 2024

Show notes

We are on day ten of the 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. On a freezing cold night in December of 1977, two women in their mid-thirties were leaving the Forker’s Café at 64 Union Street in Newark, Ohio. At 2:30 a.m., Joyce Vermillion, a barmaid at the café, and Karen Dodrill (dod-rill), a patron and friend of Joyce’s, were preparing to call it a night. Karen had been out celebrating her birthday and had offered to give her friend Joyce a ride home. Since it was minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit, Karen went out to warm up her car first and was headed back into the bar when she was gunned down by a person waiting in the bushes. Since there was a homemade silencer on the gun, Joyce had no warning of any danger and walked out of the building and was shot and killed as well. (Some sources say they were walking across the parking lot when they were gunned down.) When Joyce failed to return home from work, her husband notified the police. No one knew that there was not just one killer at work; there were two, and they were related.
Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast as we discuss ‘Ohio's 22 Caliber Killers: The Lewingdon Brothers.’
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from Octoberpod AM
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Pawprint
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_and_Thaddeus_Lewingdon
https://mail.crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/partners/lewingdon_bros/4.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/288325368/?match=1&terms=Joyce%20Vermillion%20Karen%20Dodrill
https://www.newspapers.com/image/288325794/?match=1&terms=Joyce%20Vermillion%20Karen%20Dodrill
https://www.newspapers.com/image/288326901/?match=1&terms=Joyce%20Vermillion%20Karen%20Dodrill
https://www.newspapers.com/image/288331767/?match=1&terms=Joyce%20Vermillion%20Karen%20Dodrill
https://www.newspapers.com/image/989648304/?match=1&terms=%22Robert%20McCann%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/601876460/?match=1&terms=%22Robert%20McCann%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/844598598/?match=1&terms=Robert%20Mickey%20McCann
https://www.newspapers.com/image/406055736/?match=1&terms=Jenkins%20Jones

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