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261. Mommy Dearest: The Murder of Jerry Heimann May 22, 2024

Show notes

In April 2001, Jerry Heimann's son, Greg, had come to Washington State to visit his father. When his father didn't pick him up from the airport, he grew concerned. When he arrived at his father's home, and there was no answer, he broke into the house. Jerry wasn't there, and neither were most of Jerry's belongings. As he made his way into the dining room, he found an 89-year-old grandmother, Evelyn, and an Alzheimer's patient slumped in her wheelchair. She had been left alone, starving. Greg called 911.
When police asked the neighbors if they had seen Jerry, they said they hadn’t seen anyone at the residence after the live-in housekeeper and elder helper, Barbara Opel, had backed a U-Haul into Jerry’s driveway, packed it full of things from Jerry’s house, and left.
Soon, police knocked on Barbara Opel's hotel room door, asking her, her children, and their friends to come down to the station to answer some questions about the whereabouts of her employer, 64-year-old Jerry Heimann.
Barbara spun a story of how Jerry was dying of terminal prostate cancer, and he was just finished with this world. He’d given her all his earthly possessions, and she had no idea where he was.
Nobody else talked to the police. They did not betray Barbara.
But eleven-year-old Derek did. When the police asked him if he knew where Jerry was, he simply said, “Yes. He’s dead.”
Join Cam and Jen as they discuss. "Mommy Dearest: The Murder of Jerry Heiman"
Thank you to YA-MAN USA for sponsoring this week's episode. To experience the future of beauty, you can visit yamanusa.com and use code TCP for a 20% discount.
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from OctoberpodVHS
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Paw Print
Sources:
https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/little-girl-lost/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Opel
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/sentenced-to-50-years-in-everett-slaying-hell-get-out-after-21/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16566644/jerry_duane-heimann
https://murderpedia.org/female.O/o/opel-barbara.htm
https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/little-girl-lost/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B01DQ3K84A/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s2 Investigation Discovery: Deadly Sins Season 2 Episode 8; Mommy's Little Killers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4xtkBOfP84&ab_channel=DanielleKirsty

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260. The Scorecard Killer: Randy Kraft May 15, 2024

Show notes

In the early hours of May 14, 1983, two California Highway Patrol officers pulled over a suspected drunk driver on the San Diego Freeway in Mission Viejo, California. Instead of staying in his vehicle, the driver jumped out, pouring the contents of a beer bottle onto the road as he exited. His disheveled appearance caught the officers' attention as he approached their patrol car. The officers asked for the man’s driver’s license, and he readily admitted that he had been drinking beer, but he claimed to be sober. Sergeant Michael Howard approached the vehicle and noticed a man slumped in the passenger's seat, partially obscured by a jacket, with empty beer bottles strewn around his feet. A folding knife was visible on the driver's seat. Howard tapped on the window, but there was no response. The man was unconscious and had no shoes on. His pants were unzipped, with his genitals hanging out of his pants. The officer attempted to find a pulse, but there was none. A closer look at the man indicated that the man had been strangled. This standard DUI arrest just changed to murder, but this is far from the only murder this man would commit.
Join Jen and Cam of ‘Our True Crime Podcast’ as we discuss “The Scorecard Killer: Randy Kraft.”
Listener discretion is by the talented @octoberpodVHS
All music is by our executive producer @theinkypawprint
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_Darkness_(book)
https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/serial-killer/the-scorecard-killer-southern-california-man-may-have-murdered-as-many-as-67-victims
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Kraft#Conviction_and_incarceration
https://randykraft.com/the-victims/
https://latimes.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-randy-kraft/138310135/?locale=en-US
https://skdb.fandom.com/wiki/KRAFT_Randy_Steven
https://inmagazine.ca/2022/03/queer-crime-was-serial-killer-randy-kraft-wrongly-convicted/
https://www.reddit.com/r/serialkillers/comments/15wby08/all_randy_krafts_victims_suspected_connected_and/
https://www.ranker.com/list/randy-kraft-facts/christinatedesco
http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Kraft,%20Randy%20_spring%202007_.pdf
https://www.foxnews.com/us/iowa-teen-identified-victim-scorecard-killer-randy-kraft-nearly-50-years
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-supreme-court/1402694.html
https://www.allgaylong.com/blog/randy-kraft-the-sadistic-scorecard-killer/
https://bonlinetr.unionjill.org/content?c=scorecard+killer&id=12
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-29/scorecard-killer-victim-identified-michael-ray-schlicht-orange-county-randy-kraft

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259. Wolf in Priest's Clothing: Irene Garza May 08, 2024

Show notes

All considered twenty-five-year-old school teacher and beauty queen Irene Garza to be a “devout” Catholic. She attended daily mass at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen. There was nothing pretentious or fake about Irene, and she lived her faith. Being good to others was part of her life’s mantra. She told a friend of hers that she found strength and comfort from her daily communion, so it was only natural that she would go to confession that Saturday evening before Easter. In fact, her family said that Irene attended confession every Saturday, whether she needed to or not.
Irene arrived for confession around 7:00 p.m., entered one of the confessionals, and seemingly disappeared. Five days after she went missing, on April 21st, 1960, the body of Irene Garza was found floating in the 2nd Street irrigation canal, just three miles from the Sacred Heart church where Irene was last seen.
Police only had one suspect in mind for her murder. He was the last person to see Irene the night she left. In fact, he heard her last confession. His name? Father John Feit.
Join Jen and Cam as they discuss "A Wolf In Priest's Clothing: Irene Garza."
Thank you to YA-MAN USA for sponsoring this week's episode. To experience the future of beauty, you can visit yamanusa.com and use code TCP for a 20% discount.
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from OctoberpodVHS
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Paw Print
Sources:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/unholy-act/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irene-garza-murder-john-feit-former-priest-dies/
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2712047-Irene-Garza-Autopsy-Report
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Irene_Garza
https://www.cnn.com/2013/05/31/justice/garza-cold-case-timeline/
https://www.smh.com.au/world/break-in-cold-case-police-arrest-former-beauty-queens-priest-in-her-1960-killing-20160211-gmrhii.html?deviceType=text
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/evidence-photos-in-the-irene-garza-murder-case/46/
https://www.dps.texas.gov/apps/coldCase/Home/Details/151 https://www.podles.org/case-studies/Irene-Garza-Case-Study-page2.htm

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Listen Now: Happily Never After: Dan & Nancy May 06, 2024

Show notes

Nancy Brophy fills her novels with romantic betrayals and murder. It’s a far cry from her quiet life in the suburbs, where she and her chef husband, Dan, are living out their golden years. But when Dan is shot dead, Nancy finds herself at the center of a murder case that could be ripped from the pages of her novels.
From Wondery, this is a story about what happens when the line blurs between fiction and reality.
Listen to Happily Never After: Dan & Nancy early and ad-free on Wondery+.
Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.
https://wondery.app.link/HNADN-OTCP

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258. Little Girl Gone: Casey Williamson May 01, 2024

Show notes

Warning: Today's episode deals with mental health struggles. If you or someone you love need help please contact 988, where resources are available to you.
On Friday, July 25, 2002, Ernie Williamson woke up to the alarm at either 6 or 6:30 AM, preparing to head to work. As he starts his day, his 6-year-old daughter, Cassandra, affectionately known as Casey, approaches him, telling him she is hungry. Ernie assures her that he'll quickly take a shower and then accompany her across the street to grab breakfast. Since Ernie and Angela had separated, the couple wanted to raise their children, Chelsea--age 12, Casey—age 6, Elizabeth—4, and little Ernie—2, in a loving co-parenting style, Angela and the kids stay with her father at on Benton Street in Valley Park; while Ernie stays right across the street.
As Ernie gets ready, he has no worries since a family friend, 24-year-old Johnny Johnson, is still asleep on the couch. Both Angela and Ernie have known Johnson since he was a child. However, upon finishing his shower and returning upstairs for Casey, he discovers that she is nowhere to be found inside the house. Casey is missing.
Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Little Girl Gone: Casey Williamson.”
Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS
Music by our E.P. @theinkypawprint
Sources:
https://people.com/johnny-johnson-murdered-casey-williamson-executed-7569504
https://fox2now.com/news/true-crime/a-2002-st-louis-area-sleepover-ends-with-kidnapping-murder/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpIwxvWyM50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMCbX7cPEzA
newspapers.com
https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article277306138.html
https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/casey-williamsons-mother-devastated-after-convicted-killer-given-stay-of-execution/
https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-casey-williamson-johnny-johnson-b0d87ed6e459e49cb53f9b4fa5fcd738
https://nypost.com/2023/08/02/eerie-final-words-of-vampire-who-killed-6-year-old-girl/

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257. Somebody Knows: Annie McCarrick & The Vanishing Triange Apr 24, 2024

Show notes

Annie McCarrick, an American living in Ireland, left her home on March 26, 1993, and vanished into thin air. Her father, John McCarrick, said, “It’s as if somebody came along and just vacuumed her up off the planet.”
It's been thirty-one years since Annie was last seen. Many theories have been suggested and investigated in Annie’s disappearance. One is that Annie was abducted and murdered
by a total stranger. And for most people, this theory seemed the most plausible for decades. The reason for that is because of the other women who have gone missing in eastern Ireland, in an area that is known as the Vanishing Triangle.
Join Cam and Jen as they talk about 'Someone Knows: Annie McCarrick & The Vanishing Triangle".
Thank you to YA-MAN USA for sponsoring this week's episode. To experience the future of beauty, you can visit yamanusa.com and use code TCP for a 20% discount.
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from OctoberpodVHS
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Paw Print
Sources:
https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Barry-Cummins/dp/0717183939
https://www.newspapers.com/image/725159400/?terms=Annie%20McCarrick&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/913673397/?terms=Annie%20McCarrick&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/470589379/?terms=Annie%20McCarrick&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/913673929/?terms=Annie%20McCarrick&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/913673265/?terms=Annie%20McCarrick&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/472309257/?terms=Annie%20McCarrick&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/914594619/?terms=Annie%20McCarrick&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1007818080/?terms=%22Annie%20McCarrick%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/260654830/?terms=%22Annie%20McCarrick%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/723889044/?terms=%22Annie%20McCarrick%22&match=1
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/newsday/name/john-mccarrick-obituary?id=5147570

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256. The Hitchhiker: The Murder of Dorothy Donovan Apr 17, 2024

Show notes

Today, we are going to Harrington, Delaware, where 41-year-old Charles Holden returns home from work just after 1 am. Pulling up to his home, he notices a man lurking outside, peeking in the windows. Charles, who shares the property with his mother, left the scene to phone the police. Charles explained to the dispatcher that he feared the man was trying to break into his mother’s home and was worried since she lived alone. Charles went back to the location to wait for the police. Corporal Myrna Williams Kinney of the Delaware State Police arrived, walked around the house, and discovered a window on the back of the house had been shattered. Charles's heart sank as he worried about his elderly mother.
Join Jen and Cam on this episode of ‘Our True Crime Podcast’ as we discuss “The Hitchhiker: The Murder of Dorothy Donovan.”
This episode is sponsored by SleepCreme.com. Go to SleepCreme.com and order today to experience better sleep, If you don't get better sleep, they will refund your money, simple as that.
As always, our listener discretion is by @octoberpodVHS
All music is by our executive producer Nico @theinkypawprint
Sources:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1847944/
https://tt.se/media/image/sdl6DlqWhr5rbk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mSAimU3THQ
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Dorothy_Donovan
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-272822.html

https://veritycreates.medium.com/killer-hitchhiker-the-murder-of-dorothy-donovan-b6c5dfc6d359
https://www.facebook.com/341180555899616/posts/in-memory-of-dorothy-donovanshe-was-born-dorothy-mae-bonney-on-may-18-1921-in-bu/2557279680956348/
https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/comments/6opxy3/tomt_hitchhiker_kills_family_member_of_the_man/

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255. Never A Marine: Krystal Tobias, Laura Hobbs & Amanda Snell Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

It was a cold and snow-covered morning in February 2010 when Thomas and Lynn Love decided to take the scenic route to Woodbridge, a suburb of Alexandria, Virginia. The area had recently been pummeled with snow, not once but three times that month, leaving record-breaking accumulations across the Washington, D.C. area.
They drove by Prince William Forest and turned east onto Minnieville Road. The area is a sleepy suburb, with wide open roads interspersed with the occasional subdivision or neighborhood. However, large parts are still fields and woods, so the deer often play dodgeball in the traffic. So, Thomas drove more cautiously than usual. As their vehicle approached Alps Road, Thomas saw something move. He pulled over and got out of the car. When his wife realized what they were looking at, she, too, got out of the vehicle.
It was a woman, half-dressed, covered in slush and snow and blood, stumbling toward them. She was scraped from the knees down, her face pitted with tiny red dots, and the whites of her eyes were reddish-purple. Shivering, she said in a hoarse whisper, “I’ve been raped and beaten. Where’s Lisa? Is she alive?” Lynn wrapped the woman in a blanket, put her in the car, turned up the heat, and then called 911.
There was no way at that moment that the Loves could fully comprehend that they had just played a small part in catching a murderer, freeing a wrongfully imprisoned man from jail, and bringing closure to three families, all by saving the life of the half-frozen woman now seated in their backseat.
Join Jen and Cam as they discuss "Never A Marine"
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from OctoberpodVHS
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Paw Print
Sources:
Complete list of sources on Our True Crime Podcast website
Article written by Harry Jaffe that Jen mentioned.
https://www.washingtonian.com/2012/09/11/predator-in-the-ranks-inside-a-real-life-ncis-murder-case/
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-4th-circuit/1872283.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Avila-Torrez
https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/jorge-avila-torrez-ex-marine-sentenced-100-years-for-murder-laura-hobbs-krystal-tobias
https://www.washingtonpost.com/crime-law/2018/09/19/convicted-va-killer-already-facing-death-penalty-admits-slaying-two-girls-illinois/

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254. Natural Born Killers: Joshua Maxwell and Tessie McFarland Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

We are headed to Indiana, near the famed Speedway where the iconic Indy races unfold. It's September 12, 2000, around 7 a.m. when a call comes into police, reporting a vehicle ablaze near Decatur Township off State Road 67. Detective Larry Sanders swiftly responds, observing the inferno and sensing its deliberate nature. Amidst the efforts to douse the flames, a chilling discovery emerges from the trunk: a charred body, its gender indiscernible, limbs bound with wire. Amidst the chaos, crucial identifiers - the car's license plate and VIN - are found, linking the vehicle to Robby Bott. Robby, a resident of Morgan County, Indiana, leaves investigators grappling with unsettling questions: Is the deceased indeed Robby Bot? How did he end up in the trunk? And, most urgently, who perpetrated this heinous act, and what drove them to such brutality?
Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Natural Born Killers: Joshua Maxwell and Tessie McFarland.’
This episode is sponsored by Oneskin. It’s about skin longevity, targeting the root causes of aging to help you look and feel your best at every age. Get started today with 15% off using code OTCP at oneskin.co. (it is co, not com)
Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS
All music is by our EP @theinkypawprint
Sources:
https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/dr_info/maxwelljoshua.html
https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2002/02/22/brooklyn-murder-suspect-on-trial-in-texas/118393996/
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/03/11/Texas-executes-sheriffs-sergeant-killer/71481268362604/
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-indiana-man-who-murdered-2-executed-in-texas-2010mar11-story.html
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Shootout-Suspect-Admits-Slaying-Confession-2733133.php
https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/10/18/Pair-wanted-in-crime-spree-arrested-in-SF-shootout/2552971841600/
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/prosecutors-want-local-trial-victims-family-doesnt/531-6490bb0f-1b55-432a-84c3-d8331e1eac7c
https://www.themarshallproject.org/next-to-die/tx/nsbhpd2o
https://thecinemaholic.com/joshua-maxwell-tessie-mcfarland/
https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/ex-convict-stripper-lured-men-sex-killed-them-for-cash
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-indiana-man-who-murdered-2-executed-in-texas-2010mar11-story.html
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/in-court-of-appeals/1091648.html

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253. Taking the Bait: The Carly Ryan Story Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

In 2007, Carly became friends with a musician named Brandon Kane on MySpace. The two initially bonded over their love of music, and soon, Brandon regaled her with stories of growing up in the wide-open spaces of the American Southwest and traveling to other exotic places. Carly hung on to his every word. Carly soon shared with her mother that she’d “met” this awesome guy named Brandon Kane.
Within 18 months, Brandon quickly became Carly’s entire world. Unfortunately, Brandon Kane didn't exist.
The ease with which one online predator was able to groom, lure, and murder fifteen-year-old Carly Ryan in Australia would not only rock the nation but would make headlines globally. It was a horrifying wake-up call. The world suddenly realized that the darling invention of social media had teeth, and it could bite.
Join Jen and Cam as they discuss 'Taking the Bait: The Carly Ryan Story'
If you're worried that your child is being groomed online or sexually exploited, please report it.
USA
call 1-800-843-5678 or go online to Cyber Tipline https://report.cybertip.org
Australia
Call Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or report online at crimestoppers.com.au.
UK
Make a report https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre
or police on 101 or online at www.police.uk
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from OctoberpodVHS
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Paw Print
Sources:
https://www.carlyryanfoundation.com/
https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2017-06-13.185.1
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/the-ex-wife-of-carly-ryans-killer-garry-francis-newman-says-she-suffered-decades-of-abuse-at-his-hands/news-story/a44fffae2985ec53c6a21945358036b0
https://youtu.be/VV43ezxdg5M?si=YwLqursVJ2Ardo3v
https://youtu.be/1co77A5sQG0?si=wfgfABfNZDIgXFoc
https://youtu.be/feSqADrsreU?si=y7Ijd-4BwUwLM2Gc
https://youtu.be/tQ7jQUEHRd0?si=_9c9EglisUADiLBr
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Carly_Ryan

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