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The First Degree – Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek — Personal Journals
The First Degree – Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows… you may be our next guest. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)

Copyright: © Alexis Linkletter and Jac Vanek

Latest Episodes:

Episode 249: Shannan Gilbert, et al. (LISK Part 2) May 24, 2023

Show notes

On May 1st of 2010, 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert gets into a black SUV with her hired driver and de facto security guard, Michael Pak. Shannan and Michael travel from New York City’s Manhattan to a wealthy gated community on Long Island known as Oak Beach. Shannan, a sex worker, enters the home of her client, Joseph Brewer. Three hours later, Shannan runs screaming from Brewer’s home. She calls 911 and, although she is sometimes incoherent, clearly conveys that someone is trying to kill her. By the time the Suffolk County police arrive on the scene an hour and a half later, Shannan has vanished into thin air. In episode 249, Jac and Alexis demystify how the search for Shannan became the unexpected catalyst that revealed the existence of the Long Island Serial Killer, nine murdered sex workers and a child, and the corruption within the Suffolk County Police Department.

🎟 Don't want to wait? This entire 3-part series is available now on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

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LISK: Getting to Know Shannan Gilbert May 19, 2023

Show notes

Shannan Gilbert was an aspiring actress, singer, and writer. After overcoming her tumultuous childhood, Shannan moved to New York City for her big break. In order to make ends meet while she began her career in entertainment, Shannan turned to sex work. On May 1st of 2010, 23-year-old Shannan Maria Gilbert went missing after visiting a sex work client in a gated community called Oak Beach which is located on Long Island. The ensuing investigation for Shannan would reveal ten sets of human remains and expose the Long Island Serial Killer. Although Shannan’s case is technically resolved, the Long Island Serial Killer has yet to be caught. In this episode, Jac and Alexis delve into the dynamic life of Shannan Gilbert, the mysteries surrounding the night she vanished, and the suspicions many have over Shannan’s supposed death by “misadventure.”

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BONUS: KILLING TIME: HELLO DARKNESS May 18, 2023

Show notes

Grab a flashlight! This week the girls and the ginger are getting dark! That’s right! Radiation poisoning, humans birthing rabbits, dancing to death, being buried alive, OH MY! On the stand today: top sheets, joint bachelor/bachelorette parties, FaceTime selfie cam fixation, and leaving time left on the microwave! Then! A worstie spices things up!

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

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Episode 248: Megan Waterman (LISK Part 1) May 17, 2023

Show notes

In the early morning of June 6th, 2010, 22-year-old Megan Waterman walks out of a hotel on Long Island and is never seen alive again. A week prior, Megan and her boyfriend, Akeem Cruz, traveled from Maine to New York for business purposes. Megan was a sex worker and Akeem was her pimp. Every few months, the couple would go to New York so Megan could meet with clients for sex work. Once they had made a suitable profit, Megan and Akeem returned home to Maine. But this time, Megan couldn’t go home. On December 13th of 2010, seven months after her disappearance, Megan’s skeletal remains are discovered on Long Island’s Gilgo Beach. Also found near Megan’s remains are the remains of three other victims. All four victims are female sex workers in their twenties. In episode 248, Jac and Alexis unravel how the Long Island Serial Killer, who is suspected to have killed as many as ten sex workers, has continued to evade capture for over twenty years.

🎟 Don't want to wait? This entire 3-part series is available now on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BONUS: KILLING TIME: M’LADY May 11, 2023

Show notes

Hear ye, hear ye! This week the girls and the ginger are headed to the Renaissance Pleasure Fair! Lace up your tunics, sharpen your axes and join us for some medieval mayhem! On the stand this week: interrogating an only child, tramp stamps, rules, and turkey in general! Then! A worstie blames a buddy!

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 247: Cindy Ching Stevens May 10, 2023

Show notes

On January 12, 2006, a 44 year old woman is shot at her home in Houston, Texas. The community is in a state of disbelief. The wife and mother of two leaves behind a devastated family in an attack that appeared to come out of nowhere. However, when friends and family come to learn the perpetrator’s identity, the shockwaves continue to ripple outward. On the surface, the killer is the last person you might suspect. But underneath a veneer of respectability and a happy home, the signs of deep discontent have been evident for some time. In episode 247, Jac and Alexis detail the devastating case of Cindy Stevens, and how struggles occuring behind closed doors can have far more terrifying, and sadly, deadly consequences than we could ever anticipate.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BONUS: KILLING TIME: SAY WHAT? May 04, 2023

Show notes

This week the girls and the ginger return with some erroneous excerpts! That’s right, we’ve all been misquoting Marilyn Monroe this whole time. And Gandhi?! On the stand this week: misspelled names, naps, cohost couples, and night owls! Then! A worstie with a budget airline blunder!

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 246: Sam Olson May 03, 2023

Show notes

On the evening of May 27, 2021, police in Houston, Texas, receive a report of a missing 5 year old boy. Everyone in the youngster’s family are beside themselves with worry and make public pleas for his return. A large scale search search operation commences, but as the days pass with no further developments, the outlook isn’t good. Finally a tip comes in. But when investigators follow up, it’s tragically too late. Only six days after the young boy is reported missing, his body is found in a motel room, and he’s died from blunt force trauma. The next day, the first of several arrests in the case is swiftly made, but everyone is stunned when the alleged perpetrator’s identity is revealed. In episode 246, Jac and Alexis detail the heartbreaking murder of Samuel Olson, said to be at the hands of someone in his close circle who, shockingly, was already a parent themselves. Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BONUS: KILLING TIME: MOST LIKELY TO… Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

This week the girls and the ginger return with a quiz. Who’s most likely to get a tramp stamp? Urinate in public? And more! On the stand this week: The Hamburglar, Trader Joe’s parking lots, sandwiches for dinner, and meat mascots. Then! A worstie with a menstrual mishap! Enjoy!

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 245: La’Reko Williams Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

On the evening of July 20th, 2011, 21-year-old La’Reko Antonious Williams goes to the movies with his girlfriend in Charlotte, North Carolina. As they prepare to go home using public transportation, the young couple begins arguing. The situation turns violent. Several bystanders call 911, and Police Officer Michael Forbes arrives on the scene. After a tense conversation, Officer Forbes commands La’Reko to get on the ground. When La’Reko doesn’t comply, Officer Forbes tases him in the chest. La’Reko falls to the ground, conscious but in pain. Then, Officer Forbes tases him for a second time. Minutes later, La’Reko dies from cardiac arrest. In the years to come, La’Reko’s family, community, and the Charlotte court system will try to understand if Officer Forbes’s second tase was excessive force. In episode 245, Jac and Alexis unravel La’Reko’s story, the dangers of Tasers, and the complexities behind police brutality.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889

💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889

🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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