The First Degree - Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek

Latest Episodes:

Episode 55: Kim Goldman Part 2 Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

On October 3rd 1995, 100 million Americans watched as a jury declared OJ Simpson not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. The verdict rattled faith in the justice system, stained popular culture, and the strategies implemented by Simpson’s defense team heightened police distrust. The country has (seemingly) moved on, but the emotional ruins left in the wake of Simpson’s acquittal continue to affect those who loved the victims.

Research Sources & Credits:
We could not have done this episode without the incredible work and observations made by Dominick Dunne, reflected in his Complete O.J. Simpson Trial Coverage for Vanity Fair.

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Episode 54: Kim Goldman Part 1 Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

On the night of June 12th, 1994, two people were murdered in the Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood. This double homicide would change the world, shatter the lives of the victims' families, and forever fracture our faith in the justice system. On episode 53, Jac, Alexis & Billy are joined by Kim Goldman, the sister of Ronald Goldman, a 25-year-old aspiring restauranteur who was stabbed to death attempting to protect his friend Nicole Brown.

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Episode 53: Crystal Kipper Aug 14, 2019

Show notes

On the landmark 52nd episode of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy are joined by Justin Evans of the Generation Why Podcast. Justin shares his first degree connection to the bizarre disappearance of his high school friend, 18-year-old Crystal Kipper, who vanished from the side of the highway in the winter of 1997. A twist of fate would reveal the truth about what happened to Crystal, and the story would be the stuff of nightmares.

Episode Research Sources & Credits:

Oscar Avila, Benita Y. Williams, and Mark Wifbe for the Kansas City Star & the St. Joseph News-Press.

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Episode 52: Christmas in St. George Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

On episode 51, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into a double homicide that rocked the small town of St. George Utah over Christmas in 2010. Two men were immediately arrested, but the bizarre nature of the killings provided more questions than answers, and as the suspect motives were called into question, onlookers were left wondering: Were these senseless murders committed by willful and deliberate choice or were they the result of fear, compulsion and addiction?

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Episode 51: Elyse Pahler Jul 31, 2019

Show notes

The disappearance of a 15-year-old girl named Elyse Pahler was initially ignored by law enforcement. But months later, a 16-year-old boy confessed to killing her—and claimed that her murder was a part of a carefully concocted plot by him and his friends to sacrifice her to the devil. They believed the killing would be their ticket to hell—and it would in turn make them better at their instruments, which they wielded in their thrash metal band. On episode 50, Jac, Alexis and Billy discuss the chilling case and explore how the band death metal band was dragged into a precedent- setting lawsuit accusing music companies of intentionally introducing youngsters to a violent, X-rated world of devil worship, human sacrifice and necrophilia.

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Episode 50: Mackenzie Lueck Jul 24, 2019

Show notes

At 2:00 am on June 17th, 2019, 23-year-old Mackenzie Lueck got off a plane in Salt Lake City, took a Lyft to a suburban park, and then vanished. Police followed the digital breadcrumbs left by Mackenzie to a house where a slew of nightmarish clues were discovered—clues that told the story of Mackenzie's fate and lead to the arrest of a suspect. On episode 49, Jac, Alexis and Billy speak with a first degree connection—a woman who encountered the suspect on a dating app and actually met him for a date. They detail his chilling characteristics, his reported need to build a sound-proof dungeon in his home, and explore the complex dichotomy of straddling dating and safety in an ever-evolving world of technology.

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Episode 49: Katie Beers Jul 17, 2019

Show notes

A 10-year-old girl goes missing from an indoor amusement park in Smithtown, New York. The family friend caring for her calls the police and dozens of officers begin searching for little Katie Beers. In the first two weeks, they don’t find her, but they do uncover stories of abuse amidst the disturbing cast of characters entrusted with her care. On episode 48, Jac, Alexis & Billy tell the tale of the race to find Katie, the chilling details of her captivity, and explore how the system left a little girl so vulnerable to a series of dangerous predators.

Episode Research Sources & Credits:

'The Katie Beers Case; Mystery Surrounds Suspect and Underground Chamber', Ralph Blumenthal
'Girl, Missing for 16 Days, Is Found in Secret Room' by John T. McQuiston for The New York Times, Jan. 14, 1993.
Newsday
The New York Times

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Episode 48: Joel Rifkin Part 2 Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

On Episode 47, Jac, Alexis and Billy conclude with part two of the story of Joel Rifkin. In 1993, the discovery that a serial killer had been operating in the shadows of New York dominated the headlines. Rifken’s gruesome confessions—recounting his sexual perversion and utter disregard for human life—tore at the fabric of the quaint suburbs of Long Island, shattering the sense of security that the people in the suburbs were supposed to represent. New York’s most prolific serial killer was one of their own.

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Episode 47: Joel Rifkin Part 1 Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

The police chase that began in that late evening in June revealed the body of a murdered woman in the bed of a pickup truck driven by Joel David Rifkin. At the start of his interrogation, there was one murder victim. By the end, there were 17, all buried throughout the Tri-State area, all killed by the hands of Rifkin. On episode 46, Jac, Alexis & Billy recount the bizarre life, disturbances, and horrors the most prolific serial killer in the history of New York.

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Episode 46: The Warriners Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

On May 5th of 2019, police were called to an apartment in the Dallas suburb of Denton. The door was ajar, and the scene inside was straight out of a horror movie. But the most ominous thing at the scene was ironically not what they could observe, rather… what was missing—which was the head of the victim. On episode 46, Jac, Alexis & Billy explore an active case that's still unfolding with a first degree connection who is still reeling from the recent events. They examine the timeline of inexplicable behaviors and a decent into mental illness exhibited by the suspect that ultimately culminated in one of the most heinous acts imaginable.

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