The Killafornia Dreaming Podcast

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#204 The Tale of the Great Feather Heist: A Vacation Series [Part 4] Oct 04, 2021

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The 2009 Break In At the Natural History Museum In Tring England Carried Out By Gifted Flautist Edwin Rist [Part 4]
He was an American flautist living in London, studying at the Royal academy of music. At only 20 years of age, he was intelligent, gifted, talented...a prodigy. On the evening of June 24, 2009 he performed at the Academy in “London Soundscapes”...featuring the music of composers such as Joseph Hayden, George Frideric Handel, and Felix Mendelssohn. But his flute wasn’t the only thing he brought with him the evening of his performance. He had with him a relatively large piece of luggage...a rolling suitcase that contained in it the accoutrements of a thief - gloves, a small flashlight, a pair of wire cutters, a glass cutting saw with a diamond blade. After the concert, he retrieved the suitcase from his locker and put his plan in motion...making his way towards the Natural History Museum in the town of Tring. This wasn’t the first time he’d been there, but it would certainly be his last. After months of reconnaissance - investigating, casing, scouting, scrutinizing, studying, evaluating, analyzing, planning - he was confident he would be able to make his way around walls, barbed wire, cameras and guards in order to get what he was there to pilfer...a collection of coveted relics of the past...many of which no longer existing anywhere in world...unique, rare, endangered, extinct...priceless and irreplaceable...all for a hobby that grew into an obsession...and a golden flute.

SOURCES:
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/books/review/kirk-wallace-johnson-feather-thief.html
https://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/BIOG.htm
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/collections/zoology-collections/bird-skin-collections/bird-skin-collection-wallace.html
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/a-flautist--299-stuffed-birds--and-the-bizarre-crime-of-an-obses

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#203 The Tale of the Great Feather Heist: A Vacation Series [Part 3] Sep 28, 2021

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The 2009 Break In At the Natural History Museum In Tring England Carried Out By Gifted Flautist Edwin Rist [Part 3]
He was an American flautist living in London, studying at the Royal academy of music. At only 20 years of age, he was intelligent, gifted, talented...a prodigy. On the evening of June 24, 2009 he performed at the Academy in “London Soundscapes”...featuring the music of composers such as Joseph Hayden, George Frideric Handel, and Felix Mendelssohn. But his flute wasn’t the only thing he brought with him the evening of his performance. He had with him a relatively large piece of luggage...a rolling suitcase that contained in it the accoutrements of a thief - gloves, a small flashlight, a pair of wire cutters, a glass cutting saw with a diamond blade. After the concert, he retrieved the suitcase from his locker and put his plan in motion...making his way towards the Natural History Museum in the town of Tring. This wasn’t the first time he’d been there, but it would certainly be his last. After months of reconnaissance - investigating, casing, scouting, scrutinizing, studying, evaluating, analyzing, planning - he was confident he would be able to make his way around walls, barbed wire, cameras and guards in order to get what he was there to pilfer...a collection of coveted relics of the past...many of which no longer existing anywhere in world...unique, rare, endangered, extinct...priceless and irreplaceable...all for a hobby that grew into an obsession...and a golden flute.

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#202 The Tale of the Great Feather Heist: A Vacation Series [Part 2] Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

The 2009 Break In At the Natural History Museum In Tring England Carried Out By Gifted Flautist Edwin Rist [Part 2]
He was an American flautist living in London, studying at the Royal academy of music. At only 20 years of age, he was intelligent, gifted, talented...a prodigy. On the evening of June 24, 2009 he performed at the Academy in “London Soundscapes”...featuring the music of composers such as Joseph Hayden, George Frideric Handel, and Felix Mendelssohn. But his flute wasn’t the only thing he brought with him the evening of his performance. He had with him a relatively large piece of luggage...a rolling suitcase that contained in it the accoutrements of a thief - gloves, a small flashlight, a pair of wire cutters, a glass cutting saw with a diamond blade. After the concert, he retrieved the suitcase from his locker and put his plan in motion...making his way towards the Natural History Museum in the town of Tring. This wasn’t the first time he’d been there, but it would certainly be his last. After months of reconnaissance - investigating, casing, scouting, scrutinizing, studying, evaluating, analyzing, planning - he was confident he would be able to make his way around walls, barbed wire, cameras and guards in order to get what he was there to pilfer...a collection of coveted relics of the past...many of which no longer existing anywhere in world...unique, rare, endangered, extinct...priceless and irreplaceable...all for a hobby that grew into an obsession...and a golden flute.

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#201 The Tale of the Great Feather Heist: A Vacation Series [Part 1] Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

The 2009 Break In At the Natural History Museum In Tring England Carried Out By Gifted Flautist Edwin Rist [Part 1]
He was an American flautist living in London, studying at the Royal academy of music. At only 20 years of age, he was intelligent, gifted, talented...a prodigy. On the evening of June 24, 2009 he performed at the Academy in “London Soundscapes”...featuring the music of composers such as Joseph Hayden, George Frideric Handel, and Felix Mendelssohn. But his flute wasn’t the only thing he brought with him the evening of his performance. He had with him a relatively large piece of luggage...a rolling suitcase that contained in it the accoutrements of a thief - gloves, a small flashlight, a pair of wire cutters, a glass cutting saw with a diamond blade. After the concert, he retrieved the suitcase from his locker and put his plan in motion...making his way towards the Natural History Museum in the town of Tring. This wasn’t the first time he’d been there, but it would certainly be his last. After months of reconnaissance - investigating, casing, scouting, scrutinizing, studying, evaluating, analyzing, planning - he was confident he would be able to make his way around walls, barbed wire, cameras and guards in order to get what he was there to pilfer...a collection of coveted relics of the past...many of which no longer existing anywhere in world...unique, rare, endangered, extinct...priceless and irreplaceable...all for a hobby that grew into an obsession...and a golden flute.

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#200 The Tale of the Invisibility Juice: Bank Robbery McArthur Wheeler [A Vacation Series] Sep 06, 2021

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A Pair Of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Bank Robberies Carried Out By McArthur Wheeler Using The Magic Of Invisibility
Happy 200th episode to us Dreamers! This story has nothing to do with California, but everything to do with crimes that make you go hmmmmm.... But we must ask ourselves one burning, eye stinging question...what do you do when life hands you lemons?!

SOURCES:
https://qz.com/986221/what-know-it-alls-dont-know-or-the-illusion-of-competence
https://medium.com/@littlebrown/i-wore-the-juice-the-dunning-kruger-effect-f8ac3299eb1
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/2gbf8y/til_of_bank_robber_mcarthur_wheeler_because_lemon/
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#199 The Tale of the Firestarter: Serial Arsonist & Killer John Leonard Orr [Part 6] Aug 31, 2021

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The Years-Long Crime Spree Of Former Glendale Fire Chief John Orr Who Set Fires Up And Down The State of California All While Working As An Arson Investigator [Part 6]
From 1984 through 1991, thousands of fires were intentionally set from Southern California to the Central Coast, the Central Valley and countless places in between. Homes, business, dry brush...nothing was off limits. The arsonist left virtually nothing behind in the way of evidence that could ever be traced back to him for years. The damage and destruction soared into the millions...countless millions. And 4 innocent lives were lost. The arsonist was brazen, he set fires with impunity, and he managed to get away with it for a long time...until he finally slipped up and left behind a clue that would eventually lead investigators right to him. It was then that it became clear why this pyromaniac was able to set fire after fire after fire while managing to elude capture - he was one of them...investigating the very fires that he was setting. Busting arsonists while moonlighting as one. Driven by a desire for attention, to be a hero, to be the very best at arson investigation, to garner recognition for his dedication to his job while he steadily rose through the ranks. But, there was also an insatiable desire to feed his own sadomasochistic sexual urges...which for him, was to watch things burn. It took years for investigators to catch on to him...and even when he did come up as a possible suspect, nobody who knew him or worked with him were even willing to entertain the possibility he was the arsonist they sought. This only emboldened him even more and allowed for the devastation and destruction to continue for much longer than it should have. Even years later, there are many who still refuse to believe he was responsible. Join me as I tell the story of the most prolific serial arsonist the state of California, possibly the entire country, has ever seen.
SOURCES:
FIRE LOVER By Joseph Wambaugh
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/977/593/304654/https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/john-orr-arsonist-father-firefighter-murderer-family-lori-orr-kovach
https://abcnews.go.com/US/mind-arsonist-head-los-angeles-fire-starters/story?id=15274504

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#198 The Tale of the Firestarter: Serial Arsonist & Killer John Leonard Orr [Part 5] Aug 24, 2021

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The Years-Long Crime Spree Of Former Glendale Fire Chief John Orr Who Set Fires Up And Down The State of California All While Working As An Arson Investigator [Part 5]
From 1984 through 1991, thousands of fires were intentionally set from Southern California to the Central Coast, the Central Valley and countless places in between. Homes, business, dry brush...nothing was off limits. The arsonist left virtually nothing behind in the way of evidence that could ever be traced back to him for years. The damage and destruction soared into the millions...countless millions. And 4 innocent lives were lost. The arsonist was brazen, he set fires with impunity, and he managed to get away with it for a long time...until he finally slipped up and left behind a clue that would eventually lead investigators right to him. It was then that it became clear why this pyromaniac was able to set fire after fire after fire while managing to elude capture - he was one of them...investigating the very fires that he was setting. Busting arsonists while moonlighting as one. Driven by a desire for attention, to be a hero, to be the very best at arson investigation, to garner recognition for his dedication to his job while he steadily rose through the ranks. But, there was also an insatiable desire to feed his own sadomasochistic sexual urges...which for him, was to watch things burn. It took years for investigators to catch on to him...and even when he did come up as a possible suspect, nobody who knew him or worked with him were even willing to entertain the possibility he was the arsonist they sought. This only emboldened him even more and allowed for the devastation and destruction to continue for much longer than it should have. Even years later, there are many who still refuse to believe he was responsible. Join me as I tell the story of the most prolific serial arsonist the state of California, possibly the entire country, has ever seen.
SOURCES:
FIRE LOVER By Joseph Wambaugh
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/977/593/304654/https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/john-orr-arsonist-father-firefighter-murderer-family-lori-orr-kovach
https://abcnews.go.com/US/mind-arsonist-head-los-angeles-fire-starters/story?id=15274504

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#197 The Tale of the Firestarter: Serial Arsonist & Killer John Leonard Orr [Part 4] Aug 17, 2021

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The Years-Long Crime Spree Of Former Glendale Fire Chief John Orr Who Set Fires Up And Down The State of California All While Working As An Arson Investigator [Part 4]
From 1984 through 1991, thousands of fires were intentionally set from Southern California to the Central Coast, the Central Valley and countless places in between. Homes, business, dry brush...nothing was off limits. The arsonist left virtually nothing behind in the way of evidence that could ever be traced back to him for years. The damage and destruction soared into the millions...countless millions. And 4 innocent lives were lost. The arsonist was brazen, he set fires with impunity, and he managed to get away with it for a long time...until he finally slipped up and left behind a clue that would eventually lead investigators right to him. It was then that it became clear why this pyromaniac was able to set fire after fire after fire while managing to elude capture - he was one of them...investigating the very fires that he was setting. Busting arsonists while moonlighting as one. Driven by a desire for attention, to be a hero, to be the very best at arson investigation, to garner recognition for his dedication to his job while he steadily rose through the ranks. But, there was also an insatiable desire to feed his own sadomasochistic sexual urges...which for him, was to watch things burn. It took years for investigators to catch on to him...and even when he did come up as a possible suspect, nobody who knew him or worked with him were even willing to entertain the possibility he was the arsonist they sought. This only emboldened him even more and allowed for the devastation and destruction to continue for much longer than it should have. Even years later, there are many who still refuse to believe he was responsible. Join me as I tell the story of the most prolific serial arsonist the state of California, possibly the entire country, has ever seen.
SOURCES:
FIRE LOVER By Joseph Wambaugh
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/977/593/304654/https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/john-orr-arsonist-father-firefighter-murderer-family-lori-orr-kovach
https://abcnews.go.com/US/mind-arsonist-head-los-angeles-fire-starters/story?id=15274504

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#196 The Tale of the Firestarter: Serial Arsonist & Killer John Leonard Orr [Part 3] Aug 13, 2021

Show notes

The Years-Long Crime Spree Of Former Glendale Fire Chief John Orr Who Set Fires Up And Down The State of California All While Working As An Arson Investigator [Part 3]
From 1984 through 1991, thousands of fires were intentionally set from Southern California to the Central Coast, the Central Valley and countless places in between. Homes, business, dry brush...nothing was off limits. The arsonist left virtually nothing behind in the way of evidence that could ever be traced back to him for years. The damage and destruction soared into the millions...countless millions. And 4 innocent lives were lost. The arsonist was brazen, he set fires with impunity, and he managed to get away with it for a long time...until he finally slipped up and left behind a clue that would eventually lead investigators right to him. It was then that it became clear why this pyromaniac was able to set fire after fire after fire while managing to elude capture - he was one of them...investigating the very fires that he was setting. Busting arsonists while moonlighting as one. Driven by a desire for attention, to be a hero, to be the very best at arson investigation, to garner recognition for his dedication to his job while he steadily rose through the ranks. But, there was also an insatiable desire to feed his own sadomasochistic sexual urges...which for him, was to watch things burn. It took years for investigators to catch on to him...and even when he did come up as a possible suspect, nobody who knew him or worked with him were even willing to entertain the possibility he was the arsonist they sought. This only emboldened him even more and allowed for the devastation and destruction to continue for much longer than it should have. Even years later, there are many who still refuse to believe he was responsible. Join me as I tell the story of the most prolific serial arsonist the state of California, possibly the entire country, has ever seen.
SOURCES:
FIRE LOVER By Joseph Wambaugh
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/977/593/304654/https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/john-orr-arsonist-father-firefighter-murderer-family-lori-orr-kovach
https://abcnews.go.com/US/mind-arsonist-head-los-angeles-fire-starters/story?id=15274504

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#195 The Tale of the Firestarter: Serial Arsonist & Killer John Leonard Orr [Part 2] Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

The Years-Long Crime Spree Of Former Glendale Fire Chief John Orr Who Set Fires Up And Down The State of California All While Working As An Arson Investigator [Part 2]
From 1984 through 1991, thousands of fires were intentionally set from Southern California to the Central Coast, the Central Valley and countless places in between. Homes, business, dry brush...nothing was off limits. The arsonist left virtually nothing behind in the way of evidence that could ever be traced back to him for years. The damage and destruction soared into the millions...countless millions. And 4 innocent lives were lost. The arsonist was brazen, he set fires with impunity, and he managed to get away with it for a long time...until he finally slipped up and left behind a clue that would eventually lead investigators right to him. It was then that it became clear why this pyromaniac was able to set fire after fire after fire while managing to elude capture - he was one of them...investigating the very fires that he was setting. Busting arsonists while moonlighting as one. Driven by a desire for attention, to be a hero, to be the very best at arson investigation, to garner recognition for his dedication to his job while he steadily rose through the ranks. But, there was also an insatiable desire to feed his own sadomasochistic sexual urges...which for him, was to watch things burn. It took years for investigators to catch on to him...and even when he did come up as a possible suspect, nobody who knew him or worked with him were even willing to entertain the possibility he was the arsonist they sought. This only emboldened him even more and allowed for the devastation and destruction to continue for much longer than it should have. Even years later, there are many who still refuse to believe he was responsible. Join me as I tell the story of the most prolific serial arsonist the state of California, possibly the entire country, has ever seen.
SOURCES:
FIRE LOVER By Joseph Wambaugh
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/977/593/304654/https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/john-orr-arsonist-father-firefighter-murderer-family-lori-orr-kovach
https://abcnews.go.com/US/mind-arsonist-head-los-angeles-fire-starters/story?id=15274504

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