It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.
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The Alarmist
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Ricky Kasso: The Acid King
In the early summer of 1984, seventeen-year-old Gary Lauwers was murdered by his friend Richard “Ricky” Kasso in the small Long Island suburb of Northport, New York. Lauwers was stabbed more than thirty times in the attack and his body showed signs of what appeared to be torture. The death itself was shocking to the tiny community of Northport, but the details that emerged in the wake of Kasso’s arrest would shock the entire nation.ReferencesBreskin, Davkd. 1984. "Kids in the Dark." Rolling Stone, November 22.Cassidy, Jerry. 1984. "Cops say 2 teens sought corpses for satanic rites." Daily News, April 26: 352.Gruson, Lindsey. 1985. "L.I. jury acquits defendant in killing of youth in woods." New York Times, April 26: B2.—. 1985. "L.I. murder trial opens; confession is described." New York Times, April 5: B2.Maier, Thomas J., and Rex Smith. 1984. "2 teens arraigned in murder." Newsday (Suffolk edition), July 7: 3.McFadden, Robert. 1984. "Youth found hanged in L.I. cell after his arrest in ritual killing." New York Times, July 8: 1.Newsday. 1984. "Police reports; Grave robbing." Newsday (Suffolk Edition), April 25: 33.O'Neill, Jim, and Dennis Hevesi. 1984. "2 Northport youths charged in 'Satanic' killing of teen." Newsday (Suffolk edition), July 6: 3.Pollack, Jesse P. 2018. The Acid King. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Sleeping Sickness Epidemic (1919-1930)
In late 1916, while treating a group of patients at his psychiatric clinic at the University of Vienna, Dr. Constantin von Economo began noticing the appearance of strange symptoms that he could not account for. At the same time, in France, Rene Cruchet began noticing similarly strange and unexpected symptoms in his patients. Though the two men had never met and knew nothing of one another’s patients, they would come to learn they were both witnessing the emergence of a new mysterious disease that would soon affect millions of people around the world.The illnesses documented by von Economo and Cruchet would eventually come to be know as encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness, a strange condition that caused profound lethargy, hypersomnia, and a wide range of other frightening symptoms. Between 1919 and the early 1930s, millions of people all around the world contracted the illness, with nearly half of all cases resulting in death, and many more suffering long-term effects; yet a cause of the illness has never been established and the terrifying epidemic appears to have faded from memory not long after the disease itself ostensibly disappeared. ReferencesBrook, Harry Ellington. 1921. "Care of the body." Los Angeles Times, March 6: 18.Crosby, Molly Caldwell. 2011. Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic that Remains One of Medicine's Greatest Mysteries. New York, NY: Penguin Publishing Group.Hassler, Dr. William. 1919. "No sleeping sickness in S.F." San Francisco Examiner, March 10: 1.Hoffman, Leslie A., and Joel A. Vilensky. 2017. "Encephalitis lethargica: 100 years after the epidemic." Brain: A Journal of Neurology 2246-2251.Montreal Star. 1920. "Sleeping sickness puzzling doctors." Montreal Star, January 15: 3.New York Times. 1936. "Awakens from sleep continuing 440 days." New York Times, June 14: 13.R.R. Dourmashkin, MD. 1997. "What caused the 1918-30 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica?" Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 515-520.Sacks, Oliver. 1973. Awakenings. New York, NY: Vintage.San Francisco Examiner. 1919. "New sleeping sickness hits S.F. residents." San Francisco Examiner, March 14: 1.—. 1921. "Ten succumb to sleeping sickness." San Francisco Examiner, August 18: 13.Western Morning News. 1919. "Notices." Western Morning News, January 1: 1.Williams, David Bruce. 2020. "Encephalitis Lethargica: The Challenge of Structure and Function in Neuropsychiatry." Archives of Medicine and Health Sciences 255-262.Wright, Oliver. 2002. "His life passed in a trance but his death may solve medical." The Times, December 14. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Mysterious Case of Sunny von Bulow
Weirdos!! On today's episode Alaina announced the third chapter in the Wren Muller series- The Butcher Legacy . Be sure to visit to PREORDER NOW by visiting butcherlegacy.com . Order NOW to get exclusive signed editions from BN.com AND the Special Edition from Target!In the winter of 1980, wealthy socialite Martha “Sunny” von Bulow was found unconscious in the bathroom of the mansion she shared with her husband, Claus, in Newport, Rhode Island. An ambulance was called and Sunny was rushed to the nearest emergency room, but paramedics and doctors were unable to revive her and Sunny would remain in a coma until her death in 2008. At first, Sunny’s coma was a mystery to doctors, but soon suspicion fell on her husband, Claus, who appeared indifferent to her condition and was openly carrying on an affair with another woman. The family launched a private investigation and eventually turned up strong evidence they believed implicated Claus in the attempted murder of Sunny, but, as they soon learned, believing it and proving it were two very different things.ReferencesAssociated Press. 1985. "von Bulow stepchildren sue him for $56 million." New York Times, July 20: 30.Burton, Tony, and William Kutik. 1981. "Charge socialite tried to kill wife." Daily News (New York, NY), July 7: 4.Clendinen, Dudley. 1982. "von Bulow trial going to the jury." New York Times, March 11: 20.Friendly, Jonathan. 1985. "von Bulow's mistress told of plea not to tesitfy about their affair." New York Times, June 6: B15.Kutik, William. 1981. "Claus returns to the scene." Daily News (New York, NY), July 9: 4.—. 1981. "In her will, $35M for hubby." Daily News (New York, NY), July 8: 189.Nemy, Enid. 2019. "Claus von Bulow, tarred by scandal in the death of his wife, dies at 92." New York Times, May 31.—. 2008. "Sunny von Bulow, whose near death started a society drama, dies at 76." New York Times, December 7.New York Times. 1982. "von Bulow lover testifies on affair." New York Times, February 19: B14.State of Rhode Island v. Claus von Bulow. 1984. 82-462-CA (Supreme Court of Rhode Island, May 24).The Economist. 2019. "Did he or didn't he?" The Economist, June 15.1997. American Justice. Performed by Towers Productions. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Pizza Bomber Conspiracy
On the afternoon of August 23, 2003, Erie, Pennsylvania pizza delivery driver Brian Wells walked into the local branch of the PNC Bank and handed the teller a note warning that he had a bomb and they had fifteen minutes to hand over $250,000 or it would detonate. Unable to access the vault, the teller gave Wells all the cash on hand and he left as the employees triggered the emergency protocol.Fifteen minutes later, Wells was spotted by police and placed under arrest. However, when they went to put handcuffs on the suspects, the officers discovered that Wells did indeed have an explosive device on him—it was strapped to his neck and rigged to explode. Officers cleared the area, but failed to alert the bomb squad in time and the device eventually exploded, killing Wells just three minutes before the bomb squad arrived.The bizarre death of Brian Wells seemed to bring his brief criminal career to an end; yet as investigators began digging into the background of the delivery driver-turned-bank robber, they discovered the plot to rob the PNC Bank was far more elaborate than anyone had imagined. ReferencesAssociated Press. 2003. "Witness also helped in 1977 slaying." Scranton Times, September 25: 5.—. 2003. "Woman charged in roomate's death." The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA), September 23: 2.Dao, James. 2003. "A childlike pizza deliveryman at the center of a puzzling crime." New York Times, September 5: A12.Fuoco, Linda Wilson. 2003. "Robber, co-worker death query." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 1.Fuoco, Michael. 2007. "Feds say collar bomb victim was part of plot." Pitsburgh Post-Gazette, July 12: 1.Lin, Judy. 2003. "Erie bank robber explodes in police custody." Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA), August 31: 5.—. 2003. "Bomb-case probers urge patience." Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA), September 5: B5.—. 2003. "Man may have been forced to rob Erie bank." The Daily Item (Sunbury, PA), August 31: 3.Mandak, Joe. 2011. "Woman gets life plus 30 in collar-bomb death." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 1: 1.Nephin, Dan. 2003. "Woman acquitted of boyfriend's death 15 years ago charges with killing another." The Morning Call (Allentown, PA), September 23: 14.Schapiro, Rich. 2011. "Collar bomb." Wired, Janaury.Times-Tribune. 2005. "Woman pleads guilty in killing." Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA), January 9: 2.United States of America v. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. 2009. 1:07-cr-26-SJM (United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, September 8).United States of America v. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. 2012. 11-1601 (United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, September 25).Wire News Service. 2003. "Neighbors say bank robber led quiet life." Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA), September 4: B3. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Shocking Murder of Terry King (Part 2)
When firefighters discovered the body of forty-year-old Terry King inside the charred remains of his Cantonment, Florida home in November 2001, they assumed the man had been asleep when the fire broke out and died as a result. Upon further inspection, investigators found that King hadn’t died as a result of the fire, but from severe blunt force trauma to his head. And even more alarming than that was the fact that King’s two boys, thirteen-year-old Derek and twelve-year-old Alex, were missing.Having occurred immediately in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Terry King’s murder could have easily been one of many tragedies lost in the fog of national trauma and grief; however, when King’s killers were arrested and identified in the days that followed, the story was so shocking, and the motive so heartbreaking, that it managed to break through the wall-to-wall coverage of the attacks. ReferencesAssociated Press. 2002. "Convicted molester denies urging boys to kill dad." Miami Herald , February 1: 33.—. 2002. "Convicted child molester accused of writing love letter to boy in jail." Miami Herald, April 4: 363.—. 2001. "Grandmother: Boys couldn't have killed dad." Miami Herald, November 29: 438.Canedy, Dana. 2002. "Judge throws out brothers' murder conviction." New York Times, October 18.—. 2002. "Reject sympathy, jury is told in boys' trial." New York Times, September 6.CBS News. 2002. Man gets 30 years in killer boys case. November 7. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-gets-30-years-in-killer-boys-case/.Clark, Lesley. 2001. "Boys accused of bluedgeoning father, setting home on fire." Miami Herald, December 4: 1.Gomez, Alan. 2002. "Boys take stand against friend." Pensacola News Journal, August 28: 1.—. 2002. "Chavis judge denies request for acquittal." Pensacola News Journal, August 29: 1.Graybiel, Ginny. 2002. "Slaying suspect vows he could hurt no one." Pensacola News Journal, August 4: 1.Kaczor, Bill. 2002. "Sons change story, still to be tried for murder." Miami Herald, August 25: 970.Keith Morrison. 2009. Second chances. September 7. Accessed December 6, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32664652.2003. American Justice: Blood Brothers. Performed by Bill Kurtis.Midico, Kathryn, and Mollye Barrows. 2004. A Perversion of Justice: A Southern Tragedy of Murder, Lies, and Innocence Betrayed. New York, NY: Avon .New York Times. 2002. "Boy, 13, testifies he and brother didn't kill their father." New York Times, September 5.Scandlen, Monica. 2002. "Testimonies quiet, simple." Pensacola News Journal, August 28: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Shocking Murder of Terry King (Part 1)
When firefighters discovered the body of forty-year-old Terry King inside the charred remains of his Cantonment, Florida home in November 2001, they assumed the man had been asleep when the fire broke out and died as a result. Upon further inspection, investigators found that King hadn’t died as a result of the fire, but from severe blunt force trauma to his head. And even more alarming than that was the fact that King’s two boys, thirteen-year-old Derek and twelve-year-old Alex, were missing.Having occurred immediately in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Terry King’s murder could have easily been one of many tragedies lost in the fog of national trauma and grief; however, when King’s killers were arrested and identified in the days that followed, the story was so shocking, and the motive so heartbreaking, that it managed to break through the wall-to-wall coverage of the attacks. ReferencesAssociated Press. 2002. "Convicted molester denies urging boys to kill dad." Miami Herald , February 1: 33.—. 2002. "Convicted child molester accused of writing love letter to boy in jail." Miami Herald, April 4: 363.—. 2001. "Grandmother: Boys couldn't have killed dad." Miami Herald, November 29: 438.Canedy, Dana. 2002. "Judge throws out brothers' murder conviction." New York Times, October 18.—. 2002. "Reject sympathy, jury is told in boys' trial." New York Times, September 6.CBS News. 2002. Man gets 30 years in killer boys case. November 7. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-gets-30-years-in-killer-boys-case/.Clark, Lesley. 2001. "Boys accused of bluedgeoning father, setting home on fire." Miami Herald, December 4: 1.Gomez, Alan. 2002. "Boys take stand against friend." Pensacola News Journal, August 28: 1.—. 2002. "Chavis judge denies request for acquittal." Pensacola News Journal, August 29: 1.Graybiel, Ginny. 2002. "Slaying suspect vows he could hurt no one." Pensacola News Journal, August 4: 1.Kaczor, Bill. 2002. "Sons change story, still to be tried for murder." Miami Herald, August 25: 970.Keith Morrison. 2009. Second chances. September 7. Accessed December 6, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32664652.2003. American Justice: Blood Brothers. Performed by Bill Kurtis.Midico, Kathryn, and Mollye Barrows. 2004. A Perversion of Justice: A Southern Tragedy of Murder, Lies, and Innocence Betrayed. New York, NY: Avon .New York Times. 2002. "Boy, 13, testifies he and brother didn't kill their father." New York Times, September 5.Scandlen, Monica. 2002. "Testimonies quiet, simple." Pensacola News Journal, August 28: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode Revisit: The Schoolbus Kidnapping of 1976
Happy Holidays Weirdos! For Alaina's Second Episode Revisit, she wanted to choose an episode that introduced us to a true hero!OG Notes: Guys, this Alaina "Mini" Morbid is a doozy. How did we never know about this harrowing tale of 26 children and their heroic bus driver who survived over 24 hours of terror while being buried alive? Seriously, this one if intense but it has a happy ending that will leave you satisfied....at least somewhat satisfied. Resources:https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/19/us/rewind-chowchilla-school-bus-kidnapping/index.htmlhttps://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/hero-bus-driver-ed-ray-saved-kidnapped-children-1976-dies-91-article-1.1081059https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-the-1976-chowchilla-bus-kidnapping-20190709-htmlstory.htmlhttps://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/ajp.138.1.14?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed& Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode Revisit: Santa’s Dark Helpers
For Alaina’s first EPISODE REVISIT this week, we are hopping into the way back in time machine and transporting ourselves to 2018! In the first MiniMORBID, Ash & Alaina talk about some of the spooky figures of the holiday season!OG Notes: "It's the holidays, weirdos! Time to get freaky, brutal and murderous. Tonight on our first mini-Morbid episode, we are covering Santa's scary helpers who will beat you, eat you and maybe steal your candles.” Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Listener Tales 105: Krampus Edition!
Weirdos! Get ready to welcome the holidays with Krampus and tales brought to you By you FOR you and ALL ABOUT YOU! This month we're talking holiday related tales, and Nicholas was so engaged, that it was impossible to edit him out! We're talking near death experiences, phantom hikers and two instances of neighbors being the absolute worst!LISTEN on all podcast platforms OR WATCH on Youtube!If you’ve got a listener tale please send it to DEB by emailing us at Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line- and if you share pictures- please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :)Huge shout out to our video editor @aidanmcelmanMusic: Www.purple-Planet.com Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Atlanta Ripper
During the second decade of the twentieth century, an unidentified serial killer was believed to have operated in Atlanta, Georgia, brutally killing at least twenty Black woman. Due to the similarities between the Whitechapel victims and the victims in Atlanta, the Georgia press dubbed their killer “the Atlanta Ripper,” an anonymous monster whose presence held the city’s Black population in a grip of fear. For a period of roughly five years, the Atlanta Ripper killed with regularity on the city streets, slashing, mutilating, and otherwise brutalizing the bodies of the women they killed. Despite having at least six viable suspects, investigators were never able to conclusively identify the Atlanta Ripper and the murders remain unsolved.ReferencesAtlanta Constitution . 1912. "Negro woman slain; suspect arrested." Atlanta Constitution, January 21: 5.Atlanta Constitution. 1912. "Jack the Ripper believed to be a modern Bluebeard with 12 wives as victims." Atlanta Constitution , August 11: 1.Atlanta Journal. 1910. "Deaths." Atlanta Constitution, April 5: 10.—. 1911. "Antoher negress killed; black butcher at work?" Atlanta Journal, June 16: 14.—. 1911. "Black 'Jack the Ripper' slays another negress." Atlanta Journal, July 2: 7.—. 1911. "Has 'Jack the Ripper' fallen into dragnet?" Atlanta Journal, July 13: 4.—. 1912. "Jack the Ripper caught at last, say detectives." Atlanta Journal, August 10: 1.—. 1911. "'Jack the Ripper' foiled in 8th attempt Saturday." Atlanta Journal, July 9: 3.—. 1912. "Negro woman murdered just outside the city." Atlanta Journal, April 8: 20.—. 1911. "One of the Ripper crimes is no longer a mystery." Atlanta Journal, August 4: 11.—. 1911. "Rosa Trice foully murdered." Atlanta Journal, January 23: 9.—. 1911. "Will "Jack the Ripper" claim eight victim this Saturday?" Atlanta Journal, July 8: 8.—. 1911. "Young negro is held for 'Ripper's' crime." Atlanta Journal, July 12: 17.Constitution, Atlanta. 1911. "Negro woman killed; no clew to slayer." Atlanta Constitution , May 29: 7.Franklin Evening Star. 1912. "Nineteenth horrid crime of Atlanta's Jack the Ripper." Franklin Evening Star, April 9: 2.New York Times. 1911. "Eight victims now of Atlanta Ripper." New York Times, July 3: 3.—. 1906. "Rioting goes on, despite troops." New York Times, September 24: 1.Wells, Jeffrey. 2010. The Atlanta Ripper: The Unsolved Case of the Gate City's Most Infamous Murders. Cheltenham, UK: The History Press. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
December Bonus Episode: Secrets of the S.K. Pierce Mansion with Special Guests Sam & Colby
It’s a paranormal crossover for the ages 👻 In this very special bonus episode, we’re joined by YouTube’s resident ghost-hunters Sam & Colby as we talk about our investigation of one of the most infamous haunted locations in America: the S.K. Pierce Mansion. Known for its dark history, aggressive energy, and “absolutely not” vibes, this house did not come to play. To take things to the next level, Sam & Colby brought in three psychics to independently tap into the mansion’s energy, and what they uncovered was chilling, emotional, and occasionally “we should probably leave right now.” From unsettling validations to shocking overlaps in what each psychic sensed, this investigation got intense fast. Grab your EMF readers, light a protection candle, and join us for a bonus episode where we go behind the scenes of the investigation CURRENTLY AVAILABLE on Sam & Colby's Youtube Channel!Subscribe to Sam & Colby's Channel here and WATCH the episode! Want to visit the S.K. Pierce Mansion? Click here to experience it firsthand! Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Yogurt Shop Murders
Just before midnight on December 6, 1991, an Austin, TX patrol officer called in a fire at a yogurt shop and requested firefighters and additional officers. Once they managed to get the fire under control, firefighters discovered the bodies of four teenage girls in the burned out remains of the building, all having been shot execution style and the building torched to cover up the crime.Almost immediately, investigators on the case ran into a dead end, as leads were scarce and the fire and efforts to extinguish it destroyed or compromised critical evidence. In short time, the case went cold and the residents of Austin moved on. To their surprise, nearly ten years later, Austin detectives announced they’d arrested for young men for the crime, two of whom confessed, and it seemed like, after a long delay, justice would finally be served; however, in this case, justice was still a long way off and when it finally arrived, it came tainted by police misconduct.ReferencesAssociated Press. 1992. "Arrests no relief to families of slain teen-agers." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 23: 43.Austin American-Statesman. 1999. "American digest quotes of the week." Austin American-Statesman, October 10: 1.CBS News. 2009. "Deadly encounter." 48 Hours, March 9.Copelin, Laylan, and Leah Quin. 1999. "Police say 2 confessed to killings at yogurt shop." Austin American-Statesman, October 7: 1.Gamboa, Suzanne. 1999. "16-year-old told police in 1991 he had weapon." Austin American-Statesman, October 7: 8.Garcia, Kimberly. 1992. "In the shadow of death." Austin American-Statesman, March 6: 1.—. 1991. "Profiles of killers released." Austin American-Statesman, December 18: 27.Haglund, Kerry. 1991. "More than 1 raided shop, police say." Austin American-Statesman, December 10: 1.—. 1991. "Officials say they have few leads in yogurt shop killings." Austin American-Statesman, December 24: 11.—. 1991. "Slayings of teens stun friends, families." Austin American-Statesman, December 8: 27.Hall, Michael. 2001. "Under the Gun." Texas Monthly, Janaury: 94-115.Lindell, Chuck, and Kerry Haglund. 1991. "The spark of fear." Austin American-Statesman, December 15: 1.Lowry, Beverly. 2016. Who Killed These Girls: The Unsolved Murders that Rocked a Texas Town. New York, NY: Vintage.Martinez, Sylvia. 1991. "Teens' violent deaths mourned." Austin American-Statesman, December 9: 1.Michael Scott v The State of Texas. 2007. PD-0862-05 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, June 6).Pettaway, Taylor. 2022. Rape, murder of four teen girls in Austin yogurt shop remains unsolved 31 years later. December 12. Accessed October 23, 2025. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Austin-yogurt-shop-killings-17648880.php.Quin, Leah. 2000. "Video could damage yogurt shop case." Austin American-Statesman, May 31: 1.Rivera, Dylan. 1999. "'A decent kid' with a new family and a job." Austin American-Statesman, October 7: 8.Stanley, Dick. 1991. "Robbery may be motive in teens' slayings." Austin American-Statesman, December 8: 1.Vine, Katy. 2025. "How police finally solved Austin's most notorious cold case." Texas Monthly, October 3.Ward, Pamela. 1991. "Classmates try to cope with slayings." Austin American-Statesman, December 10: 1.Wilson, Janet. 1999. "For families, excruciating memories reawakened." Austin American-Statesman, October 7: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Onion Field Incident
On the night of March 9, 1963, officers Karl Hettinger and Ian Campbell made a traffic stop on the corner of Carlos Avenue and Gower Street and Hollywood. Early that day, the officers had been instructed to seek out and bust anyone they suspected of being engaged in gay sexual activity, and that night they were confident they’d found two men that fit the bill. However, after Campbell instructed both men to step out of the car, the driver, Gregory Powell, pulled out a pistol and held it on Campbell, effectively disarming him, while other man, Jimmy Smith, disarmed Hettinger. The two officers were then forced into Powell’s car and driven more than one hundred miles away, where they executed Ian Campbell, while Hettinger escaped into a nearby onion field and managed to find help at the home of a farmer. The murder of Ian Campbell in the onion field shocked residents of California, not only because it was so cold-blooded, but also because of how the incident unfolded. By yielding to the demands of their hostage taker and handing over his gun, many people felt that Hettinger was at least partially responsible for Campbell’s death. Powell and Smith were quickly captured, tried, and convicted for the murder, but the consequences of that night in the onion field would have a profound and lasting effect on police policy all over the country for years to come.Recommendations in this episodeFollow @themhoffers Follow @annaleegrace15 ( YouTube or Instagram)Follow @ChefRileyMeehan and Purchase his book A Little Bit ExtraReferencesAssociated Press. 1963. "2 policemen are kidnapped; 1 is slain." Sacramento Bee, 03 11: 1.Los Angeles Times. 1963. "Cold-blooded slaying of detective re-enacted." Los Angeles Times, March 12: 1.—. 1963. "Officer slain by accident, says former convict." Los Angeles Times, August 21: 27.—. 1963. "Pair guilty of slaying policeman." Los Angeles Times, September 5: 1.—. 1963. "Partner of murdered officer tells of ordeal." Los Angeles Times, March 20: 29.Malnic, Eric. 1994. "Karl Hettinger; survived 1963 'Onion Field' attack." Los Angeles Times, May 5: A32.The People v. Gregory Ulas Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith. 1967. 7739 (Supreme Court of California, July 18).Turan, Kenneth. 1979. "The Onion Field caper." Washington Post, October 13.United Press International. 1963. "2 thugs admit kidnap-killing." New York Times, March 12: 4.Waldie, D.J. 2013. "The Onion Field at 50: 'This is about the tragedy of police work'." PBS SoCal, March 11.Wambaugh, Joseph. 1973. The Onion Field. New York, NY: Dell Publishing. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Stallings Family Haunting
When Ron and Nancy Stallings found the old Victorian on Evergreen Street in Baltimore, they thought their dreams had come true. With each bringing three kids from a previous marriage into the relationship, they needed to find a house large enough to accommodate their large family, but their limited income made that seem impossible. So, when they learned that the house was being offered at a bargain price, Ron and Nancy didn’t hesitate to put in an offer—a decision they would soon come to regret.In the years that the Stallings family occupied the home on Evergreen Street, they encountered a variety of paranormal activity, from the faucets and lights turning themselves on and off to the disembodied voices and apparitions of strangers in the home. Rather than be captives in their home to forces they could neither fight nor understand, Ron and Nancy decided to take action to rid themselves of the other worldly presence, but quickly realized they were woefully unprepared for the battle that lay before them.ReferencesAmodio, Joe. 2005. Echoes from the Grave. Directed by Stuart Taylor. Produced by New Dominion Pictures.Constable, Pamela. 1979. "Psychics tell of UFO trips, ghiost hunts." Baltimore Sun, February 4: 201.Geiselman, A.W. 1968. "Weird home happenings plaguing family of 9." The Evening Sun (Baltimore, MD), August 2: C24.Stallings, Nancy. 1996. Show Me One Soul: A True Haunting. Baltimore, MD: Noble House. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Emma Cunningham and the Murder of Harvey Burdell
On the morning of January 31, 1857, the body of Dr. Harvey Burdell was discovered in his Manhattan townhouse with fifteen stab wounds, and his killer had also strangled him to guarantee his death. Suspicion quickly fell to one of Burdell’s tenants, thirty-nine-year-old mother of four Emma Cunningham. A few days after Burdell’s death, Emma presented herself as his wife and attempted to collect his estate worth $100,000, but before she could get her hands on the money, Emma was indicted for Burdell’s murder.The coroner’s inquest and Emma’s subsequent murder trial dominated the front pages—and then some—of nearly every newspaper in and around New York for weeks and was the “trial of the century” long before the term was even coined. Yet as sensational as it all was, there was no physical evidence tying Emma to the crime and the prosecution’s only argument was that the killer was left-handed and so was Emma Cunningham. Despite the lurid details of affairs, multiple abortions, and constant domestic violence, without evidence the jury moved to acquit Emma after deliberating for just two hours.The story should have ended with the acquittal, but Emma wasn’t content to walk away with just her freedom; she still believed she was entitled to Burdell’s estate, and she intended to get it one way or another. What followed was a protracted battle for Burdell’s money and property that took place in the courts and the press, with a variety of antics that ranged from forging marriage documents to faking a pregnancy and even buying an infant that, when all was said and done, would end up in P.T. Barnum’s sideshow.ReferencesFeldman, Benjamin. 2007. Butchery on Bond Street: Sexual Politics and The Burdell-Cunningham Case in Ante-bellum New York. New York, NY: Wanderer Press.Kappman, Edward W. 1994. Great American Trials. Detroit, MI: Gale.New York Daily Herald. 1857. "Horrible and Mysterious Murder in Bond Street." New York Daily Herald, February 2: 1.—. 1857. "The Bond Street tragedy; the close of the investigation." New York Daily Herald, February 16: 1.New York Daily Times. 1857. "The Burdell murder: Second Day." New York Daily Times, May 6: 1.—. 1857. "The Burdell murder; Dr. Carnochan's testimony." New York Daily Times, May 8: 1.New York Times. 1857. "Terrible Tragedy." New York Times, February 2: 1.—. 1857. "The Bond Street murder still a mystery." New York Times, February 7: 1.—. 1857. "The Bond-Street murder; John J. Eckel and Mrs. Cunningham indicted." New York Times, February 23: 5.Serratore, Angela. 2013. The Desperate Would-be Housewife of New York. June 13. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-desperate-would-be-housewife-of-new-york-140748/. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.