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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Ologies with Alie Ward
Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists' obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.
Episode 590: The Murder of Albert Snyder
On the morning of March 20, 1927, nine-year-old Lorraine Snyder was awakened by the sound of gentle knocking at her bedroom door and when she opened it, she found her mother bound and gagged on the floor. According to the girl’s mother, Ruth Snyder, someone had broken into the house in the middle of the night, knocked her unconscious and tied her up, then murdered her husband, Albert. Ruth claimed the motive was robbery, but investigators were immediately suspicious of her. Not only was there no sign of forced entry, but Albert’s murder had been particularly brutal and appeared personal. A day later, when police found Ruth’s supposedly stolen items hidden in the house, her story started to fall apart.The murder of Albert Snyder had everything depression-era Americans were looking for in a media distraction—sex, extramarital affairs, fraud, and murder. From the moment Ruth and her boyfriend, Judd Gray, were arrested for the murder of her husband, they were thrust into the spotlight and would remain fixtures on the front pages of the papers across New York up to and including the final moments of their lives.Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesBeckley, Zoe. 1927. "Ruth Snyder to escape chair, is Zoe Beckley's forecast." Times Union, April 19: 1.Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1927. "Suspect is held after cops grill dead man's wife." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 21: 1.Brooklyn Times Union. 1927. "Hid lover in her home, then went to party." Brooklyn Times Union, March 21: 25.—. 1928. "Ruth and Judd die, she first, in sobs; each is forgiving." Brooklyn Times Union, Janaury 13: 1.MacKellar, Landis. 2006. The Double Indemnity Murder: Ruth Snyder, Judd Gray, and New York's Crime of the Century. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.New York Times. 1927. "Cross-examination of Mrs. Ruth Snyder on her last day on the stand." New York Times, May 4: 16.—. 1927. "Girl finds mother bound." New York Times, March 21: 1.—. 1927. "Gray's first story was full of denial." New York Times, March 22: 3.—. 1927. "Judge warned jury to avoid sympathy." New York Times, May 10: 1.—. 1927. "Mrs. Snyder and Gray found guilty in the first degree in swift verdict; both to get death sentence Monday." New York Times, May 10: 1.—. 1927. "Not a cruel killer, Gray writes in cell." New York Times, April 8: 25.—. 1927. "Says Gray was hypnotized." New York Times, March 26: 9.—. 1927. "Slayers indicted; Snyder case trial sought for April 4." New York Times, March 24: 1.—. 1927. "Slayers of Snyder face speedy trial; racant confession." New York Times, March 23: 1.—. 1927. "Slayers of Snyder hear doom unmoved; put hope in appeals." New York Times, May 14: 1.—. 1927. "Snyder jury hears Gray's confession accusing woman." New York Times, April 28: 1.—. 1927. "Snydwer was tricked into big insurance, state witness says." New York Times, April 26: 1.—. 1927. "Widow on stand swears Gray alone killed Snyder as she tried to save him." New York Times, April 30: 1.—. 1927. "Wife betrays paramour as murderer of Snyder, and he then confesses." New York Times, March 22: 1.Sutherland, Sidney. 1928. "Ruth and Judd die in chair, asking for forgiveness for sin." Daily News, January 13: 1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Introducing GOSSIP'S BRIDLE: A Chat with Spencer Henry & Madison Reyes!
Weirdos! Spencer and Madison drop by to give us a SNEAK PEAK at their new show, Gossip's Bridle! Get ready to gossip about the gossips! So, pull up a chair, sit crooked, and talk straight with us!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 589: John George Haigh: The Acid Bath Murderer
On February 20, 1949, police in London arrested thirty-nine-year-old John George Haigh on suspicion of his connection to Olive Durand-Deacon, a wealthy widow who’d gone missing a few days earlier. Haigh had a long criminal history of fraud and theft, so when police discovered that Haigh had recently pawned several items belonging to the missing woman, they naturally believed he had robbed and possibly killed Duran-Deacon. The truth, they soon learned, was far worse.After days of interrogation, Haigh eventually confessed to the murder of Olive Durand-Deacon, telling detectives he had drained her of her blood, which he intended to drink, then disposed of her body in a forty-five gallon barrel of acid—but she was far from the first of his victims. By the time his case went to trial, investigators had connected Haigh to six victims, all dissolved in acid, and he’d confessed to three additional murders that were unconfirmed. In his confession, Haigh claimed he’d murdered his victims in order to drink their blood; though, it’s far more likely his motive was primarily greed. Nevertheless, Haigh’s claim was immediately seized upon by the British tabloids, who labeled him a “vampire killer” and provided endless sensational coverage of the arrest, trial, and his eventual execution. Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesDaily Record. 1949. "Haigh was a model boy." Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland), July 20: 1.Evening Dispatch. 1949. "Haigh: Defence will plead insanity." Evening Dispatch (Birmingham, England), July 18: 1.—. 1949. "Silence in court." Evening Dispatch (Birmingham, England), July 1: 1.Evening Express. 1949. "Haigh for trial at Old Bailey." Evening Express (Liverpool, England), April 2: 1.Evening Sentinel. 1949. "Dramatic developments in mystery of missing widow." Evening Sentinel (Staffordshire, England), March 1: 1.Herald Express. 1949. "'Haigh put the body in a drum' - prosectiuon." Herald Today (Devon, England), April 1: 1.Lincolnshire Echo. 1949. "Haigh lived to lives, says mind doctor." Lincolnshire Echo, July 19: 1.Lowe, Gordon. 2015. The Acid Bath Murders: The Trials and Liquidations of John George Haigh. Cheltenham, UK: History Press.Ramsland, Katherine. 2006. "John George Haigh: A Malingerer's Legacy." The Forensic Examiner 59-62.Root, Neil. 2012. Frenzy: The First Great Tabloid Murders. New York, NY: Preface Publishing.Sunday Dispatch. 1949. "Wide search for missing rich widow." Sunday Dispatch (London, England), February 27: 1.The Times. 1949. "Hiagh sentenced to death." The Times (London, England), July 20: 2.Western Daily Press. 1949. "Haigh smiles at sentence." Western Daily Press, July 20: 1.Western Morning News. 1949. "Yard fears for fate of five people." Western Morning News, March 3: 1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 588: The Disappearance of Delimar Vera
On December 15, 1997, ten-day-old Delimar Vera died in a tragic housefire when the Philadelphia home of Luz Cuevas and Pedro Vera caught fire unexpectedly. After a brief investigation, the fire department identified a faulty heater as the cause of the fire and deemed the baby’s death an accident and claimed that the girl’s remains had been completely destroyed in the blaze. Luz Cuevas was skeptical of their explanation and struggled to accept her daughter’s death.Six years after the fire, Luz was at a party where she ran into Pedro’s cousin, whom she hadn’t seen in several years. The woman, Carolyn Correa, had with her a little girl named Aaliyah, whom she claimed was her daughter, though Luz didn’t remember her having children or being pregnant six years earlier. Even more suspicious was that six-year-old Aaliyah bore a striking resemblance to Luz herself and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Aaliyah was in fact her own supposedly dead daughter, Delimar. Had Luz Cuevas been right all along? Had Delimar somehow managed to survive the fire? And if so, why was she now in the custody of a strange woman she hadn’t seen in six years?Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesBenson, Clea, and Rusty Pray. 1997. "10-day-old baby dies in N. Phila. fire." Philadelphia Inquirer, December 16: 38.CBS News. 2004. New twist in baby ID case. March 9. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-twist-in-baby-id-case/.CNN. 2004. Mom finds kidnapped daughter six years later. March 2. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/03/01/girl.found.alive/.Cuevas v. City of Philadelphia. 2006. 05-3749 (United States District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania, August 11).Egan, Nicole Weisensee. 2005. "Her side of the story." Philadelphia Daily News, October 13: 3.Frisby, Mann. 1997. "Heater blamed in fire that clais infant." Philadelphia Daily News, December 16: 10.George, Jason. 2004. "Girl found and woman held after a ruse lasting years." New York Times, March 3: A13.Gregory, Sean. 2004. Back from the blaze. March 15. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://time.com/archive/6737931/back-from-the-blaze/.Pompilio, Natalie. 2004. "Kidnapped girl returned to birth mother." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 8.Pompilio, Natalie, and Joel Bewley. 2004. "Case of child once believed dead is far from over." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 6.Pompilio, Natalie, and Thomas Gibbons. 2004. "Woman suspected of kidnapping girl 6 years ago turns." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 2.Soteropoulos, Jacqueline. 2005. "Abductor of infant gets 9 to 30 years." Philadelphia Inquirer, September 24: 1.Tampa Bay Times. 2004. Daughter lost in fire returns, but questions swirl in family. March 7. Accessed June 27, 2024. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2004/03/07/daughter-lost-in-fire-returns-but-questions-swirl-in-family/.The Record. 2004. DNA testing helps mom find only daughter. March 2. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2004/03/03/dna-testing-helps-mom-find/50702564007/.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 587: The Hartford Circus Fire
On July 6, 1944, an estimated 7,000 people, mostly women and children, gathered at the Barbour Street fairgrounds in Hartford, Connecticut to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus. Inside the big top tent, the lion show had just ended, and the Flying Wallendas were getting ready to begin their performance when the tent caught fire, sending the large audience into a panic as the spectators and performers rushed to get to safety. The tent, which had been coated in paraffin wax, was quickly engulfed in flames and by the time the fire was put out, 139 people were dead and hundreds were badly injured. In the weeks that followed, another twenty-eight would die from their injuries. At the time, the Hartford circus fire was one of the worst fires in American history, and it remains one of the biggest tragedies in the state’s history. Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesCavanaugh, Jack. 1994. "The Hartford fire, 50 years later." New York Times, July 3: CN1.Daily Boston Globe. 1945. "7 Ringling officials held responsible by coroner for Hartford circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, January 12: 12.—. 1950. "Circus holocaust, 4 N.E. murders laid to N.H. man." Daily Boston Globe, Juky 1: 1.—. 1950. "Psychiatrist to examine youth who thinks he set Hartford circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, May 21: C29.Davis, John. 1944. "Circus Fire is described by witness." Hartford Courant, July 7: 3.Ensworth, Bob. 1944. "Quick-witted show folks saved many, soldier declares." Daily Boston Globe, July 7: 1.Glaberson, William. 1991. "Our towns." New York Times, August 2: B2.Hartford Courant. 1944. "113 children, mothers not yet located." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.—. 1944. "'Flying Wallendas' on high wire when flames swept through tent." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.—. 1944. "Negligence facts found says Alcorn." Hartford Courant, July 8: 1.—. 1944. "Panic and blaze trap hundreds." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.—. 1944. "Thousands attracted by circus here." Hartford Courant, July 6: 1.—. 1944. "Tossed cigarette blamed for fire by ushers, police." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.Kelley, Robert. 1945. "The strange case of Little Miss No. 1565 still baffles police." Daily Boston Globe, July 16: 1.Linscott, Seymour. 1944. "136 die in circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, July 7: 1.Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1950. "Quiz firebug suspect in '44 circus tragedy." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 19: 1.Morning Edition. 2007. Remembering the Horror and Heroes of a Circus Fire. July 6. Accessed July 2, 2024. https://www.npr.org/2007/07/06/11768511/remembering-the-horror-and-heroes-of-a-circus-fire.New York Times. 1950. "Arson killer sane, psychiatrists find." New York Times, November 2: 47.—. 1950. "Arsonist imprisoned; admitted 172 deaths." New York Times, November 4: 34.—. 1944. "Children caught in frenzied mass." New York Times, July 7: 11.—. 1950. "Some doubts raised in arson confession." New York Times, July 2: 27.Ross, Leonora. 1944. "Hartford tragedy leaves cricus artisits staggered." Daily Boston Globe, July 8: 2.Skidgell, Michael. 2019. The Hartford Circus Fire. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing.Smith, John Henry. 2024. 80 years ago, a gas-soaked roof and WWII created a perfect storm for the Hartford circus tragedy . July 1. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2024-07-01/80-years-ago-a-gas-soaked-roof-and-wwii-created-a-perfect-storm-for-the-hartford-circus-tragedy.Tuohy, Lynne. 2004. "Back to the circus." Hartford Courant, May 16: 69.United Press. 1942. "Scores of animals killed in $125,000 circus fire." Brooklyn Citizen, August 4: 1.Wallenfeldt, Jeff. 2024. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. May 31. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-and-Bailey-Combined-Shows/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-Bailey-Combined-Shows.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 586: The Murder of Bessie Darling
On the morning of October 31, 1933, a gunman burst through the door of Bessie Darling’s home in Foxville, Maryland and shot the woman to death. Police quickly arrested George Schultz, Darling’s boyfriend and business partner, who’d unsuccessfully attempted suicide after shooting Bessie. George confessed to the murder, claiming his actions were motivated by jealousy and a fear that Bessie was seeing other men, and he was sentenced to eighteen years in prison.In many ways, the story of Bessie Darling’s murder is a straightforward and unfortunately common story of domestic violence. Yet beneath the basic facts of the case is another story of rural development and economic inequality at a time when many in the nation were facing serious economic struggles. These aspects of the story, mostly ignored by the press, shaped how Bessie was portrayed by the media and how people have told and retold her story since her death.Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesAssociated Press. 1933. "Autopsy is held in Darling case." Baltimore Sun, November 1: 5.—. 1934. "Mrs. Darling's slayer guilty; given 18 years." Baltimore Sun, March 13: 20.—. 1940. "Gov. O'Conor invokes new parole plan." Cumberland Evening Times, May 29: 2.Baltimore Evening Sun. 1934. "2 say Schultz was drinking on day of murder." Baltimore Evening Sun, March 12: 30.—. 1916. "Ax for Kelly man." Baltimore Evening Sun, August 9: 12.—. 1933. "Maid says man shot woman and himself." Baltimore Evening Sun, October 31: 1.Baltimore Sun. 1933. "Alleged slayer admits jealousy." Baltimore Sun, November 2: 5.Bedell, John, Gregory Katz, Jason Shellenhamer, Lisa Kraus, and Sarah Groesbeck. 2011. The People of the Mountain: Archeological Overview, Assessment, Identification, and Evaluation Study of Catoctin Mountain Park Maryland. Historical survey, Washington, DC: National Park Service.Clay, K.C. 2018. Bessie Darling: A Brief Report on the Life of a Catoctin Mountain Proprietress. Historiography , Catoctin Mountain Park, MD: National Park Service.Hagerstown Daily Mail. 1933. "Schultz has good chance of recovery." Hagerstown Daily Mail, November 2: 3.—. 1933. "Schultz says shooting was self-defense." Hagerstown Daily Mail, December 4: 1.National Park History. 2003. A New Deal for the Mountain. November 21. Accessed June 6, 2024. http://npshistory.com/publications/cato/hrs/chap5.htm.—. 2003. Chapter Four: The Eve of Acquisition . November 21. Accessed June 5, 2024. http://npshistory.com/publications/cato/hrs/chap4.htm.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 585: Listener Tales 88
Weirdos! It's Listener Tales, and you know what THAT means! it's brought to you BY you, For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! Today, it's Ash's pick and we've got a batch of tales about signs! We have deceased matchmakers, a traumatic birthday, a story about gut feelings, Ghosts that use MORBID to haunt their loved ones, and a grandmother who sends signs for her granddaughter to stop smoking the devils lettuce. If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Listen Now: Hysterical
Hysterical investigates a mysterious illness that spreads among a group of high school girls in upstate New York. What is causing their sudden, often violent symptoms? Is there something in the water or inside the school? Or is it “all in their head?” The series examines the outbreak in LeRoy, NY, believed by some to be the most severe case of mass hysteria since the Salem Witch Trials. In his search for answers, Dan Taberski (9/12, Missing Richard Simmons, Running from Cops) explores other seemingly inexplicable events of the last few years – CIA officers being crippled with nausea and vertigo; cops OD'ing from exposure to fentanyl – and discovers they’re far more connected than we realize.From Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios, this 7-part series forces us to grapple with the mysteries of our own minds, and reckon with a contagion that we thought was long dead, but may be the defining disorder of our time. Follow Hysterical on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Hysterical early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+ at Wondery.fm/Hysterical_Morbid.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 584: Peter Manuel: The Beast of Birkenshaw (Part 2)
When Peter Smart failed to show up for work on the morning of January 6, 1958, officers in Lanarkshire, Scotland were dispatched to Smart’s home to conduct a well-being check. When no one came to the door, the officers forced their way inside, where they found Smart, his wife, and their eleven-year-old son all dead from gunshot wounds to the head. A week later, Peter Manuel was arrested and charged with the murders of the Smart family, but in time the police in Lanarkshire would learn that was only one of Manuel’s horrific crimes.Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesBirmingham Post and Gazette. 1958. "3 shot dead: no gun found." Birmingham Post and Gazette, January 7: 1.Coventry Evening Telegraph. 1956. "Three dead in bungalow beds." Coventry Evening Telegraph, September 17: 1.Daily Record. 1956. "Fifth tee murder." Daily Record, January 5: 1.—. 1956. "Fifth tee murder: dramatic appeal." Daily Record, January 6: 1.—. 1957. "Teenager vanishes." Daily Record, December 30: 1.—. 1958. "Two sensations as trial opens." Daily Record, May 13: 7.Daily Telegraph. 1958. "1958." Daily Telegraph, May 15: 15.Evening Sentinel. 1956. "Bloodstains found on bed sheets." Evening Sentinel, September 17: 1.—. 1957. "Tjhick snow hampers moors hunt." Evening Sentinel, December 11: 1.Hull Daily Mail. 1957. "Police seek fresh clues in murder mystery." Hull Daily Mail, December 10: 5.Lundy, Iain. 2007. "Psychopath who brought terror to the west." Evening Times, December 27.MacLeod, Hector. 2009. Peter Manuel, Serial Killer. Edinburgh, Scotland: Mainstream Books.Nottingham Evening News. 1956. "Bungalow riddle: two women and girl dead in bed." Nottingham Evening News, September 17: 4.Silvester, Norman. 2022. The story of Scotland's first known serial killer Peter Manuel. October 10. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23034356.story-scotlands-first-known-serial-killer-peter-manuel/.The Times. 1958. "Statement on 8 murders." The Times, May 22: 5.Western Mail. 1958. "Watt denies shooting his wife." Western Mail, May 16: 5.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 583: Peter Manuel: The Beast of Birkenshaw (Part 1)
With a violent criminal history going back to his early teen years, Peter Manuel turned out to be one of Scotland’s worst serial killers. His tumultuous early teenage years were peppered with break-ins and destruction of property, but quickly escalated to horrific acts of brutality.Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesBirmingham Post and Gazette. 1958. "3 shot dead: no gun found." Birmingham Post and Gazette, January 7: 1.Coventry Evening Telegraph. 1956. "Three dead in bungalow beds." Coventry Evening Telegraph, September 17: 1.Daily Record. 1956. "Fifth tee murder." Daily Record, January 5: 1.—. 1956. "Fifth tee murder: dramatic appeal." Daily Record, January 6: 1.—. 1957. "Teenager vanishes." Daily Record, December 30: 1.—. 1958. "Two sensations as trial opens." Daily Record, May 13: 7.Daily Telegraph. 1958. "1958." Daily Telegraph, May 15: 15.Evening Sentinel. 1956. "Bloodstains found on bed sheets." Evening Sentinel, September 17: 1.—. 1957. "Tjhick snow hampers moors hunt." Evening Sentinel, December 11: 1.Hull Daily Mail. 1957. "Police seek fresh clues in murder mystery." Hull Daily Mail, December 10: 5.Lundy, Iain. 2007. "Psychopath who brought terror to the west." Evening Times, December 27.MacLeod, Hector. 2009. Peter Manuel, Serial Killer. Edinburgh, Scotland: Mainstream Books.Nottingham Evening News. 1956. "Bungalow riddle: two women and girl dead in bed." Nottingham Evening News, September 17: 4.Silvester, Norman. 2022. The story of Scotland's first known serial killer Peter Manuel. October 10. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23034356.story-scotlands-first-known-serial-killer-peter-manuel/.The Times. 1958. "Statement on 8 murders." The Times, May 22: 5.Western Mail. 1958. "Watt denies shooting his wife." Western Mail, May 16: 5.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 582: The Murder of Julia Martha Thomas
In early March 1879, fifty-five-year-old widow Julia Martha Thomas disappeared from her home in southwest London. Julia often travelled by herself on moment’s notice, so neighbors thought nothing of her absence; however, when several female body parts were discovered in the Thames, police uncovered a gruesome crime that not only involved theft and impersonation, but also the ghastly murder of Julia Martha Thomas.Thomas’s maid, Kate Webster, was quickly arrested and charged with Julia’s murder. Through their investigation, detectives discovered that Thomas had recently given Webster notice of termination after only one month. Days before she was to leave Thomas’ home, Webster murdered her employer, then dismembered her body and posed as Julia in order to sell off the murdered woman’s belongings for a quick profit. Although she maintained her innocence, Kate Webster was tried, convicted, and executed for the crime, finally confessing her guilt just hours before she went to the gallows.The ”Richmond Murder,” as it was dubbed by the press, captivated Londoners for months and Webster’s trial and execution became something of a public spectacle. In Victorian-era England, few people believed a woman capable of committing murder, much less dismemberment and rendering of a human body. Given that, and the shocking viciousness of the crime itself, the Richmond Murder remains one of London’s most notorious murders of the late nineteenth century.Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesBirmingham Evening Mail. 1879. "Solution of the Barnes mystery." Birmingham Evenign Mail, March 26: 3.Blake, Matt. 2011. Attenborough skull mystery finally solved. July 6. Accessed June 23, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/attenborough-skull-mystery-finally-solved-2307530.html.Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. 1879. "The Barnes mystery." Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, March 16: 5.O'Donnell, Elliot. 2010. The Trial of Kate Webster. New York, NY: Gale, Making of Modern Law.Portsmouth Evening News. 1879. "The Richmond murder." Portsmouth Evening News, July 9: 3.Shaver Hughes, Sarah, and Brady Hughes. 1997. Women in World History: Readings fom 1500 to the Present. London, UK: Routledge.The Citizen. 1879. "The Barnes Mystery." The Citizen, March 13: 3.The Journal. 1879. "The Barnes mystery." The Journal, March 14: 3.The Times. 1879. "TRhe murder and mutilation at Richmond." Reynold's Newspaper, April 6: 6.—. 1879. "The murder at Richmond." The Times, April 1: 5.—. 1879. "The supposed tragedy at Richmond." The Times, April 3: 2.Wood, Walter. 1916. Survivors' Tales of Famous Crimes. London, UK: Cassell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 581: The Murder of Patricia Lonergan
On the morning of October 25, 1943, the body of twenty-two-year-old Lion Brewery heiress, Patricia Lonergan, was discovered in a locked room in the New York apartment she shared with her infant son. Patrica was nude and had been bludgeoned with a candelabra. Suspicion quickly fell on her estranged husband, Wayne Lonergan, who had fled the country to Canada, where he was serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force.Wayne Lonergan was apprehended a few days later and returned to New York, where he was charged with the murder and two days later confessed to killing Patricia in a jealous rage. Despite his confession, Lonergan’s case went to trial and quickly became one of the most sensational trials of the decade. While the murder itself was a terrible tragedy, the extensive press coverage and intense public interest was on Wayne’s sexual identity and the supposedly scandalous lives of the two high society figures at the center of the case.Wayne was ultimately found guilty of the murder and served more than two decades in prison, after which he was deported back to Canada, where he resided until his death. Few people ever doubted that Wayne had indeed killed his wife; however, to this day many have questioned whether his sexuality and the couple’s nontraditional marriage biased the jury against him and led to an unfair trial.Thank you to the incredible Dave White (of Bring Me the Axe and 99 Cent Rental Podcasts) for research!ReferencesAnderson-Minshall, Diane. 2021. Did this queer man kill his wife? March 24. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/3/24/did-queer-man-kill-his-wife#rebelltitem1.Buffalo News. 1943. "Boats grapple for vanished RCAF uniform." Buffalo News, October 28: 1.Dunne, Dominick. 2001. "The Talented Mr. Lonergan." Vanity Fair, July 01.Levine, Allan. 2020. Details Are Unprintable: Wayne Lonergan and the Sensational Cafe Society Murder. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press.New York Times. 1944. "35 years to life given to Lonergan." New York Times, April 18: 1.—. 1942. "Husband is held for questioning in heiress' murder." New York Times, October 26: 1.—. 1944. "Lawyers rebuked in Lonergan case." New York Times, February 17: 20.—. 1944. "Lonergan choked wife, Grumet says." New York Times, March 23: 21.—. 1944. "Lonergan confession read; tells of bluedgeoning wife." New York Times, March 28: 1.—. 1944. "Lonergan defense is ended abruptly." New York Times, March 30: 1.—. 1944. "Lonergan guilty in second degree of slaying wife." New York Times, April 1: 1.—. 1943. "RCAF cadet's wife slain in home here." New York Times, October 25: 1.—. 1944. "State asks death in Lonergan case." New York Times, March 31: 1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 580: Charles Whitman: The Texas Tower Sniper
On the morning of August 1, 1966, twenty-five-year-old Charles Whitman arrived at the University of Texas Austin campus a little before noon, carrying with him several rifles, pistols, and a shotgun contained within a military footlocker. After talking his way past a guard, Whitman climbed to the twenty eighth floor of the campus clocktower and walked out onto the observation deck, then began firing at the people on the ground below. In the span of a just over an hour and half, Charles Whitman killed fifteen people and wounded thirty-one others before finally being shot and killed by a police officer who’d managed to make his way to the top of the tower. Investigators later learned that, prior to arriving on the UT campus, Whitman had also murdered his mother and his wife.In 1966, mass shootings were virtually unheard of in the United States and Whitman’s spree killing shocked the nation. By most accounts, Charles Whitman was the picture of an all-American man, which made his actions all the more confusing. He was well-liked, had a successful military career, a beautiful wife, and once out of the military, he began pursuing a college degree in preparation for the next phase of his life. But behind the façade of American middle-class success lurked a deeply troubled man whose personal history and acute medical problems would eventually go a long way to explaining his actions on the morning of August 1.Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesAustin American-Statesman. 1966. "U.T. sniper shoots 33." Austin American-Statesman, August 1: 1.Colloff, Pamela. 2006. "96 minutes." Texas Monthly, August 1: 104.—. 2016. "Memorial day." Texas Monthly, August 1: 22.Flemmons, Jerry. 1966. "UT tower sniper kills 14, dies in hail of police gunfire." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 2: 1.Governor's Committee. 1966. Report to the Governor; Medical Aspects, Charles J. Whitman Catastrophe. Fact-finding report, Houston, TX: Texas Department of Public Safety.Krebs, Albin. 1966. "The Texas killer: Former Florida neighbors recall a nice boy who liked toy guns." New York Times, August 2: 15.Lavergne, Gary. 1997. Sniper in the Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press.New York Times. 1967. "U. of Texas to reopen ." New York Times, June 18: 25.Stuever, Hank. 1996. "96 minutes, 30 years later." Austin American-Statesman, July 29: 1.Texas Department of Public Safety. 1966. Statement of John and Fran Morgan. Intelligence Report, Houston, TX: State of Texas Department of Public Safety.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 579: The Society Gang Killing
On Thanksgiving Day 1934, police in Tulsa, Oklahoma found the dead body of John Gorrell Jr., a Kansas City dental student, slumped behind the wheel of his car, which had come to a stop at a downtown intersection. Gorrell had been shot in the head twice with his own gun and his wallet and other valuables were missing, leading police to conclude he had been killed in a botched robbery. Just one day later, the residents of Tulsa were shocked to learn that Gorrell hadn’t been killed by a robbery, but by his friend Phil Kennamer, and his motive wasn’t robbery.At the peak of the Great Depression, newspaper reports of violent crime were nothing new. In this case, however, the victim was the son of a prominent local physician and his killer the son of a well-known US District Court judge. The privileged backgrounds of the victim and killer were enough to captivate the residents of Tulsa, but as the strange details of the story slowly emerged in the days that followed, the case quickly grew from local sensation to national fascination. In the weeks and months that followed, countless front pages (and then some) were dedicated to the lurid details of what the press soon dubbed the “Society Gang Killing;” a story of disaffected youth who, bored with their wealth and privilege, turned to crime and violence for the sake of entertainment and excitement.Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for Research!ReferencesBiscup, Walter. 1935. "Verdict of jury leaves punishment of Gorrell's slayer to Judge Hurst." Tulsa World, February 22: 1.Frates, Kent. 2014. "The Society Gang Killingg." This Land, July 15.Freese, Jim. 2016. Murder in the Name Of Love: The Phil Kennamer Trial. Tulsa, OK: Freese Publishing .Miami Daily News-Record. 1934. "Sheriff refuses to act on Phil Kennamer's version of case, involving associates." Miami Daily News-Record, December 13: 1.—. 1934. "Doubt cast on gang theory in Tulsa slaying." Miami Daiy News-Record, December 3: 1.Morrow, Jason. 2015. Deadly Hero: The High Society Murder that Created Hysteria in the Heartland. Tulsa, OK: Independent.Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat. 1935. "Counsel declares he could not tell right from wrong." Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat, February 15: 1.New York Times. 1934. "Death car driver a suicide in Tulsa." New York Times, December 10: 38.—. 1935. "Girl takes stand to Aid Kennamer." New York Times, February 16: 30.—. 1935. "Kennamer reveals 'extortion letter'." New York Times, January 27: 15.—. 1935. "Kennamer tells of fatal shooting." New York Times, February 19: 10.Phillips, Harmon. 1935. "Kennamer Case goes on aftwer threat of mistrial." Tulsa Tribune, February 13: 1.—. 1935. "Phil Kennamer back to jail with 25 years in prison as penalty for Gorrell killing." Tulsa Tribune, February 24: 1.—. 1935. "State blocks quick opinion by doctor that Kennamer shot youth while insane." Tulsa Tribune, February 16: 1.Tulsa Tribune. 1934. "Anderson tells plan of Kennamer Trial." Tulsa Tribune, December 15: 1.—. 1935. "New clues seen in notes from Phil Kennamer." Tulsa Tribune, January 3: 3.—. 1934. "Phil Kennamer inisists slaying his own actions." Tulsa Tribune, December 2: 5.—. 1934. "Police call Born suicide." Tulsa Tribune, December 10: 1.—. 1935. "Opposing Kennamer case legal batteries promise fiery clash of courtroom tactics." Tulsa Trribune, January 23: 7.Tulsa World. 1935. "Judge Kennamer weeps as he describes Phil's abnormalities." Tulsa World, February 16: 1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 578: Clementine Barnabet & The Church of the Sacrifice & The Louisiana Axe Murders
From about 1910 to 1912, an alarming number of axe murders were occurring across the American South and Southwest. Though many would speculate as to the identity of perpetrator, including the theory that a single individual was responsible, many of these murders would remain unsolved and contribute to macabre urban legends that endure to this day. In New Orleans, however, the brutal axe murders of at least five Black families in 1911 and 1912 are attributed to Clementine Barnabet, an African American teenager who confessed to the crimes.Despite having confessed to as many as thirty-five murders, and having been convicted and incarcerated for one, the veracity of Barnabet’s claim has long been in doubt. Tried and convicted on very little evidence, Barnabet’s story changed many times following her arrest and eventually came to include sensational and highly questionable claims of her belonging to a Voodoo religious sect that engaged in human sacrifice. Not only were these claims unsupported by any real evidence, but they also suggested the girl may have been suffering from profound mental illness and had nothing whatsoever to do with the murders in and around New Orleans. But if Clementine Barnabet wasn’t the killer, why did she confess to such brutal, wicked crimes?Thank you to the incredible Dave White or Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!ReferencesCrowley Daily Signal. 1911. "Brutal murder of negro family is discovered in West Crowley." Crowley Daily Signal, Janaury 26: 1.—. 1909. "Rayne scene of brutal murder." Crowley Daily Signal, November 13: 1.—. 1911. "Six murdered in Lafayette." Crowley Daily Signal, November 27: 1.Crowley Signal. 1911. "Negro murderer was convicted." Crowley Signal, October 28: 5.Fort Wayne News. 1912. "Seventeen murders were confessed to." Fort Wayne News, October 25: 17.Lafayette Advertiser. 1912. "Clementine Barnabet sane." Lafayette Advertiser, October 22: 4.—. 1911. "Horrible crime." Lafayette Advertiser, February 28: 1.Monroe News-Star. 1911. "Butchery of human beings." Monroe News-Star, November 28: 1.—. 1912. "Sacrifice sext slaughter 26." Monroe News-Star, January 23: 1.New Iberia Enterprise and Independent Observer. 1913. "Blood lust cut out of Clementine Barnabet." New Iberia Enterprise and Independent Observer, August 9: 1.Osborne, Jeffery. 2012. Preventing Lethal Violence Neighborhood by Neighborhood; Proceedings of the 2012 Homicide Research Working Group Annual Symposium. Conference Proceedings, New York, NY: Homicide Research Working Group.The Times. 1912. "Five negroes are murdered in a Lake Charles cottage." The Times, January 22: 1.—. 1912. "Gives names of 3 of "ax gang"." The Times, April 3: 1.—. 1912. "Negro woman confessed to slaying 20." The Times, April 2: 1.The Times-Democrat. 1912. "Amplifies confession." The Times-Democrat, April 4: 6.Times-Democrat. 1912. "Blood and brain from living person spattered girl's clothes." Times-Democrat, January 18: 2.Unknown. 1912. "Voodoo's horrors break out again." Atalanta Journal, March 11: 50.Weekly Iberian. 1912. "Hoodoo doctor arrested and identified by Clementine Burke." Weekly Iberian, April 13: 2.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.