266. The Big Lie: The Murder of Sara Tokars

 Today's case takes us to Marietta, Georgia. The book centered on this case was one of the first true crime books I had read, and it has always stuck with me. The book Secrets Never Lie: The Death of Sara Tokars- A Southern Tragedy of Money, Murder, and Innocence Betrayed is by R. Robin McDonald. It is November 29, 1992, and Thanksgiving weekend has just ended. 39-year-old Sara has been visiting with her parents and her sisters in Bradenton, Florida, for the holiday weekend, but it was time for her and her two boys, 6-year-old Ricky and 4-year-old Mike load up the Toyota SUV to make the 9-hour trek back home to Marietta Georgia, an affluent suburb of Atlanta. After the three had departed, Sara’s husband Fred called the parent's home to inquire if they were on the road yet. Fred, who had been there earlier, had departed earlier as he had a meeting with a client that he couldn’t miss. Sara’s father, Dr John Ambrusko, had answered the call from Fred and told him they they had just departed. It was almost 10 pm when Sara and the boys pulled into her garage. Sara started to unload the car as one of the boys had fallen asleep in his car seat. As she was unloading, a strange man came out of the darkness. The man, who was carrying a sawed-off shotgun, forced Sara and little Ricky back into the car. What happened next is what nightmares are made of, what mothers fear most, and is proof that true evil exists. 

Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled “The Big Lie: The Murder of Sara Tokars.”

Listener discretion by the fab Edward OctoberpodVHS @octoberpodVHS

All music is by our EP Nico @theinkypawprint

Sources:
Secrets Never Lie: The Death of Sara Tokars- A Southern Tragedy of Money, Murder, and Innocence Betrayed is by R. Robin McDonald

https://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/sara-tokars-murder/

https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/fred-tokars-lawyer-who-set-murder-his-wife-dead/RZ0wVVjemrUPMQKaF8ntdK/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401217/

https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2020/05/13/former-attorney-fred-tokars-dies-in-prison-28-years-after-arranging-wifes-murder/

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/opinion-maybe-wife-killer-fred-tokars-got-fate-worse-than-death/PbgkmWIwbkkvFTQoNczcSK/

https://hmichaelharvey.medium.com/tokars-the-breaking-bad-snitch-dies-in-prison-e0dead8f0af6

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/cobb-county/friends-feel-renewed-sadness-sons-metro-atlanta-man-who-had-wife-murdered/6MIDSIC7TBCFXHCPIG55X6Q76A/

https://www.frettholdandhamp.com/obituary/Michael-Tokars

https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/fred-tokars-who-hired-hitman-to-kill-wife-sara-tokars-dies

https://people.com/crime/fred-tokars-mastermind-killing-wife-1992-dies-prison/

265. You're Next: The Abbotsford Killer

 It was 1996, and all anybody could talk about in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada was the Abbotsford Killer. A few months before, a sadistic, barbaric individual had beaten two girls with a baseball bat, raped one, and thrown her body in the Vedder River.

The killer taunted the police and terrorized an entire community of 108,000 people by promising that there would be more bodies. And he was still at large. People, especially women, were terrified to go anywhere.

What would make somebody do something like that? What would make him taunt the police and terrorize the victim’s family? 



Join Cam and Jen as they discuss You're Next: The Abbotsford Killer

Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from OctoberpodVHS
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Paw Print

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Driver

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503160226/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536899413/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503165860/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536903851/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536899440/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503179637/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tany

ahttps://www.newspapers.com/image/536901901/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536901888/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503182544/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/81100683/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/81100652/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/81101513/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503303596/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536908641/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/81101608/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/238795940/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536859946/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536861487/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503210750/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536969452/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1012539385/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503313860/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503236062/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536967656/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/80906957/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya (mother turns him in)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/473012397/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/995055689/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya (Tanya's mother)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/727435331/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/508301542/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya (right before arrest police release more info)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/485581991/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya (Terry Driver arrested)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/465245218/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503239027/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1012556915/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya (guy next door)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/485580237/?match=1&terms=Abbotsford%20Tanya

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503273481/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1021970677/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536713556/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/496104675/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/508337676/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22 (Trial begins)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/80948944/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/496417487/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22 (additional assault charges)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503293367/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536640178/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536639914/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22 (trial begins)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503367469/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22 (the ol' I raped her but didn't kill her defense)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503581392/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/496272899/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22 (reward money debate)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/503329658/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22 (some opinions on the Driver family filing for the reward money)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/509065548/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/496274585/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536689069/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536686803/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22%20guilty%20life (Verdict)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/495988747/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22%20guilty%20life (fall out)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/536686774/?match=1&terms=%22Terry%20Driver%22%20guilty%20life Judge's comments)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/abbotsford-killer-terry-driver-dead-1.6150861

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Tanya_Smith

https://murderpedia.org/male.D/d/driver-terry.htm

https://walnet.org/csis/news/vancouver_97/vansun-971017.html

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/woman-who-survived-abbotsford-killer-devoted-to-helping-others-1.861220

https://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Al-Linda-Misty/dp/B089NXG91R/ref=sr_1_1?crid=607BDW4YK8YO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BCV6yYQF_ZTAwfkRS_ZVog.gnveuhGqcfRG0ZO8SNLNampaQvVFZxO2K90XN4SMWAg&dib_tag=se&keywords=i+survived+misty&qid=1717086129&s=instant-video&sprefix=i+survived+misty%2Cinstant-video%2C88&sr=1-1  I SURVIVED S5 E 6

https://www.amazon.com/A-Very-Unusual-Robber/dp/B08BNFZ898/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1A0FJ0ZV1R75V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DM7NStIXzD1RqLErGcaWSTHsSzi2Mlez-fmPD3F8o_mnwnSDeiKFKkjMjpHrAQO7IFJTqcKAAFUnLaanMjzQpH_i7uiE7FZNH6O_NMqqqaIlS3HiS9C1ySLlLU7StPnJ02gn3egp0jHIIk88TdqcKBwCgqjljoTte6RnXhS5sPu7RHkLBvIND4dlghM20touCL9gU-NiTgofBB4E87xfoaczq_I45Co24nxydEwhSys.N_OB44fCbHbLt_JSLhL6EQ28Pbma_1qupFD_swH7J64&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+Devil+You+know&qid=1716597863&sprefix=the+devil+you+know%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-7    THE DEVIL YOU KNOW S2 E6

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/family-of-killer-collects-reward-1.308256

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/family-of-killer-to-receive-reward/article4130781/

264. Steelton Serial Killer: Joe Miller

 Former Dauphin County Chief Detective Thomas Brennan’s phone rings between 3 am and 4 am from a responding officer requesting assistance on a crime scene. When the detective arrives, he notices a car pulled close to a ditch. Brennen, who received training at the FBI Behavioral Science Unit during his tenure with the state police, knew immediately what he was dealing with when he arrived at the Conrail crime scene. After Brennan asks the officer for details, the officer explains that a Conrail train security guard had stumbled onto a man attacking a woman. The man was startled and he ran off. Thankfully the victim was injured but alive so he called for police and waited with her until help arrived.  Detective Brennan noted that the vehicle’s trunk was open and inside was what many would call a “kit” such as rope, and duct tape, as in things to help someone kill or at least bind another person. Outside the car on the ground were plastic mats, seemingly to cover the ground inside the ditch. It was now clear to Brennan that this man had planned to kill his victim, put her in that ditch, and drive away. What was also clear to the detective was that this was not this man’s first time killing someone, he had done it before and he knew what he was doing. 

Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast as we discuss ‘Steelton Serial Killer: Joe Miller.’

As always, the listener discretion is by our bestie Edward @octoberpodVHS

Just like our music is by our bestie Nico @theinkypawprint

This episode is sponsored by the amazing sleepcreme.com
If you don’t experience better sleep, they will refund your money. So what do you have to lose except another night of amazing rest? Order your bottle at sleepcreme.com 
That is sleepcreme.com
You will love it. 

Sources:
https://www.cor.pa.gov/About%20Us/1989-SCI-Camp-Hill-Riot/Documents/01-oral%20histories%20-%20transcripts/ORAL%20HISTORY%20--%201989%20Camp%20Hill%20Riot%20-%20Joe%20Miller.pdf


https://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/04/the_grisly_history_of_joseph_m.htmlhttp://inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov/#/


https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrilzEabGdmhi0nxk4PxQt.;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZANEMjY4MjBZSF9DXzEEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1718082714/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fcriminaldiscoursepodcast.com%2fjoseph-miller%2f/RK=2/RS=REGPWwbZxnb8gEVcjUqHncqYYX4-


https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/contests/convicted-serial-killer-joseph-miller-charged-in-1997-cold-case-murder/521-c6f1


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Daniel_Miller


https://local21news.com/news/local/new-murder-charge-filed-against-most-prolific-killer-in-dauphin-co-history


https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/local/20080725_Pa__court_backs_life_in_prison_for_killer.html


The compulsion to rape and kill: Inside Steelton serial killer Joseph Miller’s mind Story by John Luciew | jluciew@pennlive.com

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/04/the_grisly_history_of_joseph_m.html

263. 1 in 31 Billion: Krystal Naab

 In the summer of 1991, Krystal Naab was sixteen years old. She lived in a mobile home in Ramsey, Illinois, with her mother and two siblings. She spent time with her boyfriend, whom she had plans to marry, and hung out with her friends. Everyone described Krystal as a genuinely sweet person.

July 23rd was shaping up to be a scorcher, and by 7:30 a.m., it was already warm and humid. Since one of Krystal's chores was to mow the lawn, her brother Curtis woke her up before he left for work. He reminded her that it would be hot and that she needed to cut the grass while it was still cool outside. Curtis then headed out the door to do landscaping work for his uncle, unaware of the horror he would later return to.

When Curtis arrived home at 4 p.m., he found Kyrstal lying face-down on the floor in a pool of blood just inside the entrance to the trailer. She had been stabbed 81 times with a pair of scissors the family kept in a china cabinet in the living room.

A small, white truck was seen by neighbors in Krystal's driveway that day from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m., so police thought she must have known her killer. When they asked Curtis if he knew anyone with that type of truck, he immediately came up with a name.





Join Jen and Cam as they discuss 1 in 31 Billion: Krystal Naab

Thank you to YA-MAN USA for sponsoring this week's episode. To experience the future of beauty, you can visit yamanusa.com and use code TCP for a 20% discount.

Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from OctoberpodVHS
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Paw Print

Sources:
https://casetext.com/case/heaton-v-gaetz-3
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Krystal_Naab
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Heaton_case
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104419438/krystal-lyn-naab
https://casetext.com/case/people-v-heaton-4
https://www.newspapers.com/image/997895931/?match=1&terms=Krystal%20Naab
https://www.newspapers.com/image/79698617/?match=1&terms=Krystal%20Naab
https://www.newspapers.com/image/79801795/?match=1&terms=Krystal%20Naab
https://www.newspapers.com/image/997884459/?match=1&terms=Krystal%20Naab
https://www.newspapers.com/image/80161002/?match=1&terms=%22Krystal%20Naab%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/80160972/?match=1&terms=%22Krystal%20Naab%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/80158341/?match=1&terms=%22Krystal%20Naab%22
https://www.themidwestcrimefiles.com/post/dna-does-not-lie-the-krystal-naab-storyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsey,_Illinois
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostile_witness
https://www.newspapers.com/image/309528138/?match=1&terms=Krystal%20Naab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw8h0Wd_9KI&t=42s&ab_channel=makingatruecrimerer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMhs4_uR9Ag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzb6jszwABo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-rPuZ9YcrI

Special: The Unexplained Death of Leanne Davidson Beck

 *Content Warning: This episode deals with domestic violence that may be disturbing to some of our listeners.If you or someone you love needs help, please call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or visit their website at https://www.thehotline.org/. 

Thank you to Jessi and Kristin for speaking with us about their friend Leanne.

Leanne Davidson Beck was known for being fiercely independent, tenacious, and kind. She had a good heart, and she was loved by everybody who knew her. Leanne was a ‘go-getter,’ and her friends say she’d always be the one encouraging them to get up and do fun things instead of sitting around bored. She could always find the positive in bad situations, and she was always giggling. Leanne was an only child, so she made lots of friends throughout her life who she remained close to and treated like family. When Leanne met a man who Leanne fell in love with, her friends and family were excited for her as she would finally get what she had always wanted: a loving, happy family.  That excitement would soon turn into concern. At 3:07 am on the 29th of August 2021, Leanne’s husband made a panicked call to 911, stating that his wife had vomited and was not breathing. When paramedics arrived, they noted that Leanne’s eyes were fixed, and they were unable to locate a pulse. Despite the lifesaving efforts carried out by the officers on the scene, Leanne Davidson Beck was pronounced dead at around 3:30 am. She was just 33 years old. 




Join Jen and Cam on this Our True Crime Podcast Special “The Unexplained Death of Leanne Davidson Beck.”

Join Justice for Leanne Beck Facebook group for information and updates. 

Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS
Music is by our E.P. @theinkypawprint
Written by Fern @eoacrime

Sources:
 https://www.azfamily.com/2023/03/09/18-months-after-her-death-family-peoria-nurse-still-looking-answers/#:~:text=PEORIA%2C%20AZ%20(3TV%2FCBS,held%20accountable%20for%20her%20death.

https://ncadv.org/statistics#:~:text=1%20in%203%20women%20and,be%20considered%20%22domestic%20violence.%22&text=1%20in%207%20women%20and,injured%20by%20an%20intimate%20partner. 

https://ncadv.org/statistics#:~:text=1%20in%204%20women%20and,of%20sexually%20transmitted%20diseases%2C%20etc. 

 https://www.solacewomensaid.org/policy-campaigns/awareness-campaigns-awards/love-bombing-affection-today-abuse-tomorrow/  

https://www.thehotline.org/resources/signs-of-love-bombing/

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/why-bad-looks-good/202107/why-do-domestic-violence-victims-return-abusers https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-can-you-go-without-peeing