126. The Slaying of Sweet Sarah Ann: Sarah Rairdon

 Please note: this episode was previously released as a Patreon episode.  Patreon episodes are not heavily edited and are done in a conversational tone, meaning there is more banter in this episode.  If this would offend you, please skip this episode and listen to another of our episodes.  Thank you!

***Warning*** this episode mentions child abuse.

Underwood Minnesota is as small-town America as it gets. With a population of around 300 people, it’s a rural farmland town, kinda a one-stoplight kind of town. May 20 in Minnesota started out as just like another spring day. The kids were getting excited as school was about to be out for summer break.  The weather was great and that summer feeling was coming on strong. One of the residents living a calm life was a 13-year-old named Sarah Ann Rairdon. Remember what was important at 13? Friends, clothes, and oh, and puppy love. Sarah was a great, reliable daughter so when she didn’t return home when she was supposed to, no one was immediately panicked. When minutes turn to hours, it becomes obvious something is wrong but who would harm sweet Sarah? The truth was under their noses and more brutal than anyone could imagine.

Join Jen and Cam as we discuss ‘The Slaying of Sweet Sarah: Sarah Rairdon’ on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast.

Listener Discretion is by the awesome Edward from @octoberpodVHS.
 

Theme music by  Nico from @wetalkofdreams.

Sources:
https://www.twincities.com/2015/08/08/30-years-ago-girls-murder-shocked-small-northwest-minnesota-town/
https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/19/us/father-s-arrest-deepens-a-small-town-mystery.html
https://apnews.com/article/cc3cb57b23e5efca38242aa219c13740
https://www.parkrapidsenterprise.com/news/491676-underwood-girl-disappeared-25-years-ago-today
https://taramallick.medium.com/sarah-rairdon-a-minnesota-murder-dfe0509940ea
https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/supreme-court/1996/c8952552.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61062440/sarah-ann-rairdon
https://www.inforum.com/news/626026-30-years-ago-fathers-evil-act-shocked-small-Otter-Tail-County-town
https://www.twincities.com/2017/12/11/story-of-minnesota-girls-killing-by-molester-dad-featured-on-discovery-show/

125. The Chief, The Gym Rat and The Hitman

 Mark Tim Todd was raised in Herculaneum and it was right away that everyone knew Tim was going to be a standout in athletics. His dedication and his physique helped him become a stellar athlete. At 6’7 and 230 pounds,  it was no shock that he would be so successful in all sports, voted most talented his senior year as well as most handsome. Every boy wanted to be him and every girl wanted to be with him.  When Tim goes to work for a prominent police chief, it seems like the whole world is in his hands but all is not what it seems. When the fairy tale story ends, a person is left dead on the garage floor.

Join Jen and Cam as we discuss “The Chief, the Gym Rat and the Hitman’ on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast.

Listener discretion is by the amazing @octoberpodVHS.

All our music is by @wetalkofdreams  -we loved Nico so much we made him our executive producer.

Sources:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25928684/ex-chief-pagano-mentor-for-the-man-he/
https://law.justia.com/cases/missouri/court-of-appeals/1994/17970-1.html
https://subslikescript.com/series/Killer_Bods-11208504/season-1/episode-3
https://ccofgr.com/uranium-metal-lmi/da3191-festus-missouri-murders-pagano
https://www.teamglobal.in/wp-content/cache/vanilla-extract-qij/festus-missouri-murders-pagano-58ce94
https://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/prosecutor-recounts-bizarre-cases-in-scoundrels-to-the-hoosegow/article_42d7f078-ea9f-54b3-a705-62f6260421f9.html
https://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/william-pagano-walks-past-photographers/image_879e5da1-9dc7-5eba-af43-c3acb215d467.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37702221/william-n_-pagano

124. The Carnival Mafia : The Murders of Sonny and Pauline Carpenter

 The aroma of hot dogs, churros, and fried twinkies waft over the fairgrounds.  The bright lights, some flashing, some remaining solid with brilliant color, are dazzling to the fairgoer.  The sounds of children laughing, carnival workers barking at the crowds to come play a game, bells dinging, the echo of rides spinning and rolling is what draws the people of Barton County to the annual fair.

Sonny and Pauline Carpenter had spent their retirement selling handmade jewelry and handbags at fairs across the country.  They planned to make the Barton County fair their last before hanging up their vendor life.

Little did they know a "hit" had been ordered on their lives.

Join Cam and Jen as they discuss the crazy story of The Carnival Mafia: The Murders of Sonny and Pauline Carpenter.

Promo by our bestest friend OctoberpodVHS,  Please check out his YouTube channel.  He's amazing.  https://www.youtube.com/c/octoberpodhomevideo
He's the fantastic voice of our listener discretion

The Producer that makes us sound professional with all the editing, sound, and theme music is done by Nico Vetesse of We Talk of Dreams.
https://wetalkofdreams.com/


Sources:

https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article222942590.html
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/dec/11/5-people-held-in-state-face-charges-in--1/
https://www.wibw.com/2020/07/11/florida-man-faces-life-in-prison-for-two-wichita-murders/
https://www.gbtribune.com/news/local-news/preliminary-hearing-held-suspect-double-homicide/
https://www.kwch.com/content/news/Bodies-of-Wichita-couple-found-in-shallow-grave-in-Arkansas-488543821.html
hhttps://nypost.com/2018/07/19/carnival-workers-arrested-in-deaths-of-fair-vendors/ttps://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article247179789.html
https://www.kwtx.com/2020/11/16/texas-man-sentenced-for-death-of-2-carnival-vendors/
https://www.ksn.com/news/local/woman-makes-court-appearance-in-a-wichita-couples-murder/
https://www.kake.com/story/42910062/man-gets-life-in-prison-for-deaths-of-wichita-couple-at-kansas-county-fair
https://www.4029tv.com/article/woman-pleads-guilty-in-carnival-mafia-murder-case/27483173
https://www.kwch.com/content/news/Preliminary-hearing-held-for-accused-leader-in-carnival-mafia-murders-of-Wichita-couple-566287041.html
https://www.kake.com/story/40755783/another-suspect-pleads-guilty-in-kansas-carnival-vendors-deaths
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article222942590.html
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/dec/27/carnival-workers-charges-dropped-201812/?news-arkansas
https://www.kansas.com/article247179789.html

123. Execution of the Speed King: Mickey & Trudy Thompson

 Today we are going to a city outside of Los Angeles called Bradbury. It is a gated community of the elite where everyone has a mansion and several cars. With a small population and so close to a large city, it is a peaceful paradise for those that can afford it. The serenity was shattered when a killer came calling early one morning in 1988 leaving two people dead and a community that would have to wait over 19 years for justice.

Join Jen and Cam on this episode, ‘Beyond the Checkered Flag: Mickey and Trudy Thompson’ of Our True Crime Podcast.

Listener discretion is by the renowned Edward OctoberpodVHS @octoberpodVHS.
Our executive producer, who also does our music, is by Nico @wetalkofdreams.

Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-conviction-upheld-mickey-thompson-20150126-story.html
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15150445/a-strange-turn-in-the-mickey-thompson-murders-case-car-news/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thompson-murder/man-guilty-of-killing-mickey-thompson-idUSN0419959320070104#:~:text=Michael%20Goodwin%2C%20who%20had%20long,without%20the%20possibility%20of%20parole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN7duRaJEFkhttps://www.ocregister.com/2012/02/15/mickey-thompsons-killer-plugging-away/
https://www.ocregister.com/2012/02/15/mickey-thompsons-killer-plugging-away/
https://us.motorsport.com/bike/news/arrest-made-in-mickey-and-trudy-thompson-murders/1944999/
https://www.bikewriter.com/the-daily/2019/12/22/oae5g5acjhxbupwlt9qi3186xr9cae
https://www.espn.com/racing/news/story?id=2650942&seriesId=99
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/speed-king-mickey-thompson-killers-large-20-years-article-1.338885
https://motocrossactionmag.com/my-afternoon-with-mike-goodwin-the-father-of-supercross-a-convicted-killer/
https://www.mickeythompsontires.com/wheels
https://www.ocregister.com/2015/01/26/conviction-is-upheld-in-murder-for-hire-of-racing-legend-mickey-thompson-and-his-wife/
https://mynewsla.com/crime/2021/03/03/latest-appeal-denied-for-man-convicted-in-murders-of-mickey-thompson-wife/

122. Massacre at UCC

 Since the Columbine school shooting in 1999, many schools and institutions in the United States now hold active shooter drills. Per the NEA National Education Assoc, In the 2017-16 school year, over 4.1 million students had participated in at least 1 drill. Lockdowns and active shooter drills are normal now. School mass shootings only account for  .2% of the 36k or so gun deaths in the United States.
On October 1st, 2015 Nine students attending the Umpqua (Ump-Kwua) Community College would be included in that statistic and the other students on campus would know the true terror of coming close to death.

Join Cam and Jen as they discuss the Massacre At UCC

Big thank you to Kiah Gleason for her help with the research

Listener Discretion by Edward from Octoberpod VHS
https://www.youtube.com/c/octoberpodhomevideo

The Producer is Nico Vettese
https://wetalkofdreams.com/

And a huge  thank you to Emma from True Crime Witch for writing the episode.  You are a lifesaver!

https://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/01/us/oregon-college-shooting/index.html
https://www.umpqua.edu/about
https://web.archive.org/web/20151016232700/http://www.katu.com/news/local/Reports-Active-shooter-on-the-Umpqua-Community-College-campus--330285921.html
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43959201?mag=making-men-online&seq=1
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-oregon-shooting-20151002-story.html
https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2017/09/ucc_shooting_investigation_sho.html
https://www.oregonlive.com/roseburg-oregon-school-shooting/2016/09/umpqua_community_college_shoot.html
https://www.newsweek.com/45th-mass-shooting-america-2015-378803
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46507514
https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/gun-violence/16-facts-about-gun-violence-and-school-shootings/
https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html
https://www.thetrace.org/2019/08/children-teens-gun-deaths-data/
https://www.vox.com/a/mass-shootings-calendar-2015
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/2015-the-year-in-mass-shootings-34983/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xAAERl-VTc&t=338s
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3989824/Christopher-Sean-Harper-Mercer-My-Manifesto.pdf
https://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/02/us/oregon-umpqua-community-college-shooting-victims/index.html
https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-umpqua-community-college-shooting-investigation/
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-school-shootings-2017-story.html
https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2017/09/umpqua_community_college_shoot_3.html
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/unannounced-active-shooter-drills-scaring-students-without
https://schoolshooters.info/sites/default/files/Christopher-Sean-Harper-Mercer-My-Manifesto.pdf
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/christopher-harper-mercer-planned-kill-witness-article-1.2384171
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/10/us/roseburg-oregon-shooting-christopher-harper-mercer.html?smid=pl-share
https://mashable.com/2015/10/04/ucc-shooter-spared-survivor/

Super cool diorama's that Jen talked about are here
https://instagram.com/stoltzkraft?igshid=11lnmnnbtggmr

121. Island of Injustice: Massie Trial

 **Special thanks to APOSTROPHE for sponsoring this episode of OTCP.

Today we venture back in time to 1931, Honolulu Hawaii. At this time, the beautiful land was home to native Hawaiians but also immigrants who traveled to Hawaii for its alluring beauty and a shot at a better life. Honolulu was also home to many US Navy Soldiers stationed there. These young men brought their families to this paradise. The serene lifestyle would be turned upside down one summertime evening when a- 20 year old young woman is found on the side of the road. Her name is Thalia Massie, wife to a naval officer named Thomas Massie.  She has scratches and bruises all over her face and body and has been beaten up. What unfolds is a severe miscarriage of justice and how privilege and prejudice are stronger than any court of law.

Join Jen and Cam as we discuss ‘Island of Injustice: Massie Trial’ on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast.

Listener discretion is by Edward OctoberpodVHS. He is a wonderful storyteller-check him out.

Our show’s music is courtesy of our executive producer Nico @wetalkofdreams.

Sources:
https://www.famous-trials.com/massie/308-commentary
https://www.enterprisenews.com/article/20120722/News/307229896
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/5239128/massie-case-revisited
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/island-murder-five-men-accused-assaulting-thalia-massie/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/massie/peopleevents/p_thalia.html
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/local/post-time-thalia-part-daughter-suicide-mother-unrepentant/baGwioS9z6GJAtjrU3W5CM/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6217390/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0771639/
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/5239128/massie-case-revisited
https://www.famous-trials.com/massie/310-rapetimeline
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/hawaii-s-scandalous-thalia-massie-trial-a7921741.html
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090749/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stannard

120. Terror in a Texas Park: John Griffin and Tommy Lee Trimble

 What pops in your head when the state of Texas is mentioned? Cattle? Oil? Football? Music?
Texas is the 2nd largest state in the United States and Austin, Texas always makes it on the best cities to live in lists.

Another list that Texas has made isn't quite as positive. That is Rolling Stones November 2014 list of 5 Worst States for LGBT People.

In the 1980s and 90s, queer-bashing was a popular pastime for some Texas high school kids. In just 10 years, 1988 to 1998, at least 28 gay men in Texas had been killed in a hate crime.

Today Cam and Jen discuss the deaths of two of these men, John Lloyd Griffin and Tommy Lee Trimble.

This episode was written and researched by Jeremy Wayne.

Listener discretion by OctoberpodVHS
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQk-oAsjZNG18y8bX24c6w

Theme music and editing by Nico Vettese
wetalkofdreams.com

Sources:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-5-worst-states-for-lgbt-people-198931/

https://books.google.com/books?id=UWMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=gay+bashing+in+texas+since+1988&source=bl&ots=wmGoPGXlWo&sig=ACfU3U35tY34977QkdxEAwRoZxkrPtd4dg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjpqZyLh6DwAhXmMlkFHRFlBfkQ6AEwBnoECAYQAw#v=onepage&q=gay%20bashing%20in%20texas%20since%201988&f=false

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1995/02/texas-murder-199502

https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/breaking-down-texas-hate-crime-laws/285-2bf9d3c9-6a02-4fa5-873f-084bb360ea91

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1584549/

https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1755439/m1/1/

https://lgbt-history-archive.tumblr.com/post/153780039737/shame-on-you-judge-bednarski-drove-many-miles

https://antifadallas.wordpress.com/2019/11/07/throwback-thursday-homophobic-killings-in-1988/

http://www.texasobituaryproject.org/051588trimble-griffin.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/17/us/texas-judge-eases-sentence-for-killer-of-2-homosexuals.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/12/17/judges-remarks-on-gays-protested/649e6016-616e-4a72-892e-b9775fafcdd9/

https://apnews.com/article/4285a88eca4b1466b31081086ef54c93

https://apnews.com/article/39b2034e2a22e92ea6d8ce43147b6203

https://www.newspapers.com/image/624474942/?terms=john%20griffin%20tommy%20lee%20trimble&match=1

https://exhibits.library.unt.edu/resource-center-exhibit/hate-crimes/