Our True Crime Podcast

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

288. A Body in the River: The Murder of Dr. Paul Campagna

The Memorial Day weekend brought swarms of tourists to Niagara Falls, eager to celebrate under the sun. Just an hour away, a group of local teens gathered at Wayne Fleet Quarry, diving into the water and marking the unofficial start of summer. Alison and her friends, thrilled to leave the school year behind, decided to up the ante by jumping from an old bridge spanning the quarry. But as they reached the top, something unusual in the water caught their eye: a large, bulky bag emblazoned with "US" in bold, black letters. Curiosity piqued, they made their way down to inspect it. But the water around the bag turned red before they could haul it to shore. This wasn’t discarded junk—junk doesn’t bleed. Panicked, the teens scrambled up the road, frantically waving down a passing car, whose driver quickly called the police.

Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode entitled ‘A Body in the River: The Murder of Dr. Paul Campagna.’

Listener discretion is by @octoberpodVHS.

All Music is by our Editor @theinkypawprint.

This episode is proudly sponsored by Yaman.Welcome to Yaman the very latest and greatest in J-Beauty innovations Listeners can visit YA-MANUSA.com/discount/TCP for a 20% discount

Also proudly sponsored by sleepcreme.comThe World's Original and Finest CBD Topical for SleepOrder your bottle at sleepcreme.com. Use the code “OTC PODCAST” (all one word) at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order!

Sources:
https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrihPO9bUdnkdo4e6QPxQt.;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzQEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1732763198/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.stcatharinesstandard.ca%2fnews%2fcrime%2flies-damn-lies-and-fingerprints%2farticle_77e41f8b-01cd-55fb-8d35-8f10c24fd8dd.html/RK=2/RS=T8uhDLJ6WOZ2NL0a746Szmy7r_w-

https://www.coursehero.com/file/166768238/Matt-Bowden-Casedocx/

https://yandex.ru/video/preview/2848096618408381532

https://twitter.com/mylifeofcrime/status/198501313909239809?lang=en

https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/crime/the-big-score/article_0b6d041c-5d1b-591f-a7b1-9be99f00ae33.html

https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/crime/the-big-score/article_0b6d041c-5d1b-591f-a7b1-9be99f00ae33.html

https://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/tag/matthew-bowden-of-dunnville/

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

287. Evil in the East: Sara Anne Wood & James Bernardo

It was frigidly cold in January of 1994, with snow drifts a foot high, as twelve-year-old Rebecca Savarese made her way to Notre Dame Middle School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Suddenly, there was a man at her elbow. She was completely taken off guard because he had approached her from behind. She gave a startled jump, and the man said to her, “Do you see this gun I have?” Rebecca said that she had seen it. The man then pointed at his truck and instructed her to get in. Rebecca balked, and although she remained calm, her mother’s words echoed through her mind. Never get in a stranger’s vehicle.

When the man urged her to get into his truck, Rebecca pretended as though she was having an asthma attack. She pretended to have trouble breathing and feigned dizziness. Her actions took the man off guard for just a split second. He grabbed her and got a hold of her backpack. Rebecca wriggled out of it and took off running down the street, leaving the man holding her pack. As she was running Rebecca saw a man standing outside a bank, “Sir, sir, sir! A man tried to kidnap me!” she said. The man ushered her into the bank, where they called the police.

There was no way that Rebecca Savarese could have known that morning when she got out of bed that she was going to inadvertently play a part in catching a child killer. She had no idea that her actions on that day would bring closure to two families and probably stop an untold number of other children from experiencing a horrific early demise. She wasn’t thinking about any of that. But when the moment came, Rebecca knew one thing. She wasn’t getting in that vehicle. “If I’d gotten in that truck, I just knew I was going to end up someplace dead,” she later told reporters.

Of that, Rebecca was most likely correct.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

286. A Thanksgiving Massacre 20 Years in the Making: Merhige Massacre

Like many Americans, Thanksgiving is a cherished occasion—a time to gather with family, indulge in turkey and stuffing, and celebrate the bonds that hold loved ones together. This Thanksgiving event hosts three generations of family ready to enjoy a day of food and good company. After a busy day of food preparation, the guests all take their seats to eat the giant feast. A tradition that the family has been doing for many years starts right after everyone is stuffed from eating, a singalong by the piano. The tranquil joy would come to a shocking end as bullets rang out. It was a Thanksgiving that should have been like any other—a night for family, food, and tradition at a home in Jupiter Florida not murder.

Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘A Thanksgiving Massacre 20 Years in the Making: Merhige Massacre’

Listener Discretion by @OctoberpodVHS

All Music is by our Editor @theinkypawprint

This episode is proudly sponsored by Yaman. Welcome to Yaman the very latest and greatest in J-Beauty innovations Listeners can visit YA-MANUSA.com/discount/TCP for a 20% discount

Also proudly sponsored by sleepcreme.comThe World's Original and Finest CBD Topical for SleepOrder your bottle at sleepcreme.com. Use the code “OTC PODCAST” (all one word) at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order!

Sources
:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thanksgiving-massacre-witness-paul-merhige-ate-dinner-sang-songs-then-executed-family/

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2011/10/28/guilty-plea-brings-7-life-sentences/

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2011/09/15/lawsuit-merhige-s-parents-did/7486766007/

https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/state/2009/12/03/suspect-in-jupiter-thanksgiving-killings-still-at-large/31733085007/

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2010/03/09/victim-thanksgiving-day-shooting-out/7578161007/

https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/a33984895/native-american-thanksgiving-holiday/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thanksgiving-massacre-witness-paul-merhige-ate-dinner-sang-songs-then-executed-family/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/thanksgiving-massacre-2009-highlights-todays-130038254.html

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/parents-of-makayla-sitton-to-sue-thanksgiving-killer-paul-merhige-parents/2055945/

https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2014/02/21/parents-not-found-negligent-in-palm-beach-county-massacre/26934352007/

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/a-history-of-violence/2055615/

Homicide for the Holidays S1. E 1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Thanksgiving_murders

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/two-years-after-the-jupiter-thanksgiving-massacre/

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/thanksgiving-massacre-plea-deal-expected/

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/lawsuit-to-be-filed-in-thanksgiving-shooting-rampage/

https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/no-thanks-5-notorious-crimes-committed-on-thanksgiving-day

https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/3-grisly-thanksgiving-family-murders-that-will-make-you-hug-your-family-tighter-this-season

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

285. The Raurimu Massacre

A listener requested epis

ode. Thank you, Katherine!

Thank you to Ana, who helped me with some of the pronunciations. I'm still not sure I got it right.

By the time twenty-four-year-old Stephen Anderson stood in the doorway of the dining room on the 8th of February 1997 and announced, “I’ve had sex with a dog,” paused, and then added, “And a cat, too.” It was already too late for any intervention. The fates of the people seated around the breakfast table were already sealed.

Moments later, Stephen Anderson would come back into the room with a sawn-off shotgun and commit one of the worst massacres in New Zealand history.

Join Jen & Cam as they discuss "The Raurimu Massacre."

A huge thank you to Sleep Creme for sponsoring this episode. Order your bottle today at sleepcreme.com. Use the code OTCPODCAST (all one word) at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order!

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

https://www.youtube.com/watchv=XmIMII7hHK0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raurimu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raurimu_massacre
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/raurimu-20-years-on-the-madman-the-massacre-and-the-memories/2FGFIGPFPXMX3IPPIXD6VCW2NI/
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/raurimu-massacre-remembering-the-fallen-20-years-on/4E6CRIG2PFWVL26JVBGNOQFFWY/
http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.aspx?ID=302
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-news/latest-edition/2674418/Survivors-recount-lodge-nightmare
https://www.newspapers.com/image/829111181/ (gun control issue in NZ)
https://khandallahiscorrupt.wordpress.com/2018/06/03/raurimu-massacre-stephen-anderson-information/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/475263667/match=1&terms=Raurimu%20New%20Zealand
https://murderpedia.org/male.A/a/anderson-stephen-lawrence.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_law_in_New_Zealand
https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-paranoia
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/victims-mother-upset-killers-quiet-release

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

284. Something Went Terribly Wrong: Griego Family Murders

In the heart of Albuquerque, Pastor Greg Griego often stood before the fire department and the local jail, sharing his powerful testimony of redemption. Once entangled in the world of gangs in California, he had found a new path through faith, a transformation that resonated with those who listened. He was well-known and well-liked in the community. Greg Griego. Once a soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division, Greg had led a life marred by drugs and gangs. However, during a stint in jail in California in the early 1990s, he experienced a profound transformation, finding faith and embracing Christianity. This pivotal change set him on a path of redemption, ultimately leading him to serve others. While his wife, Sarah, dedicated herself to homeschooling their ten children in their modest home in the semi-rural South Valley. Greg had five children before he met his wife, Sarah, with whom he had five more. Greg turned their backyard barn into a sanctuary for released prisoners. Most would agree that Greg and Sarah were strict parents. They prohibited their children from playing violent video games and meticulously monitored their television choices. Greg Griego was determined to cultivate a home of hope, love, and healing, but that all ended on January 19, 2013.

Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Something Went Terribly Wrong: Griego Family Murders’

Listener Discretion by @OctoberpodVHS

All Music is by our Editor @theinkypawprint

This episode is proudly sponsored by Yaman. Welcome to Yaman the very latest and greatest in J-Beauty innovations Listeners can visit YA-MANUSA.com/discount/TCP for a 20% discount

Also proudly sponsored by sleepcreme.com
The World's Original and Finest CBD Topical for SleepOrder your bottle at sleepcreme.com. Use the code “OTC PODCAST” (all one word) at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order!

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/new-mexico-supreme-court-upholds-life-imprisonment-for-nehemiah-griego/

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/01/30/Family-of-teen-killer-question-confession/31021359568995/

https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/lawyer-seeks-higher-quality-rehabilitation-for-nehemiah-griego/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_South_Valley_homicides

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341638987_Nehemiah_Griego_-_Killer_Child

https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-mexico-supreme-court-albuquerque-child-abuse-fec25ffc0b34e7067728204daa55a000

https://abcnews.go.com/US/alleged-mexico-family-killer-nehemiah-griegos-girlfriend-tells/story?id=18290148

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmnWdQ3oNGw

https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/crime/2013/01/23/sheriff-new-mexico-teen-told-others-plan-kill-his-family/15840419007/

https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2013-jan-23-la-na-nn-griego-albuquerque-shooting-20130123-story.html

https://people.com/crime/nehemiah-griego-15-fatally-shoots-parents-and-three-siblings-cops/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-mexico-teen-charged-massacre-not-monster-relatives-say-flna1c8089481

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

283. The Second Death of the Bells Bend Killer: Nashville's Frankenstein

This case is shocking. Shocking in many ways and I can't believe it's not talked about.

The only place I've seen this is on Southern Gothic from our friend Brandon. When he first saw a small blurb about it in a book, he didn't even think it was true so he asked Lauretta to do some research. Sure enough, it is 100% true. As sensational as it was and is, I can't believe it's been forgotten. So after you listen, make sure you catch the Southern Gothic episode "The Curious Case of Knox Martin."

In late March of 1879, in Davidson County, Tennessee, a wagon carrying a prisoner by the name of Knox Martin was headed to the gallows. John Kirk and Sons were busy building the scaffold that would host the hanging later that afternoon.

Mothers pulled their children out of school so that they could take them to the execution. Nearly 10,000 people were making their way to the location nestled between two ridges; some had even camped out overnight to guarantee the best view. For years to come, some folks in attendance at this execution would have an unbelievable story to tell.

It appears that in the days leading up to his date with the gallows, Knox Martin was approached by two doctors from the nearby Vanderbilt University, who, having great interest in galvanism, and who, having read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, wondered if Knox Martin would allow them to use his dead body for an unusual and ethically questionable experiment. Knox Martin had agreed.

Join Jen and Cam as they discuss "The Second Death of the Bells Bend Killer: Nashville's Frankenstein."

A huge thank you to Sleep Creme for sponsoring this episode. Order your bottle today at sleepcreme.com. Use the code OTCPODCAST (all one word) at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order!

A big Thank you to Brandon Schexnayder of Southern Gothic

Thank you to our team:

Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October of OctoberPod VHS
Executive Producers Nico Vitesse and Jesse of The Inky Pawprint

Sources:
https://digital.tnconservationist.org/publication/i=717358&article_id=4091300&view=articleBrowser
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603898102/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (29 March 1879 The Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/167988101/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (29 March 1879 Memphis Daily Appeal)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603897977/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (20 Feb 1879 the Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603897985/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (22 Feb 1879 " ")
https://www.newspapers.com/image/587081215/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (29 March 1879 the Daily Memphis Avalanche)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603898061/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (16 March 1879 the Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603897970/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (19 march 1879 the Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603898101/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (28 March 1879 " " )
https://www.newspapers.com/image/587081061/?match=1&clipping_id=141956459 (28 March 1879 the Daily Memphis Avalanche)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603897857/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (16 January 1879 The Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/587072345/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (16 Jan 1879 the Daily Memphis Avalanche)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/587072496/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (17 Jan 1879 " " ")
https://www.newspapers.com/image/586295694/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (22 Jan 1879 The Knoxville Whig and Chronicle)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/585907534/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (19 Jan 1879 the Knoxville Daily Tribune)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603897925/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (5 Feb 1879 The Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603897970/?terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22&match=1 (19 Feb 1879 the Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/171801938/?match=1&clipping_id=141958321 (3 April 1879 the Pulaski Citizen)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603957284/terms=%22Knox%20Martin%22%20&match=1 (6 April 1879 The Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/603957393/?match=1&clipping_id=141958630 (8 April 1879 the Tennessean)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/171802187/?match=1&clipping_id=141958816 (10 April 1879 The Pulaski Citizen)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63692152/john-wittenmeier
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-forest-republican-knox-martin-back-t/7964582/

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

282. Real Life Boogeymen: The Murder of Kevin Thorpe and Laura Craig

It is January 8, 1981, and we going to Lassen County, California, where we encounter 21-year-old Kevin Thorpe. After completing high school, Kevin enlisted in the Navy, serving for three years before returning to his hometown of Ridgecrest, California. Upon his return, he met a young woman named Laura Craig at a social gathering. Laura, a mother to a young child, captivated Kevin, who was undeterred by her circumstances; his affection for her was profound. Their relationship developed quickly and intensely—an embodiment of the adage, “When you know, you know.”Eager for a fresh start, Laura and Kevin packed their belongings into Kevin's white Ford Elite, towing a utility trailer, and left Ridgecrest for Oregon, where they hoped to be closer to Kevin’s brother. They made the bittersweet decision to leave their baby, Treena, with Laura’s mother until they settled in. As they took the scenic backroads north on Highway 395, a sudden jolt signaled trouble: the trailer had a flat tire. They decided to press on to Madeline, where they encountered a seemingly helpful man who offered assistance and invited Laura to warm up inside with his wife. Just as they began to fix the tire, three other men arrived, discussing plans to meet women in Oregon. Though Kevin wanted to continue their journey that night, little did they know, that the warmth of the cafe would soon be overshadowed by a chilling darkness, as their lives would be forever altered by the intentions of those they encountered.

Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Real Life Boogeymen: The Murders of Kevin Thorpe and Laura Craig.’

Listener Discretion by @OctoberpodVHS

All Music is by our Editor @theinkypawprint

This episode is proudly sponsored by Yaman. Welcome to Yaman the very latest and greatest in J-Beauty innovations Listeners can visit YA-MANUSA.com/discount/TCP for a 20% discount
Also proudly sponsored by sleepcreme.comThe World's Original and Finest CBD Topical for SleepOrder your bottle at sleepcreme.com. Use the code “OTC PODCAST” (all one word) at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order!

Sources:https://www.imdb.com/news/ni62323355/

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/When-Jailbirds-Sing-It-was-the-pure-savagery-of-3018647.php

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/three-hells-angels-sentenced-life-prison-racketeering-conspiracy-and-related-crimes

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article63689282.html

https://www.courthousenews.com/retrial-ordered-in-1981-california-murder-case/#:~:text=Silva%20and%20Thomas%20hopped%20in,down%20with%20a%20machine%20gun.

https://www.grunge.com/1518423/most-dangerous-members-hells-angels/

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

https://www.lassennews.com/district-attorney-opposes-parole-for-madeline-murderer

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-9th-circuit/1102895.html

https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Murder-conviction-overturned-decades-after-6440834.php

https://www.lassennews.com/horrific-news-for-victims-families-shelton-released-in-sacramento-cdcr-schedules-parole-hearing-for-second-murderer-benjamin-silva

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jul-27-me-reverse27-story.html

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article63932682.

htmlhttps://www.courthousenews.com/retrial-ordered-in-1981-california-murder-case/

https://www.lassennews.com/governor-denies-parole-to-madeline-double-murderer

https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/3d/45/604.html

https://www.lassennews.com/governor-cdcr-court-grant-parole-to-infamous-lassen-county-murderer

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