On December 22, 1987, Ronald Gene Simmons began a killing spree that would become the worst massacre in Arkansas history as well as the deadliest domestic crime in the history of the United States. His murderous rampage ended six days later, leaving fourteen members of his family and two former coworkers dead.Join us at the quiet end for Christmas Vacation Massacre. Gene Simmons was a nightmare from early on in his marriage. He went from controlling but hard-working military man, to wife beater, to incestuous father, and, in the end, to a merciless mass murderer.SourcesArkansas Man Sentenced to Death for Killing 14 Members of his Family, Deseret News, 2/12/1989.The Devil of Pope County: America's Worst Family Massacre Podcast, Tony Holt, 2023.Ronald Gene Simmons, 1940-1990, Encyclopedia of Arkansas, retrieved 12/12/2023.Zero at the Bone: Story of Gene Simmons Mass Murder, Marshall & Williams, 1991.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Christmas Vacation Massacre (Bonus Episode)

True Crime Brewery is the true crime podcast that brings you deeply inside of a crime and its investigation. Hosts Jill and her pediatrician husband Dick use their medical knowledge and life experiences to share the stories behind some of the most compelling crimes from all over the world. And, just for fun, Dick uses his secondary expertise as a craft beer lover to review the best beers from the regions where each crime occurred. Meet this true crime obsessed couple at the quiet end of the bar to share a delicious craft beer and an immersive storytelling experience.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

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Just after midnight on Christmas Eve 1945, Jennie Sodder woke up to the smell of smoke. The home she shared with her husband, George, and nine of their children, was going up in flames. It would be over seven hours before the fire department arrived. By then, the two-story house had burned to the ground — and five of the Sodder children were missing. In fact, to this day, no one knows what happened to the Sodder children. Their family never saw them again and their remains were never found.Join us at the quiet end for The Missing Sodder Children. Although authorities determined that the children — Maurice, 14; Martha, 12; Louis, 10; Jennie Irene, 8; and Betty, 5 — had died in the fire, their family was not convinced. How could they have perished in the fire without any bones being found? Because of the strange events before, during, and after the tragic fire as well as a stunningly incompetent investigation, the case continues to be one of history’s most disturbing and intriguing unsolved mysteries.Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!Record a voicemail for a future showContact UsShop TCB MerchJoin our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion GroupSourcesThe Children Who Went Up in Smoke, Smithsonian, Karen Abbott, 12/25/2012Long, Long, Long Sodder Post, Stacy Horn, 12/28/2005Mystery of Missing Children Haunts W.Va. Town, National Public Radio, 12/23/2005No Direct Evidence: The Story of the Missing Sodder Children by Bob Lane BraggBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

The Missing Sodder Children

As fraternal twins, Betty and Peggy were together from the very beginning. As adults, they were very different people but remained best friends.  Then, in 1992, they either conspired together to have Betty’s husband killed or fought together to prove their innocence.Join us at the quiet end for Split Decision. After Betty’s husband, Dr. Jack Wilson, was brutally murdered in his own home, suspicions turned to Betty.  Betty was an outspoken, hard-headed woman who had engaged in numerous extramarital affairs. Her promiscuity, alcoholism and an adulterous affair with a black man in racist Alabama may have turned the police, and eventually a jury, against her. If the prosecution’s theory was that Betty and Peggy conspired together to kill Jack, then why was Betty found guilty while Peggy was acquitted? It may have been just been the result of prejudice against Betty, the wild one, and appreciation for the sweet and amiable Peggy.Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment infoSupport the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!Record a voicemail for a future showContact UsShop TCB MerchJoin our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion GroupSourcesBetty Wilson, Snapped, Oxygen Network, S33 E2, 11/5/2023The Betty Wilson Story, Old Huntsville, No. 77By Two and Two, Jim Schutze, 1/1995Finding Betty, Jean Adam Jr., Retrieved 4/9/2024The Wilson Murder, Forensic Files, S1 E8, Retrieved 4/2/2024Wilson v. State, Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1/13/1995 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Split Decision: The Murder of Dr. Jack Wilson

17-year-old Karla Homolka met 23-year-old Paul Bernardo in 1987. Some saw their meeting as love at first sight, but the two had a dangerous attraction which would drive them to commit abductions, sexual assaults, and even murder. This good-looking couple became obsessed with each other. And Paul was very controlling of Karla. But Paul Bernardo’s crimes were not all his own.  Evidence, including videotapes, would show that Karla was a willing participant, despite her claims that she was just another one of Paul’s victims.Join us at the quiet end for Killer Couple: Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo. The most basic question asked about serial killers is why.  This becomes much more complicated and difficult to answer when murders are committed by more than one person. Today we’re analyzing one of the most notorious couples in modern history. What role did Karla play in Paul’s violent sex crimes and how did her gender affect the disparity in their charges and sentencing?Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment infoSupport the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!Record a voicemail for a future showContact UsShop TCB MerchJoin our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion GroupSourcesDeadly Innocence, Scott Burnside, Alan Cairns, 1995Investigating Gender Bias and Sentencing Disparity: A Case Study Analysis of the Paul Bernardo-Karla Homolka Case, Kathrine Lorraine Leafloor, Carleton University, 5/1997 Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes, Discovery Plus, 12/13/2021The Ken Murray Case: Defence Counsel's Dilemma, Criminal Defence News, 7/6/2011 Lethal Marriage: The Uncensored Truth Behind the Crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, Nick Pron, 2005Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka Case, The Canadian Encyclopedia, retrieved 3/30/2024 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Killer Couple: Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo

On a weekday afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, fifteen-year-old Paula Cooper stabbed 78-year-old Ruth Pelke to death. In a city with a history of racism, Ruth was a white, beloved bible teacher who refused to move out of her overwhelmingly black neighborhood. When Paula and her friends showed up at Ruth’s door that day asking about bible studies, Ruth had happily invited them in.Join us at the quiet end for Death Sentence: The Murder of Ruth Pelke & the Punishment of Paula Cooper. When Paula was sentenced to death, few argued against the state’s impending execution of a tenth grader. But when the victim’s grandson forgave the girl, the media brought the story to the forefront and millions signed petitions in support of Paula. This case raises questions about the value of a human life and whether our justice system is made for rehabilitation or retribution.SourcesA Clear Scientific Consensus that the Death Penlty Does Not Deter, Amnesty International, retrieved 3/14/2024, https://www.amnestyusa.org/updates/a-clear-scientific-consensus-that-the-death-penalty-does-not-deter/A Pause in Federal Executions, but Uncertainty About What’s Next, The New York Times, Hailey Fuchs, 7/22/2021Biden vowed to end the death penalty. Activists are demanding action as he nears the 100-day mark, CNN.com,  Christina Carrega, 4/25/2021Do Executions Lower Homicide Rates: The Views of Leading Criminologists' Michael L. Radelet Traci L. Lacock, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, Winter 2009.IndyStar Archives 1985-2017Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy by Alex Mar, 2023Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Death Sentence: The Murder of Ruth Pelke

April Kauffman didn’t have an easy life growing up.  When she was just seventeen, she gave birth to her daughter Kim and set out to make a better life for them both. April raised her daughter in a loving home despite an early split from Kim’s father. She earned her cosmetology license and worked as a hairdresser and as a model. April was fun, energetic, and independent. But life as a single mom could be lonely.Join us at the quiet end for The Dr. & Mrs. Kauffman. In 2002, April believed she had finally found her happily ever after when she married Dr. Jim Kauffman, a successful physician and a former green beret. As the wife of a Vietnam Veteran, April became an outspoken radio personality and a fierce veteran’s advocate. But Dr. Kauffman had a dark side which April began to uncover. The doctor was running a pill mill out of his medical office and associating with a criminal motorcycle gang: The Pagans. When April had had enough and threatened divorce, she began to realize that her life was in danger, and she might never make it out of this marriage alive.SourcesApril Kauffman, https://everipedia.org/wiki/lang_en/april-christine-kauffman-atlantic-city-new-jersey, retrieved 2/27/2024http://aprilkauffman.net/, retrieved. 2/27/2024Doctor Dealer: A doctor high on greed, a biker gang high on opioids, and the woman who paid the ultimate price,  George Anastasia and Ralph Cipriano, 2020 The Doctor, the Hitman & the Motorcycle Gang : the true story of one of New Jersey’s most notorious murder for hire plots, Annie McCormick, 2020Doctor's Orders, Discovery Plus, 9/3/2021Husband of slain radio host paid man to kill his wife 5 years ago, authorities say, NJ.com, True Jersey, Chris Franklin, 09/3/2018Punishing Pill Mill Doctors: Sentencing Disparities in the Opioid Epidemic, William & Mary Law School, Adam M. Gershowitz, 12/2020Who Was April Kauffman: Her Life, Her Mysterious Death and Why None of it Makes Any Sense, Boardwalk Journal, Sarah Colson and Ian Licht, 6/2012Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Christmas Vacation Massacre (Bonus Episode)

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