London in the early 1930s was captivated by the Bright Young Things — aristocratic sons and daughters whose glittering parties and endless scandals filled the tabloids. Among them was Elvira Mullens Barney, a socialite whose beauty and notoriety made her one of the set’s most talked-about figures. But on the morning of May 31, 1932, the headlines turned deadly. Her lover, Michael Scott Stephen, was found shot in her West End flat. Was it murder, a tragic accident, or something in between?

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

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Despite police informants thwarting one of his deadly plans, cult leader Jeffrey Lundgren’s appetite for violence couldn’t be satiated. When one target was out of reach, he simply shifted his sights to another — this time, a family who trusted him completely. They had followed him to Ohio believing he was a prophet of God, searching for salvation. What they found instead was a man who believed that some sins could only be cleansed through blood atonement — and a group of followers willing to do his bloody bidding.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

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In 1980s Ohio, Jeffrey Lundgren wasn’t just studying scripture — he was twisting it into something dangerous. To outsiders, he was a soft-spoken tour guide at a historic church site. But behind closed doors, Lundgren was preaching a radical new theology, gathering followers and slowly convincing them that he spoke for God. His target? The Kirtland Temple — once the holiest site in the Latter Day Saint movement.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter

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For a brief, dazzling moment in early 1990s New York, biographer Lee Israel became one of the most notorious literary forgers of all time. Out of money, out of friends, and with a sick cat to care for, Israel turned her biographer’s research skills and her sharp wit toward a new craft: fabricating letters from Dorothy Parker, Noël Coward, Louise Brooks, and more. Her forgeries fooled collectors, corrupted archives and spread into the market as “authentic” pieces of history.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Galatea. Right now, Galatea is offering our listeners an extra 25% off on top of an already-irresistibly-affordable subscription when you go to GALATEA.COM/COTC

Butcherbox. As an exclusive offer, our listeners can get free protein in every box for a year PLUS $20 off your first box when you go to ButcherBox.com/COTC and free shipping always.

It was the score of all scores: a $6 million haul in cash and jewels lifted from JFK Airport in 1978. The headlines called it the Lufthansa heist; Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas turned it into legend. But the real story was messier: dozens of suspects, no recovered loot, and a trail of bodies that grew almost as fast as the FBI’s frustration.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Rula. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/cotc #rulapod

Cornbread Hemp. Right now, COTC listeners can save 30% on their first order! Just head to cornbreadhemp.com/COTC and use code COTC at checkout.

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In the piney woods of East Texas in 1910, a mob of white men stormed through the Black community of Slocum, murdering dozens — possibly hundreds — of unarmed residents. The killers faced almost no consequences, and the survivors were silenced by fear. Over a century later, even basic recognition of the Slocum Massacre remains a battle. This is the story of the slaughter Texas tried to forget, and the people still fighting to be remembered.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

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Cornbread Hemp. Right now, Crimes of the Centuries listeners can save 30% on their first order! Just head to cornbreadhemp.com/COTC and use code COTC at checkout. 

Crime doesn’t take a day off. And neither does Crime House Daily.

Hosted by self-defense instructor and advocate for victims, Katie Ring, Crime House Daily is coming to you twice every weekday, covering the biggest crime stories as they unfold. Morning episodes give you the need-to-know. The latest headlines, breaking developments, and where things are going next. Evening episodes go deeper. Into the people, the evidence, and the moments that matter most. The pursuit of justice never stops. And with Crime House Daily, you won’t have to either.

Follow Crime House Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or listen here:

https://link.podtrac.com/yywvpyfg

When a major German magazine announced it had uncovered Adolf Hitler’s long-lost diaries, the world took notice. But what began as a journalistic coup turned into a scandal that rattled media empires — and left a permanent stain on the truth.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

Join us for video versions of the podcast on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

ButcherBox. As an exclusive offer, our listeners can get free protein in every box for a year PLUS $20 off your first box when you go to ButcherBox.com/COTC to get this limited time offer and free shipping always

Cornbread Hemp. Right now, COTC listeners can save 30% on their first order! Just head to cornbreadhemp.com/COTC and use code COTC at checkout.

Galatea. Right now, Galatea is offering our listeners an extra 25% off on top of an already-irresistibly-affordable subscription when you go to GALATEA.COM/COTC.

The murder of Barbara Hamburg might read like fiction — a bitter divorce, a mysterious pyramid scheme, a family full of secrets — but for her son Madison, it was all too real. In 2010, Barbara was found bludgeoned to death outside her home in the affluent shoreline town of Madison, Connecticut. In this episode, we explore a case that captivated author Megan Abbott, inspired her novel El Dorado Drive, and remains unsolved 15 years later.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Hiya Health. We've worked out a special deal with Hiya for their best selling children's vitamin. Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/COTC.

Cornbread Hemp. Right now, COTC listeners can save 30% on their first order! Just head to cornbreadhemp.com/COTC and use code COTC at checkout.

Home Chef. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners FIFTY PERCENT OFF and free shipping for your first box PLUS free dessert for life! Go to HomeChef.com/COTC

This week on Crimes of the Centuries, we’re breaking from tradition. Instead of a crime from decades past, we’re looking at a case that’s still shaping headlines — and raising questions that may take years to answer. When Boston police officer John O’Keefe was found dead in the snow outside a fellow cop’s home, his girlfriend, Karen Read, was accused of running him down with her SUV in a fit of drunken rage. Prosecutors said it was an open-and-shut case. But as two trials unfolded, evidence of sloppy policing, possible cover-ups, and investigative misconduct began to surface. With insights from journalist Rebecca Lavoie, we examine the tangled relationships, explosive allegations, and courtroom battles that turned this into one of the most contentious cases Massachusetts has ever seen. Will history remember the death of John O’Keefe as a tragic accident, a conspiracy, or a crime of the century?

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:

More Like Ancient Fail-iens.  In more Like Ancient FAILiens, journalist Brandon R. Reynolds and podcaster Toby Ball bravely plunge into one of the great works of televised hokum: Ancient Aliens, the History Channel show that, after more than 20 seasons and 200 episodes, is still convinced Aliens Did It. But Brandon and Toby will take on Ancient Aliens’ biggest claims, one episode at a time, disclosing the truth behind the nonsense and discovering the most amazing thing of all: the world is a pretty fascinating place, even if Ancient Astronauts aren't responsible for it. Look for it now, wherever you get your podcasts, or early and ad-free on the Grab Bag Collab Patreon Page.