Almost Fiction

Catherine May Wood was… an enigma. She constantly complained about how unfair her life was right before bragging about how she was in complete control, not only of her life, but also of the lives of those around her. She just couldn't seem to make up her mind claiming that she was both a victim, and a maestro, a tragic character beset by life, while also being the puppeteer controlling everything in her domain. Then, Gwendolyn Gail Graham entered into her life, and seemingly all hell broke loose.

NOTE: Some names may have been changed in order to protect the identities of those who wish to remain anonymous.  



Sources: 

Cauffiel, Lowell. Forever and Five Days: The Chilling True Story of Love, Betrayal, and Serial Murder in Grand Rapids, Michigan . MysteriousPress.com/Open Road. Kindle Edition. 

https://murderpedia.org/female.W/w/wood-catherine.htm

Female Serial Killer Who Murdered Patients with Alzheimer's, Dementia Released After Nearly 30 Years. By KC Baker for People.com. January 21, 2020. 

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We will be back next week for another new episode. Please enjoy this PLUS episode in the meantime. To access hours of extra content each week, exclusive merch, and early access to new podcasts.Visit https://1159plus.com or https://www.patreon.com/1159media 

This week's case has a little bit of everything. I wish that there was more information, I wish there was more to find on this story, but what is available is enough to see that people like Ed Gien aren’t one of a kind.

SOURCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonzo_Robinson

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1935-03-05/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1934&sort=date&date2=1935&words=Coyner+James&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=8&state=&rows=20&proxtext=James+Coyner&y=7&x=14&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1935-01-17/ed-1/seq-22/#date1=1934&sort=date&date2=1935&words=Coyner+James&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=5&state=&rows=20&proxtext=James+Coyner&y=7&x=14&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1935-01-15/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1934&sort=date&date2=1935&words=Coyner+James&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=3&state=&rows=20&proxtext=James+Coyner&y=7&x=14&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1935-02-05/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1934&sort=date&date2=1935&words=Coyner+James&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=7&state=&rows=20&proxtext=James+Coyner&y=7&x=14&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Steven Ray Thacker is one of those enigmas. He was no stranger to the law, with most of his run-ins usually for nonviolent crimes, until one day he just snapped killing three different people over a 10 day period. So, why did he do it?



Sources:

Court of Appeals. STATE OF TENNESSEE v. STEVEN RAY THACKER. Dyer County No. C00-54; Lake County No. 01-CR-8238. December 18, 2003. 

From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research. State v. Thacker. Supreme Court of Tennessee. Apr 27, 2005. 

http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/thacker1325.htm

OKLAHOMA MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER IN 3 STATES EXECUTED IN MCALESTER. 
Tuesday, March 12th 2013, 7:47 am. By: News On 6

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS TENTH CIRCUIT. STEVEN RAY THACKER, v. RANDALL G. WORKMAN, Warden, Oklahoma State Penitentiary. No. 10-5127.  April 12, 2012. 

Judge rules no new trial for convicted murderer Thacker. StateGazette.com. Friday, July 30, 2010. 

Condemned killer Steven Ray Thacker more complex than just a cold-blooded killer. By Bill Hiles for StateGazette.com. February 13, 2002. 

https://theforgivenessfoundation.org/2022/04/27/steven-thacker-executed-in-oklahoma/




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Robert Ronald Mudman Simon was a prototypical biker gang member not only in appearance but also in temperament. He really didn’t care about the world or those around him, unless they were in his gang. Human life was just not that important to him, and it showed. 

Sources:
https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/simon-robert.htm
https://law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/supreme-court/1999/a-149-97-opn.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Simon_(biker)

Death row biker killed in prison fight. By Michael Ellison for TheGuardian.com. September 8, 1999. 
Unknown dangers: Fatal shooting of N.J. police officer still felt 20 years later. By Greg Adomaitis For NJ.com. May 06, 2015.

'They shot Lee,' the officer cried, 'Get 'em, get 'em, get 'em!'. By Jim Six for NJ.com. May 06, 2013. 
https://onepercenterbikers.com/warlocks-mc-motorcycle-club-pennsylvania/#google_vignette
Inmate says killer bribed jailers. By Gary Miller for UPI.com. September 28, 1995. 
Mihalick v. Simon. United States District Court, D. New Jersey. Civil Action No. 97-2510. May 14, 1999. 

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Anthony Allen Shore was a sexual sadist with no boundaries. He took what he wanted with no regard for others or their feelings. In essence, he was just another monster, but unlike some, he wanted to be put down. 


Sources:
Shore v. State, No. AP-75,049 (Tex. Crim. App. Dec. 12, 2007).
The Killer Next Door: He left clues all over, but it still took investigators years to unmask the serial murderer in their midst. By Sarah Fenks. 
Man Charged in Serial Killings of Four Houston-area Women Dallas Lab Found Link in Suspect's DNA. By S.K. Bardwell - The Houston Chronicle. Oct. 28, 2003. 
Confessed serial killer's trial to start. By Denise Davis for Citizen Staff. September 15, 2004.
https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/shore-anthony.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Allen_Shore


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In the beginning it appeared as if Paul Eugene Rowles was an easy criminal to work with if there ever was such a thing. 

Almost every time he was confronted about a crime he would quickly crumble and admit to it if he was in fact the man who had committed the act, but eventually that all changed. 

Due to that fact we just can’t be sure exactly what he’s done, but what we do know is grim to say the least.




SOURCES: 

On the trail of a serial killer. By Glenn Garvin - MiamiHerald.com. April 26, 2014. 

https://murderpedia.org/male.R/r/rowles-paul.htm

A look at Paul Rowles' background and criminal past. By WFLA.com. February 5, 2014.

Student’s killer dies untried in prison as story of guilt and heroism unfolds from justice system. By Jack Strickland. TheTallahasseeNews.com. April 02, 2013.

Paul Rowles' only surviving victim shares her story. By John Martin, and Claire Wiseman. February 7, 2014.

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

Paul Rowles Timeline. By The Gainesville Sun for Gainsville.com. February 5, 2014.

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There is not much to say about Christa Gail Pike, except for the fac that she single handedly proves that evil lives among us. 

SOURCES:https://murderpedia.org/female.P/p/pike-christa.htm
STATE v. PIKE (1998) Supreme Court of Tennessee,at Knoxville. STATE of Tennessee, Appellee, v. Christa Gail PIKE, Appellant. Decided: October 05, 1998.https://www.mercyforchrista.org/christa-s-storyJudge dismisses death row inmate Christa Pike's bid to reopen her criminal case. By John North For WBIR10 News. October 31, 2023. Woman convicted in 1995 Knoxville murder asks death sentence be vacated. By Gregory Raucoules for WATE Knox County News. August 30, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christa_PikeStaff management; How to tell the difference between an excuse and a reason. By Steve Parker for Linkedin.com. September 24, 2024. 

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Not much is known about Dennis Duane Webb because luckily for us, he was caught relatively early in his career. He was cold, heartless, and ignorant traits he thought were positive attributes rather than negative ones. Welcome back to yet another episode of Almost Fiction. Don’t forget to leave a review. 

SOURCES:https://murderpedia.org/male.W/w/webb-dennis-duane.htmPeople v. Webb (1993) 6 Cal.4th 494 , 24 Cal.Rptr.2d 779; 862 P.2d 779 [No. S006938. Dec 7, 1993.]

https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/california-inmate-on-death-row-since-1988-dies-in-the-hospital/Dennis Webb, Convicted in 1988 of Murdering Atascadero Couple, Dies on Death Row. By Matt Fountain. December 14, 2016. 

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Gary Gene Tison tried anything and everything to avoid punishment, no matter how small the issue. 



He also had a family who stood by him no matter how ridiculous he became. 

Those two facets combined caused one of the worst prison breaks in Arizona history. 

Check out my cameo at: https://v.cameo.com/e/dpkehyHCAKb 



SOURCES: 

The Tison Prison Break Arizona Gary, Donald, Ricky, and Ray Tison; Randy Greenawalt 1978 by Beverly Roath from the book Malice, Madness, and Mayhem: an Electric Collection of American Infamy. 2010. 

https://murderpedia.org/male.T/t/tison-gary-gene.htm

Shotgun-toting sons free dad, 2nd killer. By David L. Teibel. The Arizona Daily Star. July 31, 1978.

Tison's Body Found, Corpse Half a Mile from Shootout Site. By John Rawlinson and Armando Durazo. The Arizona Daily Star. August 23, 1978.

Prison escapees still at large; 'serious security breach' cited. By John DeWitt and Armando Durazo. The Arizona Daily Star. August 1, 1978.

Escapees linked to 3 deaths. The Arizona Daily Star. August 8, 1978.

3 Captured, One Killed in Shootout. By Aarmando Durazo, Gene Nail and John Rawlinson - The Arizona Daily Star. August 12, 1978.


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Thomas William Rigterink was a former model turned killer who seemingly out of nowhere, committed a brutal attack, one that spilled over to innocents just trying to live their lives. 

It’s a sobering testament to just how quickly our lives can change, especially when we least expect it. 

Check out my cameo at: https://v.cameo.com/e/dpkehyHCAKb 

Sources: 

Supreme Court of Florida. No. SC05-2162. THOMAS WILLIAM RIGTERINK, Appellant,
Vs. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. January 30, 2009. 

Ex-Model Rigterink Is Sentenced to Death. Adopted Son of PCC Professors Becomes Polk's 14th Death Row Inmate. Jason Geary - The Ledger. October 15, 2005

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2010/03/01/court-orders-new-look-at-fla-murder-case/

Murder Defendant Takes the Stand: Thomas Rigterink tells jurors he played no part in double slaying, by Jason Geary - The Ledger Friday, September 2, 2005.

Stabbing Suspect Arrested: Authorities say Thomas William Rigterink admitted to being involved in two slayings, by Amy L. Edwards - The Ledger. Friday, October 17, 2003.