Betsy Boss Podcast

We're wrapping up our University of Idaho/Moscow series with an episode all about our primary suspect - Brian Kohberger. We're talking about who he is, where he came from, and how the police zeroed in on him as the main suspect in this dreadful crime. We can't say we disagree with them, since he left a well-sanitized trail of medical gloves, categorized garbage and plastic baggies behind him.

We’ve got something extra scary in store for you tonight on Betsy Boss - it’s the second part of our University of Idaho murder series and we’re getting into the nitty gritty of everything that happened that night. We’re delving into the crime scene - how things looked the morning after the murders, who was left standing and our theories as to why. We’re also covering the 911 call that has everyone from armchair detectives to experts vexed - why did it take 8 hours from the murder for someone to call the police? We’ll be sharing our thoughts and the thoughts of law enforcement. So come on a wild ride with us as we trace the killer’s exact steps through 1122 King Road - you’ll want to listen to this one in a well-lit, totally secured room!

On today's episode of Betsy Boss, we're addressing a particularly grisly murder mystery - the University of Idaho murder from November, 2022. Four University of Idaho students were killed in the vicious crime: Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona (she later lived in Post Falls, Idaho); and Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. There's a lot that's confusing about this murder from the house where it took place to the fact that it all went down in 25 minutes (or less)! Come set the stage with us so we can dive further into this mystery together next week with thoughts, theories and predictions for the trial which is set for June, 2023.

You might not understand why yet, but after you listen to this episode, you'll be saying "we're glad your mom died, too" to Jennette McCurdy! Born into a Mormon fundamentalist family and homeschooled her whole educational life, Jennette McCurdy was pushed by her mother from almost babyhood to become a Nickelodeon child star. The lengths Jennette's mother went to in order to escalate her daughter's rise to fame were boundless. Whether it was bleaching her 10 year old daughter's hair and whitening her teeth, showering her and dressing her like a baby doll, or forcing her into auditions when she was ill, Debra McCurdy was ready, willing and able to go the abusive distance needed to make Jennette famous. Unfortunately (or fortunately), Debra did meet her demise, but once she did Jennette could finally live her own life on her own terms.

In this week's episode, we're continuing the Nickelodeon trend from Dan Schneider to Amanda Bynes, America's sweetheart turned internet provocateur turned fashion designer turned manicurist extraordinaire! We'll explore Amanda's early career - how her stint at comedy camp skyrocketed her into fame and the ways in which money, drugs and twitter drove her to a very dark place. Don't worry, though - this story has a happy ending just like all of Amanda's amazing flicks - Amanda is taking on a new trade these days - Manicuring!

Hot and fresh from the oven, we're selling you a cake that you'll never want to eat. Dan Schneider is well-known by 90s kids as the Nickelodeon executive that had the "magic touch" for decades - everything Schneider touched became a sensation. Schneider worked exclusively on children's television. What is most interesting about Dan Schneider's conduct isn't what was found during an investigation, but what wasn't. Though Dan acted inarguably inappropriately with the child stars in his employ, there was never any (reported) overt sexual abuse. There was, however, plenty of covert abuse. Tune in and learn how one man's conduct influenced the mental well-being of a generation of child stars, and why Florida was chosen as NIckelodeon headquarters... we'll give you a hint: it isn't because the Everglades are crawling with child stars.

If we didn’t convince you last time not to take cruises, this week’s episode ought to do it. We’re telling you all the ways you can die on a cruise, and you’re going to want to hold onto your life jackets and prepare the life boats for this one! Amy Bradley was like us - she wasn’t a big fan of cruises and didn’t want to go on a family trip, which was a tropical cruise. In spite of her better judgment, Amy decided to go with her family on what would become the last trip of her life. What’s really gripping about this case is how many anonymous tipsters came out of the woodwork to report that they had seen Amy. Some of the tipsters even went to extraordinary lengths to fabricate photos and spent years “tracking Amy” in Curaçao. Sadly, though, Amy still has not been found. Join us and let us know your theories! Was Amy taken or was she simply the victim of too much partying and a strong wind on the cruise ship’s balcony?

Finally, we at Betsy Boss are striking fear into the hearts of a group so happy go lucky that you never thought it possible before - no, we don’t mean Disney adults. We’re talking about honeymooners! For these three couples, life was as good as it gets. They were fresh off their nuptials and headed somewhere tropical… and wet. All three of these murders happened on or around water, and you’re not going to believe how one perpetrator attempted to escape! Don’t worry, though, he was turned in by a group of friendly aboriginals and brought to justice! Strap on your life vest, listeners, because we’re taking on water!

This might be our creepiest story yet. It's got nothing to do with women this time, but our last episode provided the perfect segue, and we just couldn't resist this INSANE topic. Otto Warmbier made the fateful decision to study abroad in North Korea. Unfortunately, he paid for this choice with his life. Otto came to North Korea a bright eyed 21 year old full of promise and hope for the future. Through circumstances unknown to us, he left in a vegetative state. Otto was accused by the North Korean government for stealing a propaganda poster, and we can truly say that the punishment did not match the crime. Listen in to hear how vastly different North Korea's justice system is from ours, and why you should never trust a study abroad program with a tagline "we take you to places your mother wouldn't want you to go."

We bet you haven’t heard this story before! This week we’re doing a very under-represented story, and one that will likely sound like fiction to many listeners. For a period of time, the Korean government was kidnapping Japanese citizens from shore towns for various purposes ranging from tutoring in the Japanese language to spy activity. We cover a number of stories of the kidnapped and their children - many of whom didn’t even know they were Japanese! We hope the strength of the kidnapped inspires and that this tale will remind everyone that even when your life is completely uprooted, you can go on to live a happy and wonderful life.