Burden of Proof

Possibly America's most infamous family annihilator, John Emil List shocked all of the country in 1971 when he killed his mother, wife and three children before fleeing New Jersey. Convinced he was "saving their souls" the devoutly religious Lutheran saw the death as the only way they would be accepted into Heaven.

Perhaps more shocking than their murders was the well laid plan that gave John an entire month head start before detectives would be looking for him. He made a clean getaway assuming a new identity as Bob Clark and living a new but very similar life for 18 years.

Tune in as Savannah details what drove this seemingly devoted family man to kill his entire family and Elysia really commits to John's theory that a man should just work hard.

Don't forget to leave us the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook!

Sources:

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/04/12/Chronology-of-John-Emil-List/6707639892800/ 

https://www.americas-most-haunted.com/2016/06/28/twisted-mind-family-annihilator-john-list/ 

https://www.historic-newspapers.com/blog/the-list-murders/ 

https://fatherwantsusdead.com/ 

https://www.historydefined.net/john-list/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/john-list

https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=132646&page=1

Graphic Art By: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Taylor Poe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music By:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181⁠

The working class community on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio were shocked when two teenage girls went missing almost exactly one year apart. Little did they know another young woman had been taken before that as well. All three victims had one thing in common. They knew who the perpetrator was.

Ariel Castro was fairly well known on the west side. Many people thought they knew the Little Puerto Rico neighborhood resident, but on May 6, 2013 they found out the horrific truth.

Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus had been abducted by Ariel and spent the better part of a decade being tortured. Tune in as Elysia dives into how Ariel lived a double life for so long without getting caught and Savannah talks a lot about pitchforks.

Don't forget to leave us the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook!

Sources:

The Cleveland Kidnappings

"Hope: A Memoir of

https://abc.com/episode/a6ad4d49-3c5a-42db-bc20-ec60ce22a45c

https://www.biography.com/crime/ariel-castro

https://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram/articles/2013/06/12/ariel-castro-pleads-not-guilty-to-kidnapping-rape-and-murder-charges

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2014/05/ariel_castro_files_documents_o.html

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2014/05/ariel_castro_files_kidnapper_a.html

https://vladimiraras.blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/plea-agreement-ariel-castro.pdf

https://mediaassets.news5cleveland.com/uploads/wews_castro_sentencing.PDF

https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ng/date/2013-08-01/segment/01

"Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed" by Michelle Knight

"Life After Darkness" by Michelle Knight now known as Lily Rose Lee

Music By:

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181⁠

We pick up after Ti has died and Do shifts the group's focus with a slightly more religious view and a little less sci fi perspective. Though, they still very much prepare to "graduate" to the alien ship that they believe Ti will now send for them. In order to shed more of their humanity, many of the members make major physical sacrifices.

The 1990's gave them a renewed hope that the computer age would both keep the income flowing and assist them in spreading their message to the masses. However, Do's videos met more ridicule than popularity. Still, they held on that their ship would come and believed that it had when reports of a UFO following the 1997 sighting of the comet Hale-Bopp. Unfortunately, their belief led to the largest mass suicide by willing participants in U.S. history.

Tune in as Savannah shares the weirdly peaceful ending to the group and Elysia explains why she would likely never get caught up in a cult.

Don't forget to leave us your Heaven's Gate name or the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook!

Sources:

https://www.max.com/shows/heavens-gate-the-cult-of-cults/83f1cb47-bce8-4e60-a9d3-9153e5d4c455

https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/3/3/JCMC334/4584381

https://daily.jstor.org/behind-the-curtain-of-the-heavens-gate-cult/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42491283/steven_terry-mccarter

https://www.heavensgate.com 

https://www.amazon.com/Father-Jesus-Heavens-Gate-Witnesses/dp/152465762X 

https://people.com/crime/heavens-gate-cult-suicide-remembering-lives-lost/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/cult/overview.htm

Graphic Art By: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Taylor Poe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music By:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181⁠

When Marshall "Herff" Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles met during a stint in the psych ward of their local hospital, the pair hit it off instantly. They decided to go on a spiritual journey together once released and left their lives behind. Influenced by a number of spiritual, religious and cultural practices, they came to the conclusion that they were to lead a group of people to Heaven. However, they viewed Heaven different than most.

Traveling the west coast, they made strides in recruiting members to their group until a couple of curious sociologists infiltrated the group and made what they learned public. The group abruptly stopped recruiting and even made cuts to those already following. That's when things grew even stranger.

Tune in as Savannah breaks down the beginning of this long running cult and the critical turning point that shaped its future. Meanwhile, Elysia strives to maintain composure though her head wants the implode.

Don't forget to leave us your Heaven's Gate name or the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook!

Sources:

https://www.max.com/shows/heavens-gate-the-cult-of-cults/83f1cb47-bce8-4e60-a9d3-9153e5d4c455

https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/3/3/JCMC334/4584381

https://daily.jstor.org/behind-the-curtain-of-the-heavens-gate-cult/

https://www.amazon.com/Father-Jesus-Heavens-Gate-Witnesses/dp/152465762X/ref=asc_df_152465762X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693413892191&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3777191151684894304&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052080&hvtargid=pla-944822343526&psc=1&mcid=963616406ae53e10bc8bd071f4f027c7&gad_source=1

Graphic Art By: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Taylor Poe⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music By:

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181⁠

Within a two month period, Sarah went from being a young woman who created a promising future for herself to housing three unemployed criminals. Her new boyfriend, Richard Hull, had vouched for his friend, Andrew Cataldi and Andrew's girlfriend, Tricia Nordman. Then Sarah met the couple and she thought they were great!

Unfortunately, Sarah quickly learned why some people do judge a book by it's cover. Within another two months of living together, life as she knew it was gone and all that was left was a defunct drug business and two bodies.

Tune in as Elysia shares the many cringe worthy decisions Sarah made along the way and why a growing number of people (including the man who prosecuted her) believe she is innocent. Meanwhile, Savannah gives her best "babe" impression.

Don't forget to leave us the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook!

Sources:

https://www.audible.com/podcast/Sarah-Jo-Pender/B08W4KN5JW

https://law.justia.com/cases/indiana/court-of-appeals/2003/12090302-smb.html

https://murderpedia.org/female.P/p/pender-sarah.htm

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/in-court-of-appeals/1219359.html

https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/2008/12/21/indiana-prison-escapee-arrested-in/44214832007/

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-insd-1_14-cv-01287/pdf/USCOURTS-insd-1_14-cv-01287-0.pdf

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-insd-1_14-cv-01287/pdf/USCOURTS-insd-1_14-cv-01287-3.pdf

https://casetext.com/case/pender-v-peckham-2

https://progressive.org/magazine/fixing-their-mistakes-law/

https://citybase-cms-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c7ff0713d8ff4b5da139b6c676f638c7.pdf

Women Behind Bars (Full

https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/lawyer-asks-for-sara-penders-murder-convictions-to-be-overturned/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/09/prosecutor-says-womans-guilty-verdict-not-fair/2404247/

https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/he-once-called-her-the-female-charles-manson-now-this-prosecutor-believes-sarah-jo-pender-deserves-freedom

https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/georgetown-students-seek-to-exonerate-indiana-prisoner-sarah-jo-pender-who-they-say-was-wrongly-convicted

https://prisonsandjustice.georgetown.edu/news/making-an-exoneree-launches-sixth-cohort/?mc_cid=33f9881954&mc_eid=f75261fa09

https://www.in.gov/apps/indcorrection/ofs/ofs?previous_page=1&detail=128967

Graphic Art By: ⁠⁠⁠Taylor Poe⁠⁠⁠

Music By:

⁠⁠⁠https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181⁠

When 46 year old Eridania Rodriguez went missing in the middle of her evening cleaning shift, her family immediately knew something was very wrong. After a search, they reported her missing as they suspected foul play.

By the next morning, most of New York City was talking about the cleaning woman who disappeared in the financial district. It took three official searches and one detective's keen eye for video surveillance to find Eridania and connect her death to a maintenance worker in the building named Joseph Pabon.

Tune in as Elysia details the frantic 4 day search and poses the recently trending question "Would you choose to be alone with a man or a bear in the woods?" Meanwhile, Savannah yells that they should have listened to the smartest detectives the entire time.

Don't forget to leave us the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Facebook!

Sources:

Homicide New York: Vanished on Wall Street, Episode 3

https://abc30.com/archive/8605974/

https://nypost.com/2012/03/06/cleaning-lady-died-a-slow-painful-death-coroner/

https://www.urbanmag-online.com/netflixs-homicide-new-york-highlights-the-murder-of-eridania-rodriguez/

https://www.womanandhome.com/life/news-entertainment/homicide-new-york-joseph-pabon-now/

https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/appellate-division-first-department/2018/7839-3616-09.html

https://nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sing-Sing

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134041850/eridania-rodriguez/photo

https://casetext.com/case/martinez-v-rector-trinity-assocs-llc-1

Graphic Art By: ⁠⁠Taylor Poe⁠⁠

Music By:

⁠⁠https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

After years of struggle with both life circumstances and a medical condition that gave way to bullying, Christine finally found Rachel Coloroutis and Tiffany Rowell. The two girls took Christine under their wings and helped her achieve a status she never thought possible. Voted "Miss Irresistible" of her class, she blossomed from an ugly duckling to one of the most popular girls in school.

Unfortunately, all three girls fell into relationships that took them down a darker path and their tight knit friendship began to crack. When Christine and her boyfriend, Christopher Lee Snider, were desperate to feed their addiction, they knew just where to go. Rachel and Tiffany were with Marcus Precella and Adelbert Sanchez. Marcus was known for dealing so Christine and Chris payed them a visit that ended in a massacre.

Tune in as Savannah covers this tragic story of friendship gone wrong and Elysia calls out Christine for deflecting responsibility.

Don't forget to leave us the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook!

Sources:

https://murderpedia.org/female.P/p/paolilla-christine.htm 

https://allthatsinteresting.com/christine-paolilla 

https://youtu.be/XFkvtyQCX8E?si=ef1kTRM5nMI8MhXl

https://youtu.be/fWo1w-qhSjY?si=qiTEQU2dG5az6nGK

https://youtu.be/4xxmqGuydeQ?si=eKAz_p793gnNXlNj

Graphic Art By: ⁠Taylor Poe⁠

Music By:

⁠https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

When 10 year old Joel Kirkpatrick was stabbed to death in the middle of the night at his mother's home, detectives were convinced she staged the scene. However, Julie Rea swore a masked intruder had committed the heinous act before grappling with her and making his getaway.

Her story never changed and there wasn't strong physical evidence against her. So, no charges were pressed until 3 years later when a new prosecutor was assigned the case. Julie was convicted of killing her own son until an unbelievable string of events led to her exoneration.

Tune in as Elysia details this tragic story of how some events impact lives in a way that can never be reversed. Meanwhile, Savannah sits on the edge of her seat questioning where it's all going.

Don't forget to leave us the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on Instagram and Facebook!

Sources:

https://abc.com/episode/39c5211b-d0cd-4517-95f7-ed20045136c1

Unusual Suspects: A

“Through the Window” by Dianne Fanning

https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject/julie-rea

https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3278

https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2004/06/26/court-overturns-rea-convictio/118184118/

https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2004/07/09/julie-rea-harper-faces-new-charges/48509547/

https://www.mrt.com/news/article/A-chronology-in-the-Julie-Rea-Harper-case-7644687.php

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/189939462/joel_craig-kirkpatrick

https://lifeafterinnocence.wordpress.com/clients/julie-rea/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6543367/Illinois-mom-wrongly-convicted-stabbing-son-1997-speaks-out.html

Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe

Music By:

https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181