Cherry Avenue True Crime

This is the Halloween Special: 2021 

We are going to go over a bunch of Scary Movies that were either inspired by or based on true stories.  I’ll give a brief synopsis of the movie in case you want to watch them this Halloween season, and then I’ll give you the details of the true story that inspired each one.

Merch on Sale at links below:

Cherry Avenue Retro – Cherry Avenue Logo – T-Shirt | TeePublic

Skull cherries – Cherries – Crewneck Sweatshirt | TeePublic

Happy Halloween!  Thank you for listening!  If you’d like to leave a voicemail about this or any other episode you can do so on my website:  True Crime | Cherry Avenue True Crime Podcast

and you can also let me know if you want your voicemail aired on a future episode or not.  You can leave your name, or not leave your name…it’s up to you.

Visit me on social media on Instagram @CherryAvenueTrueCrime or

On Twitter @AvenueCrime   

 

Sources for this episode:

Nosferatu – Wikipedia

Nosferatu: Origins of the Vampire-Death Wish Coffee Company

The True Story Behind Nosferatu (grunge.com)

Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror and Shadow of the Vampire (nosferatumovie.com)

Jack the Ripper – Wikipedia

IMDB.com

Jack the Ripper – History, Victims, Letters, Suspects. (jack-the-ripper.org)

Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf – Texas Monthly

This one is way more interesting than I thought it would be.  And I don’t usually inject too much of my opinion on this podcast, wanting you to just have the story and the facts as I have found them in my research…..but I have lots of thoughts on this, and I really want to know what you all think.  Stay tuned at the end for information on the new voice message I have for all of you and how we will start doing an update episode here and there if you guys all like it.

The case covered in this episode is The Boston Strangler, The Untold Story, because most people still assume that Albert DeSalvo was the Boston Strangler and murdered all of the 13 women accredited to the “Boston Strangler.”  Albert DeSalvo confessed to 11 murders.  However, his confessions have been disputed, and there is a lot to this story.

We will be going over the movie: The Boston Strangler: The Untold Story and then covering the Real Story and the developments that have happened since then.

 

Leave a Voice Mail on my website:  www.cherryavenuetruecrime.com

Voice Mail me directly at:   https://www.speakpipe.com/CherryAvenue

Visit me on Twitter @AvenueCrime

on Instagram @CherryAvenueTrueCrime

Boston Strangler Case Solved 50 Years Later – ABC News (go.com)

* Lee Bailey – Wikipedia

Boston Strangler – Wikipedia

Boston Strangler: A Serial Killer Who Probably Never Got Caught (anomalien.com)

 

Albert DeSalvo: The Man Who Confessed To Being The ‘Boston Strangler’ (allthatsinteresting.com)

The Conviction of Albert DeSalvo – Virtual Boston (wordpress.com)

 

The Boston Strangler – Crime Museum

Gold Digger Killer

Multimillionaire, Steven Beard fell for the younger, attractive waitress who worked at his country club.   Soon he and Celeste were married. When Steve calls 911 and is discovered in his bedroom shot in the stomach, suspicion falls on Celeste’s friend, Tracey.  Months later Tracey implicates Celeste.

We will be going over the movie made about this case and then the true story behind it.

The movie is Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer. It’s a 2021 Lifetime Movie, Starring Julie Bentz, Eli Gabay and Roan Curtis.  It can be found on Lifetime and is available to rent on Amazon Prime.

Social Media:

Twitter @AvenueCrime

Instagram: @CherryAvenueTrueCrime

email: [email protected]

CherryAvenueTrueCrime.com

 

Sources for this episode:

Man is fatally shot while sleeping, at the request of his wife – Horror History .net

Betrayed By Her Own Children – CBS News

Twins, Lesbian Lover Unravel Texas Murder – ABC News (go.com)

Celeste Beard – Wikipedia

Celeste Beard | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Today’s episode is the story of Toni Jo Henry who had a horrible childhood, fought drug addiction, found true love and then was involved in a murder.  I am covering the movie made about her case and the True Story that the movie was based on.

The Pardon is a 2013 movie.  Starring:  Jaime King, Jason Lewis, John Hawkes and M.C. Gainey

The true story of Toni Jo Henry, a woman tried for the crime of murder in 1942 in the state of Louisiana.

CherryAvenueTrueCrime.com

Email: [email protected]

Social Media:

Twitter:  @AvenueCrime

Instagram:  Cherry Avenue True Crime

 

The sources for today’s episode:

Toni Jo Henry (1916-1942) – Find A Grave Memorial

Claude David “Cowboy” Henry (1913-1945) – Find A Grave Memorial

Toni Jo Henry (capitalpunishmentuk.org)

 

A Courthouse Ghost: Toni Jo Henry (anomalien.com)

tonijo (rowdiva.com)

Toni Jo Henry (en-academic.com)

 

Toni Jo Henry – Wikipedia

 

The Pardon – Wikipedia

The Pardon Movie

Welcome Back to Cherry Avenue True Crime Podcast.  Just a quick reminder that new episodes come out on the 15th and the 30th of each month, with occasional bonus episodes thrown out there in between so please hit subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

I’ll be the first to admit that when I hear that a parent or parents escaped a burning house unharmed and all of the kids die, I’m a little suspicious.  And when you start watching this movie, that is how you feel. 

But there are questions….

And the more you learn, the more you question……

The movie and the case for this episode is:  Trial By Fire  (2018-2019) movie that I found available for streaming on  (Prime Video) and  (Hulu).  It stars Jack O’Connel, Laura Dern and Emily Meade.

The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was sentenced to death in Texas for killing his three children even after scientific evidence and expert testimony bolstered his claims of innocence

We will cover the movie, the story of what really happened, and the controversy.

Website:  CherryAvenueTrueCrime.com

Email: [email protected]

Twitter@AvenueCrime

Instagram: Cherry Avenue True Crime

 

New Yorker article:

Trial by Fire | The New Yorker

Sources for this episode:

Cameron Todd Willingham’s Ex-Wife Stacy Kuykendall Says Texas Shouldn’t Pardon Him [EXCLUSIVE] | HuffPost

Cameron Todd Willingham – Wikipedia

Cameron Todd Willingham: Wrongfully Convicted and Executed in Texas – Innocence Project

Murder of his three young children by Cameron Todd Willingham examined on Evil Lives Here (monstersandcritics.com)

5 Things To Know About The Cameron Todd Willingham Case | Crime History | Investigation Discovery

Stacy Kuykendall Now: Where is Cameron Todd Willingham’s Ex-Wife Today? Update (thecinemaholic.com)

Where Is Stacey Willingham From Trial By Fire In 2019? (refinery29.com)

Where Is Trial By Fire Playwright Elizabeth Gilbert Now (refinery29.com)

Disturbing Evidence That Texas Executed An Innocent Man, Cameron Todd Willingham (ranker.com)

A dad was executed for deaths of his 3 girls. Now a letter casts more doubt. – The Washington Post

Jury Clears the Prosecutor Who Sent Cameron Todd Willingham to Death Row | The Marshall Project

Willingham v. State :: 1995 :: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Decisions :: Texas Case Law :: Texas Law...

The Last Hangman

Today’s case and movie is The Last Hangman which is based on the life and career of Albert Pierrepoint, who was one of the head executioners in the UK between 1931 and 1956.  It is estimated he executed between 435 and 600 people, 200 of these were war criminals right after WWII.

We will cover the movie, the real story of Pierrepoint, and some of the infamous murderers that he executed.

cherryavenuetruecrime.com

email: [email protected]

Twitter: @AvenueCrime

Instagram.com/cherryavenuetruecrime

 

Sources for this episode:

Josef Kramer – Wikipedia

Josef Kramer | Nazi commander | Britannica

Pictures that changed the World – Dr Fritz Klein in a mass grave | Belfast Child (belfastchildis.com)

Beast of Belsen and his lover in Nuremberg exhibit | UK news | The Guardian

A Soho Stabbing | True Crime Library

Waddingham, Dorothea (1899–1936) | Encyclopedia.com

Albert Pierrepoint – Wikipedia

ExecutedToday.com » 1945: The Belsen war criminals

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9045279/British-hangman-sent-Beasts-Belsen-hell.html

17 October 1941 – Antonio Mancini | Execution of the day (wordpress.com)

Welcome back to Cherry Avenue True Crime Podcast!

I have a bonus mini-episode for you today about the Blackout Killer.

In my next upcoming episode:  The Last Hangman, I will be covering Albert Pierrepoint and the movie made about his career as executioner from 1931 to 1956. During his career he executed somewhere between 435 and 600 people. 200 of those were from war crimes that took place during WWII, such as the Beast of Belsen and Irma Grese.

 Pierrepoint executed many notable murderers in the UK, but one that was not featured in the movie, was Gordon Cummins, aka the Blackout Killer or the Blackout Ripper.

 So for this mini-episode we will go over one of the truly horrible men that Albert Pierrepoint had to encounter during his job as head executioner in 1942.

Website:  cherryavenuetruecrime.com

E-mail:  [email protected]

Twitter:  @AvenueCrime

Instagram: Cherry Avenue True Crime

 

Sources for this episode:

Serial Killer Blackout Ripper – Gordon Cummins (murderuk.com)

How the Blackout Ripper killed so horrifically | Daily Mail Online

Albert Pierrepoint – Wikipedia

Gordon Cummins – Wikipedia

Gordon Cummins | Criminal Minds Wiki | Fandom

 

The Burning Bed (Based on a True Story)

800-799-SAFE (7233)  Domestic Violence Support | The National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org)

Welcome Back to Cherry Avenue True Crime Podcast.  Just a quick reminder that new episodes come out on the 15th and 30th of each month, with mini-episodes and the occasional bonus episodes in-between, so be sure to hit subscribe so you don’t miss anything!

The movie for this episode is The Burning Bed (1984)  (Tubi TV) (IMDB free with ads) streaming services.  Stars:  Farrah Fawcett, Paul Le Mat and Richard Hauser.  We will go over the movie and then the case behind the movie.

This was the case that became central to the battered women’s movement. It turned the national attention to cases like Francine’s where women were brutalized by their husbands, and to help women like her through a system of life-saving shelters and laying the foundation for a modern awareness of domestic violence.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or chat with a worker  on thehotline.org

In the UK: FAMILYHELP.ORG.UK  and REFUGE.ORG.UK  Phone# 0808 2000 247

Show Website:  CherryAvenueTrueCrime.com

My e-mail:  [email protected]

Visit me on social media:  Twitter: @AvenueCrime  Instagram: Cherry Avenue True Crime

Francine Hughes Killed Her Abusive Husband—And Changed U.S. Views on Domestic Violence – HISTORY

Francine Hughes – Wikipedia

Francine Hughes Wilson, 69, Domestic Violence Victim Who Took Action, Dies – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The Burning Bed – Wikipedia

James Berlin “Mickey” Hughes (1945-1977) – Find A Grave Memorial

“The Burning Bed”: A turning point in fight against domestic violence (lansingstatejournal.com)

Francine Wilson, domestic abuse victim and subject of TV film “The Burning Bed,” dies at 69 – Chicago Tribune

‘Burning Bed’ murder case: defense attorney looks back | WKAR

Francine Hughes Wilson, who inspired ‘The Burning Bed,’ dies at 69 (lansingstatejournal.com)

The mother of a man killed in an incident… – UPI Archives

Francine Hughes Wilson, whose ‘burning bed’ became a TV film, dies at 69 – The Washington Post

Francine Hughes Killed Her Abusive Husband—And Changed U.S. Views on Domestic Violence – HISTORY

Statistics (ncadv.org)

Welcome Back to Cherry Avenue True Crime Podcast.

Just a quick reminder that new episodes come out on the 15th and 30th of each month, with the occasional random bonus episode thrown out there, so please hit subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes.

At Close Range  is an incredibly good movie.  It’s from 1986 and I found it on Amazon Prime, as well as Tubi which is a free streaming service and it looks like it is available on Showtime as well, although I currently don’t have that one.

It has a star studded cast including:

Sean Penn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Chris Penn, Christopher Walken, Crispin Glover and Kiefer Sutherland.

It is an excellent movie all on it’s own. One of the reviews I read said “I recommend this movie to anyone and everyone.”

This is one of the few old true crime movies that I hadn’t seen, and hadn’t heard about the case before watching.  I’m not kidding when I say that there were at least two parts that had me absolutely speechless.  Like jaw dropping.

I was so blown away by this movie that I decided to move it up in the recording schedule.

The movie starts out with the words:  Based on a True Story.

And I’m going to tell you….this movie follows so close to the real story…it’s one of the closest to the real stories I’ve ever seen.  So, I’ll tell you about the movie which is just about the whole real story, and then at the end I’ll tell you about the bits that were included just for the movie, and I’ll go over what really happened in those instances.

CherryAvenueTrueCrime.com

Email: [email protected]

Twitter:  @AvenueCrime

Instagram:  Instagram.com/cherryavenuetruecrime

Sources for this episode:

Bruce Johnston (criminal) – Wikipedia

The Kiddie Gang: The True Crime Story Behind the Film ‘At Close Range’ (didyouknowfacts.com)

Bruce Johnston Sr., 63; Notorious Killer Dies in Prison – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)

James Foley’s “At Close Range” and the Real Story of the Johnston Gang (treepony.com)  This is an excellent review of the movie.

Com. v. Johnston, 42 A.3d 1120 – CourtListener.com

Latest appeal denied for Norman and David Johnston | News | delcotimes.com

‘Tired’ Escapee Gives Up The Fight – The Washington Post

Escape revives a town’s bad memories (post-gazette.com)

The Actual Truth Behind Devil’s Road in Chadds Ford, PA (wjbr.com)

The Exception, Not the Rule

Welcome Back to Cherry Avenue True Crime Podcast

The Based on a True Story movie we are exploring today is In Plain Sight, and the case is the murders committed by the man said to be Scotland’s first serial killer, Peter Manuel.  We also have a side case about the last woman to be hung in Scotland in 1923.  It’s a crazy story. They are both are.

 

CherryAvenueTrueCrime.com

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @AvenueCrime

Instagram:  @CherryAvenueTrueCrime

 

 

Sources for the episode:

Peter Manuel – Wikipedia

In Plain Sight (British TV series) – Wikipedia

Revealed: Sex secrets of Scottish serial killer Peter Manuel – Daily Record

The Beast of Birkenshaw: The Brutal Crimes of Peter Manuel (the-line-up.com)

Bid to exhume bodies of killers executed at Barlinnie Prison – BBC News

s://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-W1AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zKcMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5913,3877922&dq=susan-newell+murder&hl=enhttp

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Peter Manuel, Scotland’s Most Notorious Serial Killer (wgbh.org)

Who was Peter Manuel, when was the serial killer hanged and why was he nicknamed the Beast of Birkenshaw? (thesun.co.uk)

Peter Manuel – Scotland’s most notorious serial killer – THE SCOTS LAW BLOG

BBC Scotland – BBC Scotland – Why the gruesome murders and disputed sentence of serial killer Peter Manuel still fascinate us 60 years on

Crimes that shocked Scotland: The serial killer who was rumbled by cops after spending his victims’ cash in the boozer – Daily Record

Susan Newell – Wikipedia

The chilling story of child killer Susan Newell – the last woman hanged in Scotland – Glasgow Live