Crime of the Truest Kind

Charline Rosemond, a vibrant 23-year-old woman who dreamed big and lived bigger. With help from her younger sister, Rose, we tell the story of Charline’s life and unravel the details of her tragic death in April 2009, and get to understand what families like the Rosemonds face as they seek justice for her murder through their grief and frustration.

We explore the emotional landscape of Charline’s case, painting a picture of her life, her dreams, her plans, against the unknowing, then the unbearable agony her family faced when they learned she was dead. Murdered. We see the anguish of being dismissed by authorities through Rose's eyes, and the family's 15-year effort to keep Charline’s story from fading away.
And there are many questions: Who shot Charline? Did they set her up? Was there really a car for sale? Was it a ruse? Why won't police accept a family's word that their loved one is in fact missing?

Anyone with information about Charline Rosemond’s murder please call the State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office at 781-897-6600.

Emily Sweeney's Cold Case Files feature in the Boston Globe, June 2024
Charline Rosemond new Facebook page 

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

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Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

Episode 70 | This week is a bonus! The show will continue on a biweekly release schedule. This is a special episode continuing my conversation with Susanne Cleveland of Justice for Sandra Birchmore. There is a lot that needs to be said and there is much more to come in the weeks ahead for her case and the man who has been arrested and charged in her murder.

Subjects discussed include sexual abuse, coercive control, self harm, homicide, police misconduct. Sometimes I swear. Listen with care.

Sandra Birchmore's short life was filled with loss and disappointment, but she seemed to take it in stride, looking at the brightside, and was forging her own path in spite of it all. She was finding success on her terms. She was hired to work for the Sharon School System as a teaching aid, she was preparing the process of going to nursing school, had recently moved into her very own apartment in Canton and, what pleased her the most, she was expecting a baby.

All those plans were haulted when a man, a man she had looked up to for much of her life, made a plan to end it. And he almost got away with it.

Source links at crimeofthetruestkind.com

Justice for Sandra Birchmore Facebook Group

The tragic death of Sandra Birchmore has jolted a town and exposed alarming misconduct within the Stoughton Police Department. Advocate Susanne Cleveland joins me again (please listen to part one) to scrutinize the internal investigation that revealed appalling actions by former officers Matthew Farwell, William Farwell, and Robert C. Devine. Their crimes, including statutory rape by at least one of them, have spurred efforts to decertify them and fueled a wrongful death lawsuit led by Sandra’s family. This episode unpacks the systemic issues in law enforcement and the crucial role public outcry plays in driving accountability and reform.

This episode explores the broader implications for protecting individuals from predatory behavior within law enforcement. We reflect on the ongoing battle for legislative change, the importance of creating safe spaces for survivors, and the public’s frustration with law enforcement’s mishandling of critical cases.

Don't miss the next live show, featuring North Shore Crime Cases and an engaging Q&A session on Thursday, Oct 10 at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass.
Get Tickets To The Show Here 

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

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Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

Episode 69 | Justice For Sandra Birchmore (part one)

Subjects include sexual abuse, miscarriage, coercive control, self harm, suicide, homicide, police misconduct and WAP by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

Sometimes I swear. Listen with care.

*Episode updated to reflect additional information provided by Sandra's family members

Sandra's case has been languishing for over 3 years (minus a decade of abuse).
In August 2024, Matthew Farwell, a former Stoughton, Massachusetts police officer was arrested and charged with her murder - a murder that was first deemed a suicide when she was found on February 4, 2021. Sandra's friends and family never believed she took her own life. They were right. Justice is coming.

Stoughton is a small town with a few notables like superstar songwriter, Lori McKenna, and Nicola Sacco of the notorious prohibition-era anarchist crime duo of Sacco and Vanzetti (or were they?).

What happens when those sworn to serve and protect become the perpetrators of unspeakable crimes? This episode of Crime of the Truest Kind unravels the harrowing story of Sandra Birchmore from Stoughton, Massachusetts, a case stained by misuse of power, child sexual abuse, and systemic failures.
Setting the stage for Sandra’s tragic narrative, which has shockingly been overlooked until recently. Special guest Susanne Cleveland, a relentless advocate for Sandra, joins us to bring truth, clarity and respect to her memory.

Tracing Sandra’s heartbreaking journey from her introduction to her abusers through the Police Explorers program at just 13, to the relentless abuse she endured, culminating in her tragic death and exposing not only the predatory actions of these individuals, but also the complicity of other officers like Robert C.  Devine, who enabled this abuse and was a participant. The systemic failures and the betrayal by those in authority serve as a grim reminder of the broader issues within law enforcement.

We confront the dismissive and misogynistic attitudes that trivialize women's experiences and the historical context of labeling women as "hysterical." The fight for justice in Sandra Birchmore’s case goes on.
If you are experiencing abuse of any kind - coercive control, sexual, physical, financial, emotional, there is help:
•Jane Doe Inc - janedoe.org/find_help
• National Domestic Violence Hotline - thehotline.org

Visit

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Live show! Thurs 10/10 at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass - Get Tickets

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

In remembrance of Holly, on the 31st anniversary of her disappearance.
Holly's abduction and murder remain unresolved. 

.. .. ..

Thirty years ago today, 10-year-old Holly Piirainen was enjoying a lazy summer day with her family at their vacation cottage in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. What should have been an innocent visit with a litter of puppies nearby turned into a decades-long nightmare for her family.

Holly disappeared. The only trace of her was one red sneaker.  She would be found two and a half months later in the nearby town of Brimfield, in the next county over.

As we revisit the details of Holly's case, there are a great many mysteries still. I speak to journalist and former editor of Grafton News, Holly's hometown paper, Rich Price about his journey into the intricate details of her disappearance, the potential suspects in her abduction and murder, and his relationship with the Piirainen family members.

In our exploration of Holly's case, we take a moment to appreciate the distinctive beauty of Massachusetts and New England. I share details about local landmarks in the areas relative to Holly's case.

Please share any information you have, overheard, or may have remembered,
Your help is needed to solve her case

Call 413-505-5993
or the State Police Unresolved Cases Unit at 855-627-6583
OR  text the word SOLVE to 274637

Reach the Hampden District Attorney in Springfield, Mass at HampdenDA.com

Listen: Holly's Been Taken
a podcast about Holly Piirainen's disappearance and murder, by Rich Price

Site developed by investigators to help solve Holly's case:
HelpHolly.com

Visit CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
Crime of the Truest Kind
Created, written, and hosted by Anngelle Wood 

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Live show! Thurs 10/10 at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass - Get Tickets

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

Coming September 2024, the eight-part investigative podcast that picks up where the Emmy Award-winning documentary, Have You Seen Andy?, leaves off.
Hosted by Melanie Perkins McLaughlin, whose decades-long investigation about her missing childhood friend, Andy Puglisi, who went missing in 1976 from the public pool in Lawrence, Massachusetts, includes hundreds of interviews, multiple searches, and many unanswered questions.

Open Investigation Podcast

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Live show! Thurs 10/10 at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass - Get Tickets

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

In this bonus episode, recorded live at Faces Brewing Co. in Malden, Mass, we explore local cold cases. With journalist Emily Sweeney, we uncover the intricate details behind some of the state's most perplexing unsolved crimes.

We mark the anniversary of Debra Melo's mysterious disappearance. The case of 30-year-old Taunton mother who went missing in 2000 continues to pose questions about the people closest to her. We call for the public's involvement to keep her memory alive and push for answers.

Next, we navigate three cases covered in Cold Case Files: The murder of retired Watertown police officer Gail Miles, the disappearance of Stow teenager Cathy Malcolmson, and the mystery surrounding the murder of John and Geraldine Magee in their Andover home. Despite years of investigative work, these families have few answers.

We shine a light on the Middlesex County Cold Case Unit's work to solve these cases, like the 1971 murder of Natalie Scheublin in her Bedford home - a case finally resolved five decades later. 

Delving deeper, we explore the disappearances of Jennifer Mbugua, missing from North Attleboro in 2014, the case of murdered boy Eddie Flynn in Billerica in 1947, Bruce Crowley who was last seen in Provincetown in late December 2022, and remains of an unidentified man found on Town Beach in Sandwich in June 2014. Despite a few recognizable items found with the body, his identity is still "Man of the Dunes". 

Plus the years-old unsolved cases of Andy Puglisi, missing from Lawrence since 1976, teenagers Melanie Melanson who disappeared from Woburn in 1989 and Deanna Cremin who was found murdered in Somerville in 1995, Rita Hester, the Black Trans woman stabbed in her Allston apartment in 1998, Charline Rosemond found shot in a parking lot in Somerville in 2009, Brittany Tee, missing from Brookfield since 2023, Karina Holmer's 1996 grisly murder that still haunts Boston, and Reina Rojas who disappeared in 2022 after taking a ride from her East Boston neighborhood to Somerville.

We emphasize the importance of public awareness and legislative advocacy, hoping for breakthroughs that could finally solve these mysteries.

Get Emily Sweeney's Cold Case Files newsletter, sign up here
Show slides at crimeofthetruestkind.com

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

Late Release!

Coming in hot with the history on this one with the Corpse Flower, The Tot Finder, a Nine-Alarm Fire, and The Wizard of Oz/Darkside of The Moon, The Beaneaters, and the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. 

The Molassacre. A Molasstrophe. That's what happens when 2 million gallons of molasses explodes onto the narrow streets of the North End, in a bizarre and unbelievable story of Boston's dark wave of history. 

On January 15, 1919, a 26 million pound dark wave of stickiness surged through the North End of Boston, seemingly gaining strength as it rolled toward Boston Harbor. A massive swell toppled telephone poles, twisted metal trolley tracks, crushed freight cars, flooded basements, and ripped buildings from foundations. Chest-deep molasses warmed from the above average temperatures thinned out into a coating three feet deep that would grab people like human fly paper, animals struggled to get free of it, only sinking further.

I will be at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival in Denver on July 12-14.

Crime of the Truest Kind
Massachusetts and New England crime stories
Hosted by Anngelle Wood
@crimeofthetruestkind

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Live show! Thurs 10/10 at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass - Get Tickets

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

EP 66 | A Fifty-Year-Old Cold Case Is Solved & The Dark History Of Murder in Bedford, Massachusetts

Five murders in as many decades. How does a seemingly tranquil town like Bedford, Massachusetts, become the backdrop for some of the most chilling crimes in New England history? Travel back in time as we recount this small town's dark past.

In 1970, Emily Morris, a woman suffering from debilitating pain, was killed by her own husband for what he called a mercy killing.

The 1971 brutal murder of Natalie Scheublin went unsolved until a newly-formed cold case unit came together to reexam her case. Thanks to clues left behind by the killer and breakthroughs in forensic technology, her murderer was finally caught.

In 1982, the grisly murder of 19-year-old Robert Crowe in his own home by a drug addict and thief left the town reeling but it was his childhood friend who help put him away.

2024: And the town was rocked just this month by a double murder that opened old wounds. A heartbreaking account of family murder perpetrated by their own daughter; Thelma Tatten and Mark Cavallaro, were a fun-loving and caring couple who were shot on the way to breakfast.

Crime of the Truest Kind
hosted by Anngelle Wood
crimeofthetruestkind.com
@crimeofthetruestkind

NAMI - National Alliance on Mental Illness
Edinburg Center, Bedford, Mass
Behavioral health and mental health services in Massachusetts 

updating 

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Live show! Thurs 10/10 at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass - Get Tickets

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

EP 65 | Brace For Impact: Juvenile Lifers, Parole Hearings, & The Families' New Fight

Massachusetts families of murdered loved ones are now faced with the prospect of their killers being released. Explore how landmark rulings  Miller vs. Alabama and Diatchenko vs The Commonwealth have reshaped juvenile sentencing and removed every promise made to families that their juvenile killer would be behind bars for life. The families of Amy Carnevale, Shaun Ouillette, Janet Downing, and Beth Brodie find it unfathomable that they will now have to face these murderers who are entitled to regular parole hearings. They are fighting every step of the way.

Justice For Beth Brodie  -- sign and share petition for Beth

+sample letter for parole board

Justice for Janet Downing -- sign and share petition for Janet

Justice for Amy Carnevale

Justice for Shaun Ouillette

Write to the parole board:
Massachusetts Parole Board
12 Mercer Rd
Natick, Mass  01760

Unsolved Somerville cases I talked about:
Deanna Cremin
Charline Rosemond

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Live show! Thurs 10/10 at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass - Get Tickets

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King

A few things to remember: John O’Keefe is dead. His family hasn’t been able to properly mourn (nor has Karen Read) and this is a horrible place for a family to be.
There are kids involved. John O’Keefe was the guardian and main caregiver to his niece and nephew that in no way asked for or deserved to be at the center of this nightmare. 

There is a lot of scrutiny surrounding the John O'Keefe murder trial.

Karen Read is not a stupid woman. She's a member of the faculty at Bentley, in their Finance Dept  for the last 16 years. She works (or worked) for Fidelity Investments in Equity Research and was a Financial Analyst. There has been so much pre-trial publicity that it may be impossible for her to be looked at fairly. This case is simply bananas.

The more I learn about it, the more questions I have, beginning with What the hell happened at 34 Fairview in Canton in the early hours of January 29, 2022?

We know eastern Massachusetts was in the grips of a major snowstorm. Turns out, it was a blizzard. Boston got 23.5 inches of snow that Saturday at Logan Airport, making January 29, 2022 the second largest January storm every recorded in the city. The seventh biggest snowstorm of all time in Boston's recorded history.
The temperature dropped to 21 degrees. This had to have hampered the investigation. There were the red solo cups, the grocery bag, that leaf blower - very Tarantino. 

I watched some of the testimony this week and I checked in with Dubs, the True Crime Bloodhound, to help me out with this week’s big happenings.
---
Justice for Beth Brodie | Event link
Her killer is seeking parole, hearing is Thurs May 16 at the Massachusetts Parole Offices in Natick. Write a letter. Stand with us.
Visit JusticeforBethBrodie.com - Write the parole board and tell them No Parole for Richard Baldwin, W56202.

Justice for Janet Downing. Her killer is seeking parole on Tues 6/25

Friday, May 17 is Children's Advocacy Day at the State House from 11am-1pm.
Join us at Great Hall | Event Link

Thanks to Dubs of True Crime Bloodhound | Substack

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Live show! Thurs 10/10 at Off Cabot in Beverly, Mass - Get Tickets

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For show notes & source information at CrimeoftheTruestKind.com
This podcast has minimal profanity but from time to time you get one or some curse words. This isn't for kids.

Become a patron: Patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind

Music included in episodes from Joe "onlyone" Kowalski, Dug McCormack's Math Ghosts and Shredding by Andrew King