Crime To Burn

Crime To Burn

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  • Her Own Witness: The Judy Malinowski Story

    Episode 83

    This week on Crime to Burn, we’re doing something a little different. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this episode honors the extraordinary courage of Judy Malinowski — a woman whose strength changed the law and gave victims of domestic violence a voice that could never again be silenced.

    Judy was burned alive by her abuser and spent nearly two years in the hospital, fighting through unimaginable pain to testify against him. Her recorded testimony would later make history — becoming the first time in U.S. history that a victim testified at her own murder trial.

    Originally aired on You Should Be Here — a collaborative podcast series where true crime creators donate episodes to support victim advocacy charities — this episode reminds us that justice isn’t just about the courtroom. It’s about courage, resilience, and the lives rebuilt in the aftermath of violence.

    If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org for confidential support.

    Support Judy's Foundation Here: https://www.judysfoundation.org/

    Listen to You Should Be Here on your favorite podcast app including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The new season, Cases that Haunt us will be out October 25th. 

    The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

    Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments:

    Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes.

    Listener discretion is advised.

    Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

    Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

    Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

    If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

    Sources: 

    • The Judy Malinowski Foundation

      https://www.judysfoundation.org/

    • People – “Judy Malinowski’s murderer Michael Slager pleads, sentenced”

      https://people.com/crime/judy-malinowski-murderer-michael-slager-pleads-sentenced/

    • New York Post – “Woman testifies against her murderous ex in MTV doc”

      https://nypost.com/2023/05/23/woman-testifies-against-her-murderous-ex-in-mtv-doc/

    • Medium – “From the Grave” (Good Vibes Club)

      https://medium.com/good-vibes-club/from-the-grave-aba57d485e0d

    • 10TV – “13-year-old daughter of woman set on fire asks lawmakers to pass Judy’s Law”

      https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/13-year-old-daughter-woman-set-fire-asks-lawmakers-pass-judys-law/530-7c29c157-1024-4135-8960-2fe19af2d197

    • 10TV – “Judy Malinowski, attack survivor who fought to change Ohio law, dies”

      https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/judy-malinowski-attack-survivor-who-fought-change-ohio-law-dies-33/530-1fe7ee85-aa78-499e-bad3-f065fae1bbcf

    • Paramount Plus – “From the Grave” Documentary

      https://www.paramountplus.com/movies/video/ic8hltRIC14XlBHp1sJ_WHU3GgroSmdj/

      43 min
    • Texas Justice: Revisiting Cameron Todd Willingham's Wrongful Execution - The Conclusion

      Episode 82

      In this episode, we follow the fallout of the Cameron Todd Willingham case — a story that didn’t end at the execution chamber.

      When fire scientist Dr. Gerald Hurst sounded the alarm that the arson evidence used to convict Willingham was based on junk science, Texas had a choice: pause and reevaluate, or push forward and protect its image.
      It chose the latter.
      We’ll unpack how political pressure and flawed forensics collided, how the Texas Forensic Science Commission became a battleground for truth, and how one governor’s ambition may have buried accountability for good.
      We’ll also examine how the echoes of this case continue today — through the fight to apply the state’s Junk Science Law, and the ongoing battle to win a fair trial for Robert Roberson, another man condemned by discredited science.

      Because justice isn’t just about verdicts — it’s about what we do after we know the truth.

      Help Stop Robert Roberson's Execution!!! Click here to sign the petition! 

      The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

      Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments:

      Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes.

      Listener discretion is advised.

      Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

      Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

      Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

      If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

      Because we've covered this case before, some sources are listed in the show notes from Episodes 2 and 3.

      For a full list of sources, please see Episode 81. Additional sources used for this episode are listed below 

      Sources: 

      • Possley, Maurice. “Jury Clears Prosecutor Who Sent Cameron Todd Willingham to Death Row.” The Marshall Project, May 11, 2017.

        https://www.themarshallproject.org/2017/05/11/jury-clears-the-prosecutor-who-sent-cameron-todd-willingham-to-death-row

      • Wikipedia. “Gerald Hurst.”

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

      • Wikipedia. “Cameron Todd Willingham.”

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

      • Grann, David. “Trial By Fire.” The New Yorker, August 31, 2009.

        https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/07/trial-by-fire

      • Innocence Project. “Prosecutor in Willingham Case Faces Misconduct Charges.” March 19, 2015.

        https://innocenceproject.org/news/prosecutor-in-willingham-case-faces-misconduct-charges/

        42 min
      • Texas Justice: Revisiting Cameron Todd Willingham's Wrongful Execution

        Episode 81

        A fire, a flawed science, and a state that still hasn’t learned.

        In 1991, Cameron Todd Willingham was convicted of setting the house fire that killed his three young children. Despite a mountain of later evidence debunking the “arson indicators” used against him, Texas executed Willingham in 2004—long after leading fire scientists warned that the case rested on junk science.

        Two decades later, Texas is preparing to repeat history. On October 16th, the state is scheduled to execute Robert Roberson, a man condemned under similarly discredited forensic theories and medical misunderstandings that doomed Willingham. The very science that convicted him has since been proven false, yet the machinery of “justice” continues to grind forward.

        In this first installment of our Texas Justice series, we revisit the Willingham case:

        • How old-school fire investigation methods created a template for wrongful arson convictions

        • The experts who tried to stop an execution built on myth

        • The political forces that refused to listen—and what that refusal means for Robert Roberson today

          Help Stop Robert Roberson's Execution!!! Click here to sign the petition!

           

          Listener discretion is advised.

          Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

          The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

          Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

          Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

          If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

          Because we've covered this case before, some sources are listed in the show notes from Episodes 2 and 3. 

          Sources:

          • Possley, M. (2014, August 3). The Prosecutor and the Snitch. The Marshall Project. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2014/08/03/did-texas-execute-an-innocent-man-willingham

          • Eaton, T. (2011, July 29). AG says Forensic Science Commission can’t consider Willingham case, others before 2005. Austin American-Statesman. Innocence Project Press Release, July 29, 2011. See Innocence and Studies.

          • KLTV Digital Media Staff. (2025, September 25). East Texas man facing October execution will not seek clemency, his lawyer says. https://www.kltv.com/2025/09/25/east-texas-man-facing-october-execution-will-not-seek-clemency-his-lawyer-says/

          • Beety, V. E. (2020, April 11). Changed Science Writs and State Habeas Relief. Houston Law Review, 57(3). https://houstonlawreview.org/article/12191-changed-science-writs-and-state-habeas-relief

          • Innocence Project Staff. (2010, September 13). Cameron Todd Willingham’s wrongful execution gains new attention after Netflix’s Trial by Fire release. Innocence Project. https://innocenceproject.org/news/cameron-todd-willingham-wrongfully-convicted-and-executed-in-texas/

          • Mills, S., & Possley, M. (n.d.). Texas man executed on disproved forensics. Chicago Tribune. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/stories/texas-man-executed-on-disproved-forensics

          • Willingham v. State, 897 S.W.2d 351 (Tex. Crim. App. 1995). Retrieved from https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/1995/71544-4.html

          • Incendiary: The Willingham Case. (2011). Documentary film directed by Joe Bailey Jr. and Steve Mims. Featuring Rick Perry and Barry Scheck.

            48 min
          • Permission to Burn: The Ballantynes Fire of Christchurch, NZ

            Episode 80

            On November 18, 1947, a fire tore through Ballantynes department store in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 41 people and changing the nation forever. It remains New Zealand’s deadliest fire disaster — and one that exposed shocking negligence.

            In this episode, we retrace the events leading up to the blaze, the chaos of the evacuation, and the devastating aftermath. We’ll look at how overcrowding, building construction, and a lack of fire protection systems turned a busy shopping day into tragedy, and how the disaster forced long-overdue changes to fire safety and labor laws.

            Ballantynes wasn’t just a tragedy — it was a turning point. But it also raises a haunting question: why do we keep having to relearn the same lessons, decades later?

            Listener discretion is advised.

            Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

            The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

            Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

            Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

            If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

            Sources:

            • Staff Told Not To Evacuate: The Ballantynes Fire — Fascinating Horror (YouTube, July 16, 2024). Watch here

            • A Tragic Series of Events | Ballantynes Fire | A Short Documentary — Retelling (YouTube, October 24, 2021). Watch here

            • Ablaze — Screentime New Zealand (YouTube, January 18, 2025). Watch here
            • Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon Matters concerning the Fire at the Premises of Messrs. J. Ballantyne and Company, Limited, City of Christchurch, on the 18th day of November, 1947. (1948). Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand (H–47). By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington https://gg.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2021-06/RC%20100%20Ballantynes%20Fire.pdf
            • Christchurch City Libraries. Ballantynes’ Fire. Christchurch City Council. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025. https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/ballantynes-fire/
            • 42 min
            • Bath School Massacre: The Making of America's First School Bomber - The Conclusion

              Episode 79

              In Part 2 of our Bath School Massacre series, we step back from the timeline to ask the harder questions: what drives an otherwise rational man to the brink of ruin—and what finally pushes him over the edge? We’ll uncover just how long, and how meticulously, Andrew Kehoe had been planning his attack, and the unsettling foresight that made the tragedy possible.

              From there, we confront the psychology behind Kehoe’s actions, the societal pressures that fed his resentment, and the dangerous mix of grievance and obsession that culminated in tragedy. We don’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths about acts of mass murder, because the only redemption in a story like this is in asking what we can learn—and how we can do better.

              Listener discretion is advised.

              Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

              The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

              Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

              Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

              If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

              Sources:

              • Bernstein, Arnie. Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing. University of Michigan Press, 2009.

              • Schechter, Harold. Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer. Little A, New York, 2021.

                42 min
              • Bath School Massacre: The Making of America's First School Bomber

                Episode 78

                On May 18, 1927, the quiet farming town of Bath, Michigan, was shattered by the deadliest school massacre in U.S. history. Long before Columbine, Sandy Hook, or Parkland, one man wired an entire school with explosives — and changed the way America would understand mass violence forever.

                In this episode of Crime to Burn, we dig into the life and mind of Andrew Kehoe — a farmer, a school board treasurer, and the man who became America’s first school bomber. What drove him from grievances and financial struggles to an act of calculated terror? Was it narcissism, psychopathy, or something even more insidious simmering beneath the surface?

                Join us as we walk through the events of that fateful day, the psychology of grievance and vengeance, and the community that was left to pick up the pieces.

                Listener discretion is advised.

                Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

                The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

                Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

                Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

                If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

                Sources:

                • Bernstein, Arnie. Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing. University of Michigan Press, 2009.

                • Schechter, Harold. Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer. Little A, New York, 2021.

                  42 min
                • Elusive Evidence: Florida's Botched Arson Case Against Randal Wagoner

                  Episode 77

                  In this episode of Crime to Burn, we revisit the devastating fire at Greybeard’s Tavern in Jacksonville, Florida, and the deeply flawed arson case that followed. Randal Wagoner, a local truck driver, was arrested and charged with both arson and murder after the fire claimed the life of Katherine Johnson.

                  What first looked like an open-and-shut case unraveled. Investigators leaned on experts who couldn’t back up their findings with scientific proof, relied on questionable witnesses, and overlooked other possible suspects.

                  Was Katherine Johnson’s death really a murder — or a tragic accident miscast as a crime? We’re bringing you all the shocking details of a case that collapsed under scrutiny, but not before Wagoner spent three years behind bars awaiting trial.

                  Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

                  The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

                  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

                  Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

                  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

                  Sources:

                  • State of Florida v. Randal Wagoner – Homicide Investigation (Fourth Judicial Circuit, November 15, 2018). State Attorney’s Office report outlining case facts, problems in proof, and reasons for dismissal.

                  • Harding, Ashley. Woman's body found in Greybeard Tavern fire. News4Jax, December 1, 2013, 6:40 PM. Link.

                  • Lashway, Zachery, and Powers, Frank. Man who spent 3 years behind bars has murder, arson charges dropped — Randal Wagoner released last year after judge agreed case against him 'weak'. News4Jax, November 19, 2018, 5:28 PM. Link.

                  • Pantazi, Andrew. Botched forensics lead to dropped charges — Prosecutors say murder case was built on flimsy evidence from police, Fire Marshal and medical examiner. Florida Times-Union / jacksonville.com, November 16, 2018 (updated). Link.

                    44 min
                  • The Flora Four: Between Rumors and Reality - The Finale

                    Episode 76

                    In the finale of The Flora Four: Between Rumors and Reality, we bring the story full circle. Nearly a decade after the fire that claimed the lives of four young sisters in Flora, Indiana, we examine why this case remains unsolved — and who really benefitted from the official arson ruling.

                    From conflicting investigator depositions to shifting fire science, we uncover how shaky evidence and rushed conclusions may have shaped the narrative. Was this truly a deliberate act of arson, or did the label itself protect powerful interests from facing criminal negligence charges?

                    As we lay out the flaws in the investigation, we revisit the landlords, insurance money, and the haunting possibility that the truth was buried under bureaucracy and rumor. The families still wait for justice — but what if the answers don’t point where officials want you to look?

                    Join us as we close this case file, pulling together the fire science, the politics, and the human toll of a community still searching for accountability.

                    Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

                    The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

                    Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

                    Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

                    If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

                    Sources:

                    If you want to go down the rabbit hole on this case, there are lots of theories and discussion on this board, just be warned, you could get lost in there for weeks.

                    • r/FloraFour. Reddit community archive. Link
                    • For a complete source list, please also see show notes for Episodes 74 and 75. Additional sources used in Part 3 include the following.

                      Deposition of Gaylin Rose, Plaintiff, Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Cause No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM (September 25, 2020).

                      56 min
                    • The Flora Four: Between Rumors and Reality - Part 2

                      Episode 75

                      In Part 2 of The Flora Four: Between Rumors and Reality, we dig into the tangled web of suspects, motives, and unanswered questions surrounding the fire that claimed the lives of four young sisters in Flora, Indiana.

                      From Gaylin Rose’s boyfriend Colten Creasy to the complicated history of Jennifer Dean (a.k.a. Jennifer Barnes, Jennifer Miller), we examine the relationships, rumors, and criminal connections that kept investigators circling. Was this a case of small-town drama spilling into something darker—or did Gaylin’s circle of friends pull her into dangerous territory?

                      Then we follow the money. With Josh Ayres and Troy Helderman’s Birch Tree LLC carrying nearly $400,000 in insurance on a house valued at just $45,000—and a pattern of past insurance claims—the financial motives are impossible to ignore. Add in rumors of fire tricks and unanswered police reports, and the smoke around this case gets even thicker.

                      Join us as we peel back the layers of romance, drugs, race, and financial gain in search of what really fueled this fire.

                      Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

                      The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified. 

                      Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

                      Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

                      If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

                      Sources:

                      If you want to go down the rabbit hole on this case, there are lots of theories and discussion on this board, just be warned, you could get lost in there for weeks.

                      • r/FloraFour. Reddit community archive. Link
                      • For a complete source list, please also see show notes for Episode 64. Additional sources used in Part 2 include the following.

                        • Sandra Chapman. Emails Confirm Top Homeland Security Leaders Knew of Concerns over Flora Fire Investigation. 13 Investigates, WTHR. October 6, 2017; updated January 15, 2018. Link

                        • Mike Potter. ‘No help’ | 4 girls died in the Flora fire. 8 years later, the case remains unsolved. 13WTHR. November 21, 2024; updated November 25, 2024. Link

                        • Steven Brown. Mom calls for justice 6 years after Flora fire killed her 4 girls, ‘I pray every day something comes out’. Fox 59. November 21, 2022. Link

                        • Aishah Hasnie. Seasoned private investigator in Flora fire says mistakes happen with inexperience. Fox 59. June 26, 2017. Link

                        • State of Indiana v. Jennifer L. Dean, Case 08C01-2017-MR-000002 (Case summary/docket filed July 14, 2021).

                        • Holly Eitenmiller. Final defendant sentenced in 2019 murder of Lafayette man amid sex trafficking claims. (Originally circulated via Reddit board; Link

                        • Sandra Chapman. Owner of Flora house where 4 girls died in fire wants release of police and fire records. 13 Investigates, WTHR. December 12, 2018; updated February 13, 2019. Link

                        • Susan Scholl. Flora’s sewer issues rise to the top for 2019. Carroll County Comet. December 5, 2018. Link

                          Court & Deposition Records
                          • Deposition of Troy Helderman, Landlord, Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Cause No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM (Filed 2022).

                          • Deposition of Joshua Ayres, Landlord, Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Cause No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM (Filed 2022).

                          • Deposition of Joshua Ayres (Insurance Coverage), Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Cause No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM (Filed 2022).

                          • Deposition of Todd Hetrick, P.E., CFEI, CFI, CVFI, Fire Investigator, Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Cause No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM (December 20, 2021).

                          • Deposition of Jeffrey Tipton, CFI, CFEI, CVFI, Fire Investigator, Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Cause No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM (January 24, 2022).

                          • Deposition of Candace Ashby, Ph.D., Fire Investigator, Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Cause No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM (December 21, 2021).

                          • 103 E. Columbia Street Rental Agreement. (Filed as exhibit in Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al., Cause No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM).

                          • IC Rental Agreements. (Filed as exhibit in Gaylin Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC, et al.).

                            52 min
                          • The Flora Four: Between Rumors and Reality - Part 1

                            Episode 74

                            On November 21, 2016, a fire tore through a home in Flora, Indiana, claiming the lives of four young sisters: Keyana, Keyara, Kerriele, Kionnie. Nearly nine years later, the case remains unsolved, mired in contradictions, unanswered questions, and a community still searching for justice.

                            In this episode of Crime to Burn, we sift through the layers of rumor and fact surrounding the Flora fire. From conflicting reports about accelerant use to the shifting narratives in the press, we trace how early investigative missteps and public speculation blurred the line between truth and gossip. We’ll examine the timeline of the fire, the aftermath that shook Carroll County, and the resignation of key officials that left even more questions hanging in the air.

                            What we cover in this episode:

                            • The night of the fire and the immediate response

                            • Early statements by officials and how they conflicted

                            • The role of rumors in shaping public perception

                            • Why investigators and community members remain at odds

                            • The lasting impact on a small Indiana town still waiting for answers

                              The Flora case is more than just an unsolved fire — it’s a story about trust, accountability, and the thin line between official record and whispered speculation.

                              Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

                              Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com

                              Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at [email protected] We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review. 

                              If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

                              Sources:

                              • WTHR YouTube. “8 Years Since Deadly Flora Fire Killed 4 Girls.” Posted Nov 21, 2024. Link

                              • Turner, Dakariai. “Flora Fire | Questions Remain 7 Years After 4 Sisters Killed in Intentionally Set Fire.” WISH-TV I-Team 8. Link

                              • Brown, Steve. “Dashboard Camera Video Reveals Rescue Attempt in Deadly Flora Fire.” CBS4. Link

                              • Hasnie, Aishah. Fox59 News. “Governor responds to FOX59 investigation into whether Flora case was mishandled.” Posted July 12, 2017; updated July 12, 2017. Link
                              • Lowe, Debbie. Carroll County Comet. “Jean Ann Randle sentenced: ‘I don’t buy the tears,’ Judge tells former sheriff’s wife.” October 8, 2014. Link
                              • Wilkins, Ron. “FBI, Indiana State Police Go Door to Door to Try to Solve Fatal 2016 Flora Fire.” Lafayette Journal & Courier, July 7, 2025. Link

                              • “Randle Turns in Law Badge After 3 Decades of Service.” Carroll County Comet. Link

                              • Paul, Joseph. “Fire Chief Resigns One Year After Fatal Flora Fire That Killed 4 Children.” Lafayette Journal & Courier, Nov 15, 2017. Link

                              • Gay, David. “Docs: Settlement Reached in Flora Arson Fire Civil Suit.” FOX59, Sept 14, 2023. Link

                              • Chapman, Sandra. “Product Liability Lawsuit Dismissed in Flora Fire Case.” WTHR 13 News, Jan 29, 2020 (updated Jan 31, 2020). Link

                              • Rose v. Birch Tree Holdings, LLC. United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Aug 22, 2022. Opinion. Link

                              • True Crime Garage. “The Flora Fire [Episode 538].” Posted Nov 26, 2021. YouTube Link

                              • “Camden Man Charged with Attempted Murder, Arson.” Logansport Pharos-Tribune, May 12, 1993. Newspaper Archive.

                              • Pharos-Tribune Coverage, Late 1992. Headlines include: “Camden Man Charged with Attempted Murder, Arson,” and notice of upcoming arson trial. Newspaper Archive.

                              • Bell, Amy. “Camden Man Charged With Attempted Murder, Arson.” Pharos-Tribune (Delphi, Indiana). Archival clipping from local print edition, circa Sept 1992. Accessed via Delphi Media Archives (Reddit).

                              • “Camden Man Charged With Arson.” Pharos-Tribune (Delphi, Indiana). Archival clipping from local print edition, June 1992. Accessed via Delphi Media Archives (Reddit).

                              • Bell, Amy. “Mistrial Declared in Arson Case.” Pharos-Tribune (Delphi, Indiana). Archival clipping from local print edition, early 1993. Accessed via Delphi Media Archives (Reddit).

                              • “Camden Fire Department Rebuilds After Arson.” Pharos-Tribune (Delphi, Indiana). Archival clipping from local print edition, 1992–1993 coverage. Accessed via Delphi Media Archives (Reddit).

                              • Indiana State Police Report. (Flora Fire investigation records, ISP file)

                              • Flora Police Report. (Initial incident report, Flora Police Department, Nov. 2016)

                              • Flora Arson Report. Todd Hetrick & Jeremy Lemon, Investigators. (ATF/Fire Marshal collaboration)

                              • Carroll County E911 Records. “E-911 Flora Volunteer Fire Dept. call logs (July 2017).”

                              • Indiana Public Access Counselor. Advisory Opinion 17-FC-134 (re: Flora Fire Department records request). July 20, 2017

                              • Carroll County E911 v. Hasnie. Amicus Brief of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press & 16 media organizations. Indiana Court of Appeals, Cause No. 19A-MI-2682

                              • FVFD Chief / Public Access Counselor. Advisory correspondence re: records access (2017).

                              • Federal Court Filing. USDC IN/ND Case No. 2:18-cv-00197-JTM, Document 196-28 (filed April 13, 2022).

                              • ISO (Insurance Services Office). Letter to Chief Bruce Dickey, Flora Fire Department, April 25, 2012. Community Mitigation Analyst Report — Public Protection Classification (PPC) Class 6 rating for Flora, IN.

                              • Britt, Luke H., Indiana Public Access Counselor. Formal Complaint No. 17-FC-167: Aishah Hasnie v. Carroll County E-911. Opinion issued July 2017. Found in APRA Suit E911 documents

                                56 min

                              About Crime To Burn

                              From the publisher's feed

                              A true crime podcast where we explore the dark sooty landscape of crimes involving fire including arson and criminal negligence. Join us as we explore what really happened in some of the most horrific…

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