Cruel Tea

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Destined for Hollywood stardom, up and coming movie star, Rebecca Schaeffer felt as though she had to answer all her fans personally. Unfortunately, an obsessed fan took her tepid, polite response as personal and once he saw her in a movie with a love scene, he vowed to kill her. How was he able to get her home address? In 1989, after Rebecca's tragic murder, California started changing its privacy laws. Join us as we discuss this case

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Emmett  Till was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of threatening a white woman in her family's grocery store. All he did was whistle at her. Why did we feature this case? Because only a month ago President Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti Lynching Act. Inexcusable. TW/CW: This case is rough and contains explicit descriptions of Emmet's injuries in the words of his mother. 

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Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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There sure are a lot of tales of Cleopatra's seductiveness and ruthlessness. But are any of them true? And what's with everyone's obsession on whether she was hot or not? Join us as we explore some of the myths behind Cleopatra, Julius Cesar and Mark Antony. Probably one of Lillian's favorite episodes to date! 

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On September 5, 1982 paperboy Johnny Gosch is kidnapped. The police do virtually nothing in the case and Noreen (Johnny's mother) is frequently dismissed. She helps start a grass roots movement to get missing kids featured on milk cartons. But did this actually save any kidnapped children? And what's the strange conspiracy behind Johnny's disappearance? Join us as we explore this fascinating, tragic case.

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The Son of Sam is a famous killer who was also known as the 44 caliber killer in New York in the late seventies. But did he act alone? Willow discusses the vast conspiracy behind this fascinating case that brought on the Son of Sam Laws in 45 states where the perpetrator can't profit off the crime. 

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More links on Facebook tomorrow if you want to research this whole mess yourself! 

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In this Merris Monday we look into haunted dolls. Possessed by demons? Lying in wait at the foot of your bed ready to lick your eyeballs? Who knows! Join us as we look into the stories behind Annabelle and Robert the doll. They're pretty creepy! 

Again, we've run into some technical issues, so you'll notice the opening is missing from this episode. We were able to correct this for subsequent podcasts, but not this one unfortunately. Producer Will got a new laptop, but the shuffle between old desktop to new laptop messed up this episode. Other than the missing intro and outro, the audio is lovely! 

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12 year old Polly Klaas was having a sleepover on October 1, 1993 when a strange man broke into her room, kidnapped her and murdered her. Despite intense efforts to locate Polly safe and unharmed, Polly's body would be found 60 days later. Her killer had been in jail for kidnapping and sexual assault two previous times. This case prompted California to enact some of the toughest three strikes laws. But do these laws deter crime? Do they save kids? The answer is both shocking and disappointing. 

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A link to Klass Kids Foundation, founded by Marc Klaas, Polly's father https://klaaskids.org/

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In part two we cover the horrific murder of James Byrd Jr. He was an African American man walking home one night after a party when he was picked up by three men with ill intentions. They were white supremacists and looking to hurt a person of color. That's precisely what they did. They murdered James in the most brutal and horrific way imaginable. 

October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which amended federal hate crime law to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.

https://thebyrdfoundation.org/About-us/

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In this episode we cover the murder of Matthew Shephard in particular. Part two will cover James Byrd Jr. Both men were brutally murdered in hateful attacks. Their deaths were two of many that were clear hate crimes.  

October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which amended federal hate crime law to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.

Matthew's Father Speaks About the Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nmP-PM6tQs

Donate to the Matthew Shepard Foundation: https://www.matthewshepard.org/contribute/ways-to-give/#:~:text=Visit%20our%20Donate%20page%20to,7400%20x.

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In September of 2018, the Sunspot Observatory, which had been researching our sun for nearly 70 years, was raided by the FBI and shut down for nearly two weeks. Six additional solar observatories were shut down world wide. All without any explanation. When answers finally did come, the reason the FBI gave made NO sense. What didn't they want us to see? Join us as we explore this strange conspiracy. 

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