Dark and Devious

In honor of the Hispanic community in the US for Hispanic Heritage Month, this week we will be discussing the 1984 San Ysidro McDonald's mass shooting and the tragic story of innocent lives taken.

Mass shootings were not unheard of in 1984, but they were far from common.  Most incidents with multiple deaths with three or more victims were usually the result of family killings, street gang activity, organized crime wars, or in connection with a crime like robbery.  What happened at a San Ysidro, California McDonalds on July 18 of 1984 was something very different—the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history at that time.

In 1960s St. Paul, there were few nicer places to start a family than the Highland Park neighborhood. It was a peaceful community where neighbors still left their doors unlocked and children played in the streets. But on a snowy March day in 1963, all of that changed when a beloved homemaker, Carol Thompson, was brutally attacked in her own home. Her murder shook Minnesota to the core and the coverage shocked and fascinated the public as the details to a murderous plot began to unravel. Listen in and find out why many call this the "O.J. Simpson Case" of the 1960s.

Have you ever told a lie that just got way out of control? Like you had to keep upping the ante until the whole thing just blew up in your face? No? Well imagine you did. Now imagine your lie kept escalating to the point where people were literally committing human sacrifices and drinking blood. That absolutely occurred when a couple of fraudulent men in the 1960s hatched a devious plan that ended in the most nightmarish scenario you could ever think up. This lie eventually evolved into be a drug fueled, sex cult devoted to Magdalena Solis, aka The High Priestess of Blood.

The author Agatha Christie is one of the most recognizable names in literature across the world, known for such classic mysteries as "And Then There Were None" and "Murder on the Orient Express." But many people don't know that Mrs. Christie had a real life mystery of her own. In December of 1926, in the wake of her mother's death and marital problems, she disappeared. The vanishing became a sensational case across the world with newspapers hanging on every twist and turn of the investigation as if it were one of Christie's novels come to life. What really happened during her absence may never be known for sure, but we'll discuss several possibilities of how and why the famous novelist disappeared. 

During the 1910s and the 1920s the newly discovered element of radium made gleaming headlines across North America as the fresh face of beauty, and a wonder drug within the medical community. From body lotion, food products, makeup applications, tonic water, and glow in the dark watch dials; the popular new element shined bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.

Listen now for the infamous trial of the Radium Girls and the legal and historical outcomes that followed their heroic trails for justice.

It's a story of ambition, jealousy, and bad 90s mustaches; the story of Tonya Harding's triumphs and devastating fall from grace is a fascinating one. In the early 90s Tonya Harding had proved herself to be a powerhouse in competitive figure skating, but when it came to the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championship, Nancy Kerrigan stood in the way of the pursuit for first place. The day before the competition, Kerrigan was attacked after a practice in what became known as the "whack heard around the world." What would unravel from there is a strange conspiracy that would ultimately lead to Harding's undoing in the professional skating world.

The 1992 film Candyman is nothing short of a modern horror classic. A legendary ghost, wielding a hook as a murder weapon, comes through unsuspecting victim's mirrors after they repeat his name is quite the tale for a horror flick.  However, what seems to be be pure Hollywood entertainment actually has a real life backstory. With the new adaptation of Candyman coming soon in August 2021, we'll discuss the real life horror story of police negligence, overcrowded public housing, and murderers crawling in through the bathroom mirror. This is the real life story behind the movie Candyman: the murder of Ruthie Mae McCoy.

Everyone gets only one shot at their own last words. Sometimes they're brilliant, sometimes ironic, and other times funny. On this episode we explore the circumstances behind four different figures with totally different types of last words. Caligula's were outspoken and bold, Marie Antoinette's were polite, General John Sedgewick's were ironic, and mafioso Arnold Rothstein kept his mouth shut. Listen in and hear the tales behind these final moments and notable last words.

Paul Bernardo seemed like your average 'boy next door'. He was charming and good looking.  He and his wife, Karla Homolka, who was a blonde  bombshell, seemed like a regular couple pursuing the 'Dream'.  No one in their private lives expected the evil that was masked by their smiles. Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka were actually nicknamed the 'Ken and Barbie' Killers after they were found guilty of drugging, assaulting, and murdering numerous young women, including Karla's own sister, all while looking like an ideal couple. 

Harvey Phillip Spector was an American record producer, musician, and songwriter known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s and into the 1970s.  However, behind his fame boosting persona laid a dark side. A complicated and layered childhood upbringing influenced his broken and tumultuous relationships, and exacerbated his disturbing personal and professional incidents. His maniacal need for control and power came to a horrifying climax with the the murder of actress, Lana Clarkson in his own home.  From start to finish, the life of Phil Spector is an absolute roller coaster.