Dark and Devious

Nearly 60 years after her death, Marilyn Monroe still has one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, if not the world. The actress and model has been immortalized in artworks, song lyrics, iconic images, and limitless consumer goods. But the same image that made her popular saw her being dismissed by the serious actors and public figures she wanted to impress. She struggled to find lasting love and experienced many other personal tragedies and traumas throughout her life.  By understanding the tragic real-life story of Marilyn Monroe, it's clear to see that not every beaming smile is a signal of happiness. 

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

World War II was an era full of secret plots and top secret projects, so it's no wonder there are tons of stories of the unexplained or just plain weird associated with this time. This episode will touch on several devious, suspicious, and shocking events including an attempted assassination of General Charles de Gaulle, the unexplained death of Joseph Kennedy Jr, an abandoned ship in the Bermuda Triangle, and Ernest Hemingway's brush with death! 

Slender Man is a terrifying creature that lurks in the periphery as he looks to capture or kill his targets. Or at least, this is what two Wisconsin girls thought in mid-2014. Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser lured their friend, Payton Leutner into the woods with the intent to sacrifice her to Slender Man so they could live in his mythical mansion hidden away elsewhere in the state. What unfolded instead was an attempted murder that captivated the nation thanks to the connection to the supposed supernatural creature.

Before the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016 became the worst attack on the LGBT community, there was another disaster that had previously held that infamous place in history, and it had been kept largely quiet for 40-some years. In 1973, the New Orleans gay bar called the Up Stairs Lounge was set on fire, killing 32 people. As the month of June draws to a close, when many of us are celebrating LGBT Pride, let us remember the fallen and celebrate for those who no longer can.

In 2014, Jennifer Laude, a transgender woman from the Philippines, was on the verge of making a life for herself. She was engaged and she was well known for her beauty and her generosity toward her friends and family. But all of that came crashing down the night she encountered an American Marine at a bar in October of that year. Her death, and the following investigation and trial would not only draw attention to the epidemic of trans murders that occur worldwide, but also strain the careful and strategic relations between the Philippines and the United States. This story will remind you of the important message that Trans Lives Matter.

In the mid-2000s Bryan Kocis was building a gay porn empire from his home in quiet Dallas Township, Pennsylvania. His discovery and promotion of performer Brent Corrigan made his company, Cobra Video, a lot of money. But, wherever there is money to be made there are bound to be those that want a piece of the action. A legal battle over the name Brent Corrigan led to a series of events that would cause rivals in the adult film business to take on Kocis, and they weren't afraid to kill to get what they wanted.

June is LGBT Pride month and today we are looking at one of the most devastating attacks on the community of all time. In June of 2016, a man entered the celebrated Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida and murdered 49 patrons. The shooting serves as an important reminder of the progress that is still being fought for and the hearts that still need to be won. We hope you will listen with pride and honor the victims whose lives were taken before their time.

In 1970 the anti-war movement had plenty to rally against. Thousands of American troops were being killed and wounded in Vietnam and America's youth were often the ones paying the price. U.S. involvement in Vietnam had dominated foreign policy through most of the 1960s and when President Nixon announced an expansion of the theater of war to include Cambodia, many students at Kent State University were outraged. Campus protests were met with Ohio National Guard troops and on May 4th the clashes turned deadly. Four students were killed that day and nine others wounded. This is a story of the anti-war movement, including the story of one of the most famous photographs that defined the decade.

It seemed like an easy enough case; a young woman, partying a little too hard, drinks too much and ends up dead. But the case of Kenneka Jenkins has far too many unanswered questions to have such a simple explanation be the complete truth. The Dark and Devious Duo explore several of the theories that might explain the death of the 19-year-old woman who was found in the walk-in freezer of a hotel she had been partying in.

It sounds like something out of a thriller film; the public is held hostage by a killer who chooses his victims at random. In October of 2002 this was the terrifying reality for the people living in and around Washington, D.C. For the better part of a month, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo methodically killed and wounded everyday people going about their lives. As the number of victims rose, so did the sense of urgency, and only a massive, coordinated effort would put an end to the terror.