We're finally back for 2025 and we're kicking off this new year with a Minnesota classic! In June of 1977, wealthy heiress, Elizabeth Congdon and her nurse, Velma Pietila were murdered in the iconic Glensheen Mansion on the shore of Lake Superior. The shocking murders became headline news and the truly devious plot became the stuff of local true crime legend.

The Villisca Ax Murders of June 1912 remain an enduring and unsettling enigma in American criminal history. In this quaint small Iowa town on a pleasant summer’s night, eight unsuspecting victims - including six children - were bludgeoned to death as they slept following a church service. Despite a nationwide manhunt, multiple suspects and two trials, the murder remains unsolved.

For those who call the USA home, Thanksgiving is a much beloved holiday and is enjoyed by being with friends and family as everyone enjoys a delicious meal together and makes memories. However, in the year 2009, Thanksgiving was a horror story for a family in Florida, who all had everything going for them, or so it had seemed.

Where we last left off, Jeremy Bamber appeared to be the clever, scheming relative that orchestrated his family's murder and was justly locked away in prison. However, in this episode, a lot of contradictory evidence comes to light and some of those around Jeremy had a vested interest in him taking the fall for the murders. Was Jeremy framed? Take a listen and decide for yourself.

On August 7, 1985, the well-to-do Bamber family of Tolleshunt D'Arcy in Essex, UK was found murdered in their family home. The only family member left alive was the son, Jeremy Bamber, who was left with the grief of losing his parents, his sister, and his two nephews. But in the period after the murders suspicion soon fell upon Jeremy. This is a classic case of not everything is as it appears.

The evening of October 29th, 2022, was supposed to be a fun night out in the bustling neighborhood of Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea. It was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that large crowds were allowed to gather again. More than 100,000 people flocked to Itaewon for Halloween parties and festivities. However, the fun night quickly turned to horror as a preventable tragedy unfolded, leaving hundreds dead.

Sources:

The Korean Herald

The Sun

New York times

Wikipedia

Rotten Mango Podcast

In the summer of 2000, Molly Bish, a 16-year-old lifeguard, disappeared from Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts on June 27, 2000. Her remains were found years later in the woods of Palmer, a few miles away from the pond. But who killed her, and why? The case remains unsolved, and no one has been charged with her murder. Listen now and make your own conclusions...

In April of 2014, two Dutch tourist and best friends, Kris Kremers and Lissane Froon, set out on a dream adventure in Panama. With the intention of volunteering with children and sightseeing in mind, the two were having the time of their lives. That is, until a fateful mountain hike ended in horror.

In 2017, 21-year-old Brooke Preston was murdered by her friend and roommate Randy Herman Jr. The police, public, and Herman himself all agree that he is the culprit. However, what is not agreed on is as to why Herman committed the crime. He claims it all occurred while he was sleepwalking. Listen now and decide for yourself if you believe this defense!

Ira Einhorn, the one-time hippie intellectual, is often credited as being one of the founders of Earth Day, but in this episode we discuss how that is false and that his true claim to fame is actually quite sinister. Einhorn, who once preached free love, murdered his ex-girlfriend Holly Maddux and then led investigators on an international manhunt. It's a story decades in the making, but luckily no one gave up on getting justice for Holly.