Dark Deeds

On February 4, 2010, Joseph and Summer McStay, as well as their two toddler sons, Joseph, Jr. and Gianni vanished from their home. Nine days after they went missing, it was reported to police, as people realized that they had not simply went on vacation. Joseph's vehicle was found left at the United States Mexico border, and the scene in their home looked as if they were taken in the middle of a normal day as popcorn had been spilled on the couch, and a carton of raw eggs had been left on the counter. The family's remains were finally found in a shallow grave in the desert on November 13, 2013 by a passing motorcyclist. It was determined that the family had died from blunt force trauma. Joseph's friend and business partner, Charles "Chase" Ray Merritt was arrested in November of 2014 when his DNA had been found in the family's vehicle. He had bludgeoned the family to death with a sledgehammer and buried them in the desert, all for financial gain as he had a gambling addiction. Chase Merritt was sentenced to death finally 10 years after the crime in January 2020.

Note: I'm not sure what was wrong with my microphone, but throughout the episode it would get crackly and I tried my best to re-record and edit the segments. :( Sorry!!

Sources :

Crime Museum. (2017). McStay Family. Retrieved from: https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/cold-cases/mcstay-family/

Figueroa, Teri. (2019, May 28). The missing McStay family: A timeline of the disappearance, investigation, discovery, and trial. Retrieved from: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/story/2019-05-28/the-missingmcstay-family-a-timeline-of-the-disappearance-investigation-discovery-and-trial

AP & Reuters. (2015, January 25). McStay home revealed what led police to believe they had been murdered. Retrieved from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2926153/Half-eaten-bowls-popcorn-couch-packed-suitcases-bedroom-Court-docs-reveal-scene-McStay-family-home-led-police-believe-d-kidnapped-murdered.html

Payne, Will. (2014, January 4). EXCLUSIVE: McStay family husband feared his wife was POISONING him before they disappeared and were found dead in desert, claims explosive new book. Retrieved from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2533474/EXCLUSIVE-McStay-family-husband-feared-wife-POISONING-disappeared-dead-desert-claims-explosive-new-book.html

Videos: Law & Crime: McStay Family Murder-Sentencing-Charles Merritt Gives His Statement and Sentencing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o81HVaKYhz8

Law & Crime: McStay Family Murder-Sentencing-Victim Impact Statements Continue, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5GC4UjU-Co&t=1785s

On October 1,1993, 12 year old Polly Klaas and two friends were excited to have a sleepover at Polly’s home where they would eat ice cream, try on Halloween Costumes, and play board games. The sleepover did not go as planned when at 10:30 PM, Polly went to get supplies for the party and came face to face with a bearded man standing in her doorway. He tied up the other two girls and took Polly away into the night. Her body was found 9 weeks after her kidnapping when the man who had been arrested in suspicion for her kidnapping confessed and told police where to find her. Her case was the first to ever be shared on the internet in 1993 and helped pave the way for Megan’s Law, Amber Alerts, and California’s Three Strikes Law.

Sources:

CBS News Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRmBd0DiH6Q

PollyKlaas.org. (NA). Polly's Story. Retrieved from: http://www.pollyklaas.org/about/pollys-story.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAhJTyBRAvEiwAln2qB31nTT20Eblqtza3_7-idbItz4ipazIQU4BYmrMY_qonP1utBNU7eRoCb_0QAvD_BwE

The Press Democrat. (2013, September 29). 20 Years Later, Petaluma remembers Polly Klaas. Retrieved from: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2218985-181/20-years-later-petaluma-remembers?sba=AAS

Associated Press. (1994, May 15). Slumber Party Excitement Turned to Terror, Girls Recall. Retrieved from: https://www.deseret.com/1994/5/15/19109038/slumber-party-excitement-turned-to-terror-girls-recall

Warren, Jennifer. (1994, May 12). Run-In With Klass Murder Suspect Recalled. Retrieved from: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-12-mn-56799-story.html

On October 24, 2019, the step-daughter of heavyweight UFC fighter, Walt Harris was reported missing. Aniah Haley Blanchard’s body was found 5 weeks after being reported missing and 3 men are being charged in her kidnapping and murder. The story is recent, so the men have not received official sentences as of right now.

Sources:

Robinson, Carol (2019, November 15). Lee County DA: Montgomery’s leniency allowed Ibraheem Yazeed to kidnap Aniah Blanchard. Retrieved from: https://www.al.com/news/montgomery/2019/11/lee-county-da-montgomerys-leniency-allowed-ibraheem-yazeed-to-kidnap-aniah-blanchard.html

Robinson, Carol. (2019, November 27). Aniah Blanchard’s body identified; case now a homicide investigation. Retrieved from: https://www.al.com/news/2019/11/remains-identified-as-aniah-blanchard-auburn-police-say.html

Charles, Safiya. (2019, November 14). Aniah Blanchard’s family still hears the voice and laughter of their ‘baby girl’. Retrieved from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/11/14/aniah-blanchard-update-family-stories-missing-auburn-teen/2563965001/

Fiscus, Kirsten. (2019, December 4). Aniah Blanchard fought back and ‘went for the gun’ according to court records. Retrieved from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/12/04/aniah-blanchard-fought-back-ibraheem-yazeed-kidnapping-murder-capital-missing-auburn-teen/2591999001/

Globe intel. (2019, October 31). Who is Aniah Blanchard? Missing step-daughter of heavyweight fighter Walt Harris. Retrieved from: https://globintel.com/usa/walt-harris-stepdaughter-aniah-blanchard-bio-wiki-age/

NBC News. (2019, November 2). Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcCwxwoeugw&t=38s

Conrad Henri Roy III committed suicide on July 12, 2014 by carbon monoxide poisoning after parking his truck at a Kmart parking lot and placing a gas powered water pump in the back, turning it on, and rolling up his windows. His girlfriend, Michelle Carter had been assisting him in researching the best method to do it, encouraging him to just do it already, and told him to re-enter his truck when he became scared. This episode delves into the troubled minds of both parties involved, and this is a perfect example of how fragile life really is.

Sources:

Liam. (2019, August 1). Michelle Carter Biography. Retrieved from: https://gossipgist.com/michelle-carter

ABC 20/20. Can Words Kill? Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/JCN2vrE_UK4

Breggin, Peter M.D. (NA). Michelle Carter Blog Series and Archive. Retrieved from: https://breggin.com/the-michelle-carter-case-archive/

Liam. (2019, August 1). Conrad Roy Biography. Retrieved from: https://gossipgist.com/conrad-roy

Truesdell, Jeff. (2020, January 23). Michelle Carter is Out of Prison After Manslaughter Conviction in Suicide-by-Text Case. Retrieved from: https://people.com/crime/michelle-carter-suicide-text-case-leave-prison/

Video links:

Court Trial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBxaUvGypF0

Conrad's Video Journal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHRsTpUbOms

Madalyn Murray O' Hair was a controversial "celebrity" throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. She was the founder of the American Atheists Organization, responsible for getting mandatory prayer removed from schools, and deemed "The Most Hated Woman in America". On August 27, 1995, her and her granddaughter, Robin Murray, and son, Jon Garth Murray suddenly vanished, a note found on their office stating: "The Murray O’ Hair family has been called out of town on an emergency basis. We do not know how long we will be gone at the time of writing this memo.” Many thought the family had fled the country, since they were severely hated, but some knew better and feared foul play. The police in Texas sensed no foul play and refused to take on the case, but a reporter, John MacCormick did not give up and soon, everything was brought to the surface.

Sources:

Bartlette, Delani ( 2020? January 13). The Mysterious Disappearance and Grisly Murder of Madalyn Murray O’ Hair. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/@delanirbartlette/the-mysterious-disappearance-and-grisly-murder-of-madalyn-murray-ohair-6465c9f9d6ce

The Full Wiki. (NA). Madalyn Murray O’ Hair. Retrieved from: http://www.thefullwiki.org/Madalyn_Murray_O%27Hair

DeLong, William. (2018, October 31). Madalyn Murray O’ Hair: The Founder of the American Atheists Who Was Gruesomely Murdered. Retrieved from: https://allthatsinteresting.com/madalyn-murray-ohair-most-hated-woman-in-america

Real Life Villains Fandom. (NA). David Waters. Retrieved from: https://real-life-villains.fandom.com/wiki/David_Waters

Phil Donahue Debate (1970): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ3cYR37dA4

On July 23, 2007 in Cheshire, Connecticut, two friends who met in a halfway house during drug rehabilitation classes, Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Joseph Hayes, entered the home of the Petit family. They beat Dr. Petit over the head with a baseball bat and tied him to a pipe in the basement, claiming no one else was going to get hurt and they only wanted money.... This would turn out to be the worst lie Dr. Petit had ever heard when the rest of his family is brutally slain in the burglary.

The True Crime Times. (2019, November 4). The Petit Family Nightmare. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/the-true-crime-times/the-cheshire-murders-innocence-lost-1e4bec712e09

Talk Murder With Me. (2019, May 1). The Cheshire Home Invasion Murders. Retrieved from: https://www.talkmurderwithme.com/blog/2019/5/1/cheshire-home-invasion-murders

Beach, Randall. (2011, November 8). Psychologist: Komisarjevsky repeatedly raped as a small child. Retrieved from: https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Psychologist-Komisarjevsky-repeatedly-raped-as-12066755.php

Homeschooling's Invisible Children. (NA). Joshua Komisarjevsky. Retrieved from: https://hsinvisiblechildren.org/when-homeschoolers-turn-violent/joshua-komisarjevsky/

Davis, Matt. (2017, January 20). How a childhood of sex abuse turned this man into a killer on death row. Retrieved from: https://www.lifedeathprizes.com/real-life-crime/demons-drove-boy-murder-33767

Kovner, Josh. (2011, October 26). Komisarjevsky's Father: 'A Miracle Baby,' Satanic Activities.' Retrieved from: https://www.courant.com/community/cheshire/hc-xpm-2011-10-26-hc-komisarjevsky-penalty2-1027-20111026-story.html

Thomason, Rick. (2011, December 12). Was Komisarjevsky's fate scripted from the moment he was born?. Retrieved from: https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Was-Komisarjevsky-s-fate-scripted-from-the-moment-12073202.php

New Haven Register. (2013, September 7). Steven Hayes Death Row: 'I just snapped' at scene of Cheshire Home Invasion. Retrieved from: https://www.nhregister.com/connecticut/article/Steven-Hayes-from-Death-Row-I-just-snapped-11397437.php

Murderpedia. (NA). Steven Joseph Hayes. Retrieved from: https://murderpedia.org/male.H/h/hayes-steven.htm

Vigdor, Neil. (2019, October 31). Connecticut Home Invasion Convict is Undergoing Gender Transition in Prison. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/steven-hayes-cheshire-transgender.html

Intro and Outro Music created by: Kevin Macleod. Song title: Dark Walk

Robert Berdella, Jr. is a notorious serial killer whose reign of terror spanned the mid and late 1980's in which he raped, tortured, and murdered men in their 20s using extreme methods of torture in an attempt to make the men slaves who were submissive to him. He is known by his nicknames the Kansas City Butcher, The Collecter (based on a movie he loved), and even Bizarre Bob Berdella (named for his shop "Bob's Bizarre Bazaar). Police were able to end his years of crime when his final victim jumped two stories out a window in Robert's home, surviving and alerting authorities. No bodies of his victims were ever found.

Sources:

The Famous People. (NA). Robert Berdella Biography. Retrieved from: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/robert-berdella-40913.php

BobBerdella.com. (NA). Biography. Retrieved from: http://www.bobberdella.com/biography/

Paoletti, Gabe. (2017, December 1). Robert Berdella: The Heinous Crimes of Robert Berdella- The Kansas City Butcher. Retrieved from: https://allthatsinteresting.com/robert-berdella

Murderpedia. (NA). Robert A. Berdella. Retrieved from: https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/berdella-robert.htm

On October 12, 1984, Angela "Angie" Marie Samota was a vibrant, outgoing, and beautiful 20 year old college student obtaining her degree in computer science and electrical engineering, something women did not typically study at this time, when police found her sexually assaulted and slain in her condo near campus after a night of partying with two friends. Her case went cold and was solved 24 years later due to the perseverance of her friend, Sheila after a supernatural occurrence. Her killer is not who was expected.

**I decided to make this episode a mini episode, as the holidays have had me very busy, and I've come down with a nasty cold. :( **

Sources:

Crime and capital punishment. (NA). Donald Andrew Bess, Jr. Retrieved from: http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/showthread.php?1373-Donald-Andrew-Bess-Jr-Texas-Death-Row&__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=6d6af29fb10227c29e95c296479623875d9341ed-1577644067-0-Adl_wIdhl8iCJCiVKSTG5QLdVDoMEOMJlFAFidi3c43OBOp3P3Hr_RaIga7KWDjy2PD0A5HJwVEY6TEKae2sI2W1wcFMiJh_Bmr3VPd9qZKOb26Icb1eW-jThn3v4ZFxQr8LeDC9vZYKJjRazG3iGQ5L-0ogdbMOB6Fi6Whsh1cy9SBFknZsNeXzkhPLi7F7QbOfMGSgIRiLDL5C4TeCVaeqjtxrEbuR2Hlo-p-GYA3DTmD7pJbXHyxGQOQx6DwyCJlKw_i7lGpIh_cFDuEhbvcsbMoNKmQnro4DPTTMbNZVZUTNYIjfDWxMtZGg53jurhpyST89oTOSma7GOa3FGqIG0UvJsq7J93e_hwYI1UiX

Texas Department of Criminal Justice. (NA). Death Row Information. Retrieved from: https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/dr_info/bessdonald.html

Life Daily. (NA). Ghostly Encounter Haunts Stay-at-Home-Mom Into Digging Up 20- year old cold case. Retrieved from: http://www.lifedaily.com/story/ghostly-encounter-haunts-stay-at-home-mom-into-digging-up-20-year-old-cold-case/

BBC News. (2018, June 26). My Best Friend’s Killer Got Away-until I made police try again. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-44470377

Mauro, Cody. (NA). Stay-at-Home-Mom solves a 20 year old Murder Case After a Ghostly Encounter. Retrieved from: https://boredomtherapy.com/ghost-helps-woman-solve-murder/

Wynn, Christopher. (2017, October 15). From the archives: Architect suspected of SMU sorority student’s murder cleared in surprise twist. Retrieved from: https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/2017/10/15/from-the-archives-architect-suspected-of-smu-sorority-student-s-murder-cleared-in-surprise-twist/

Join me as I tell the story of Lawrence Singleton, an evil, sadistic old man fueled by alcohol whose crimes earned him the nickname "The Mad Chopper." The justice system failed his first victim, allowing him to again commit a disgusting act against a woman in 1997. It is widely known he had a hatred for women, and his story proves just that.

Resources:

Panic Among Us. (NA). Mary Vincent: The Girl Who Lived. Retrieved from: https://www.panicamongus.com/stories/2018/12/21/mary-vincent

FindLaw. Singleton V. State. Retrieved from: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/fl-supreme-court/1489214.html

Criminally Intrigued. (2019, May 25). The Case of Lawrence Singleton. Retrieved from: https://www.criminallyintrigued.com/blog/2019/5/25/4saplz025u1n01gduvyyll0zhf2svx

Allan, Laura. (NA) The Amazing Survival Story of Mary Vincent. Retrieved from: https://www.ranker.com/list/mary-vincent-lawrence-singleton-case/laura-allan

Thompson, Emily. (2018, January 2). Left For Dead-Mary Vincent. Retrieved from: https://morbidology.com/left-for-dead-mary-vincent/

Taylor, Michael (2002, January 1). Lawrence Singleton, despised rapist, dies/ He chopped off teenager’s arms in 1978. Retrieved from: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Lawrence-Singleton-despised-rapist-dies-He-2886703.php

Rewind. (NA). They Found Her Walking Along a Quiet Road, Badly Injured. Her Horrifying Story will Anguish You. Retrieved from: https://rewind.topix.com/article/20556