The movie Candyman had many inspirations. It’s believed that one of them was the murder of a woman named Ruthie Mae McCoy - a middle aged lady who lived alone in a unit in Grace Abbott Apartments, the most dangerous building within the dilapidated ABLA housing projects. Ruthie Mae was very close to moving out of her apartment, because she was not doing well living there. She had become very isolated because she was so scared to leave since crime was rampant in the complex. Unfortunately, an architectural quirk in the building allowed for people looking to rob apartments to access them via their medicine cabinet. The medicine cabinets could be removed to reveal a tunnel that lead to the medicine cabinet next door, or sometimes the medicine cabinets on the floor above or below. The night of the murder Ruthie Mae heard the robbers breaking in and she ran to the phone. She told the dispatcher her address and then told them “they’re breaking in through the bathroom.” The dispatcher was confused what she meant by that but he understood enough to ask her to confirm that her apartment was being broken into, which she did. Instead of reporting the crime as a break-in, the dispatcher reported it as a disturbance - which was the first of many mistakes made by the people who were supposed to protect Ruthie Mae. Each mistake added up to culminate in no justice for Ruthie Mae, but her legacy lives on as her story has been told by many people in relation to the movie Candyman. She has been remembered as a tenacious woman who took care of those around her and cared deeply about others, even when she was struggling. 

Sources:

“ABLA Homes.” Wikipedia, 15 Oct. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABLA_Homes. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.

Bogira, Steve. “Cause of Death.” Chicago Reader, 12 July 1990, chicagoreader.com/news-politics/cause-of-death/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.

---. “They Came in through the Bathroom Mirror.” Chicago Reader, 3 Sept. 1987, chicagoreader.com/news-politics/they-came-in-through-the-bathroom-mirror/.

“Candyman (1992 Film).” Wikipedia, 26 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candyman_(1992_film).

“Life and Death in the Projects | the Murder of Ruthie Mae McCoy.” Https://Thekillerqueenblog.com/Ruthie-Mae-Mccoy/, 25 July 2023, thekillerqueenblog.com/ruthie-mae-mccoy/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.

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Thank you so much for being patient with us! I'm so sorry for our unintentional break. We have been moving, and it has taken up all of our time. We should be able to get back on our regular schedule now!

Long-haul trucker, Devin Williams, left for his route from Kansas to California like usual. He was very familiar with it since he had done it so many times. He made it to California with no problems and picked up a load to drop off on his way back. But he never made it home. Instead, the responsible and diligent trucker ended up deep in the Tonto National Forest with his gigantic 18-wheeler, for no explainable reason. He was seen exhibiting incredibly strange and dangerous behavior. And then he disappeared.

Since we recorded this episode before we started moving, we talk about some old updates on the Ruby Franke case at the end of the pod - I just don't want anyone to be confused about it. I kept it in the episode in case people who haven't kept up with the case wanted to hear the older updates. Again, thank you all so much for being patient with us the past few weeks! We love and value you all.

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On this episode we discuss the inspiration behind the movie “The Afflicted." 

Theresa Knorr was a newly single mother of six children who began severely abusing the five children who still lived with her. She isolated her kids and refused to let them go to school, allowing her horrendous abuse to go unseen. She focused the majority of her rage on her two oldest daughters because she was jealous of them. Over a span of years Theresa murdered them both after subjecting them to long periods of extreme abuse, starvation, and torture. She made her other kids help her abuse their siblings by threatening to kill them if they didn’t. As the surviving siblings got older, one of them was on a quest for justice. They advocated for their murdered siblings for years before anyone in a position to help would actually listen. 

Sources:

Juan Ignacio Blanco. “Theresa Knorr | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers.” Murderpedia.org, 2010, murderpedia.org/female.K/k/knorr-theresa.htm.

“Lodi News-Sentinel - Google News Archive Search.” News.google.com, 9 Nov. 1993, news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19931108&id=45QzAAAAIBAJ&pg=6036. Accessed 16 Sept. 2023.

Neale, Eleanor. “The Most Evil Mother in America.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSd-81xpmC8. Accessed 16 Sept. 2023.

Paddock, richard C. “The Berkshire Eagle 15 Nov 1993, Page 3.” Newspapers.com, 15 Nov. 1993, www.newspapers.com/image/534025897/?terms=Theresa%20knorr&match=1. Accessed 16 Sept. 2023.

“The Afflicted (Film).” Wikipedia, 26 Apr. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Afflicted_(film). Accessed 16 Sept. 2023.

“Theresa Knorr.” Wikipedia, 8 Sept. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_Knorr#Arrests. Accessed 16 Sept. 2023.

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Cindy James, a recently-divorced nurse from British Columbia, begins living alone for the first time in her adult life. About a month into her new living situation she begins receiving terrifying calls. The caller starts leaving notes for Cindy, on her car or at her house and his behavior escalates quickly. He vandalizes her property, breaks into her house, and physically attacks her several times. During the physical attacks, the stalker usually strangles Cindy with black nylon stockings by tying them tightly around her neck before leaving. Cindy seeks help from The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but they are unable to find evidence that can lead them to the stalker. They look very closely into her ex-husband, Dr. Roy Makepeace, but there's not enough evidence to suggest it's him. Eventually, the RCMP suspect Cindy is the one responsible for her torment. Her case becomes even more confusing when she goes missing, eight years after the stalking begins. She is found dead in the yard of an abandoned home, hog-tied with black nylon stockings tied around her neck and a hole I'm her arm suggesting she had been injected with something. Despite a lengthy coroner's inquest, there is no definitive answer to what happened to Cindy James.

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Sources:

Hall, Neal. “Cindy’s Torment.” The Vancouver Sun, 31 Dec. 1990, p. 6, www.newspapers.com/article/77616793/ore-from-neal-halls-book/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

Hall, neal. “Disappearance Still a Mystery.” The Vancouver Sun, 6 June 1989, p. 60, www.newspapers.com/article/53189650/vancouver-sun890606/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

Harlowe, Stephanie. “Cindy James- Part 2: UNDER SIEGE.” Www.youtube.com, 21 Aug. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_1YIe9Z51k. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

---. “Cindy James: Part 1- the Night Stalker.” Www.youtube.com, 21 Aug. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo5R6W6KXRE. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

Horwood, Holly. The Strange Death. Of Cindy James. 11 Mar. 1990, p. 24, www.newspapers.com/image/502469238/?clipping_id=90573385&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjUwMjQ2OTIzOCwiaWF0IjoxNjkzMTY5MzAwLCJleHAiOjE2OTMyNTU3MDB9.ZhRd3WuAWVAoYIUu4fmFRM06-Zu7ROYD-9_6qn86zJk&terms=Thormanby&match=1. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

macQueen, Ken. “The Strange Case of Cindy James: Was It a Case of Murder or Suicide?” The Kingston Whig-Standard, 1 Mar. 1990, p. Page 32, www.newspapers.com/article/111953308/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

“The Mysterious Death of Cindy James.” Unsolved Mysteries, 19 June 2023, unsolved.com/gallery/cindy-james/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

thethreepennyguignol. ““Under Siege”: The Troubled Life and Debated Death of Cindy James.” The Cutprice Guignol, 18 June 2023, thethreepennyguignol.com/2023/06/18/under-siege-the-troubled-life-and-debated-death-of-cindy-james/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

Trimingham, Alayna. “Crime Scenes: Blaming the Victim.” The McHenry Messenger, 12 Mar. 2021, themchenrymessenger.com/crime-scenes-cindy-james/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

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In 2000 a Polish man named Dariusz Janiszewski was kidnapped, starved, tortured, and murdered. The case quickly went cold and the murderer, Kristin Bala, almost got away with it... until he published a book about it, titled Amok. Bala changed many details in the book, but the similarities seemed too obscure to be merely coincidence. Using the book as a roadmap to murder, investigators were able to unravel his motive and piece together the inner-workings of his mind. He was a self-centered, egotistical man who wanted to control everyone around him and he ultimately let his hubris get the best of him.

Sources:

Grann, David. “A Postmodern Murder Mystery.” The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2008,

www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/02/11/true-crime.

“Krystian Bala | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers.” Murderpedia.org, murderpedia.org/male.B/b/bala-krystian.htm#:~:text=Krystian%20Bala%20(born%201973)%20is. Accessed 24 Aug. 2023.

“Murder, He Wrote: Polish Author Convicted.” NBC News, 6 Sept. 2007, www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna20611732. Accessed 24 Aug. 2023.

Traynor, ian. “Polish Author Jailed over Killing He Used as Plot.” The Guardian, 6 Sept. 2007, www.theguardian.com/world/2007/sep/06/books.booksnews.

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Sometimes life imitates dark art, leading to dire consequences. We discuss two cases of men who perpetrated crimes that imitated scenes from movies and tv shows. The first story is about a case that resembled a scene from Kill Bill Vol. II and the second is about a man who became obsessed with acting out a scene from Breaking Bad. Both cases were instances of domestic violence. They share many similarities, but they also differ in many ways. We discuss the cases, investigations, and all of the factors surrounding each case.

If you or someone you know are suffering from domestic violence, you can call the national domestic violence hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "start" to 88788.

Sources:

Higgins, dave. “Shallow Grave Man Marcin Kasprzak Found Guilty of Murder.” The Independent, 19 Dec. 2011,

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/shallow-grave-man-marcin-kasprzak-found-guilty-of-murder-6279277.html. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

Hill, Kip. “Hart Pleads Guilty to Murder in Acid Slaying | the Spokesman-Review.” Www.spokesman.com, 29 Sept. 2014,

www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/sep/29/hart-pleads-guilty-murder-acid-slaying/. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

Humphrey, Jeff. “Hart Gets 14 Years for Girlfriend’s Killing.” KXLY Kxly.com, 1 Nov. 2014, www.kxly.com/news/local-news/spokane/hart-gets-14-years-for-girlfriend-s-killing/article_63c5164d-f258-50a8-84e5-0a18c049d851.html. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

“Jason Hart | Copycat Killers | S2E03.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8lEWHwvxEs. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

“Marcin Kasprzak | Copycat Killers | S2E20.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YdRIxbrUl0. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

“Marcin Kasprzak, Who Buried Girlfriend, in Explosives Sentencing.” BBC News, 18 Dec. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-20769623. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

Moaba, Alex. ““Breaking Bad” Murder: Jason Hart Accused of Using Walter White’s Acid Technique to Dispose of Body.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 27 June 2013, www.huffpost.com/entry/breaking-bad-murder_n_3511285.

News, A. B. C. “Buried Alive Fiance Gets 20 Years in Prison.” ABC News, 12 Jan. 2012, abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/01/buried-alive-fiance-gets-20-years-in-prison. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

Robinson, Andrew. “The “Monstrous” Meat Factory Worker Who Buried Girlfriend Alive in Woods.” YorkshireLive, 6 June 2021,

www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/monstrous-meat-factory-worker-who-20745630. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

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This week we discuss a lesser known cult that brutally tortured, sexually assaulted, and killed some of it's own members. Lead by a man named Michael Ryan, the group was a white supremacist doomsday cult that stockpiled tons of property that they stole from farms throughout the midwest. Michael convinced the group that he was possessed by the Archangel Michael and that he had a direct line to God (who they referred to as Yahweh). He begins to claim that Yahweh wants the group to participate in horrifying torture, sexual assault, and murder causing things to quickly spin out of control. We cover everything from the formation of the cult through to the consequences of their actions.

Sources:

“Hate Group Expert Daniel Levitas Discusses Posse Comitatus, Christian Identity Movement and More.” Southern Poverty Law Center, 15 June 1998, www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/1998/hate-group-expert-daniel-levitas-discusses-posse-comitatus-christian-identity-movement-and.

“Killers of Rulo.” Deadly Cults, created by Matt Pizzano, season 1, episode three, Oxygen, 2019.

Nelson, robert. ““Flush Him down the Toilet” | Omaha Magazine.” 

Www.omahamagazine.com, 26 May 2015, www.omahamagazine.com/2015/05/26/303437/-flush-him-down-the-toilet-. Accessed 8 Aug. 2023.

Smith, Benjamin H. “What Is the Yahweh Cult? A Sordid Tale of Slavery, Torture, Sodomy and Murder among Farmers in Nebraska.” Oxygen Official Site, 24 Feb. 2019, www.oxygen.com/deadly-cults/crime-time/yahweh-nebraska-farmers-cults-slavery-torture-sodomy-murder.

“State v. Ryan.” Justia Law, 11 Aug. 1989, law.justia.com/cases/nebraska/supreme-court/1989/946-0.html. Accessed 8 Aug. 2023.

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Folie à deux, french for "madness of two," is a condition where two or more people share the same delusions. The phenomenon usually occurs between people who are very close to one another, like tight-knit families or siblings. The Taiwanese movie Incantation is supposedly inspired by a family, the Wu family, who experienced folie à deux. They believed they were all possessed by different deities and they began acting in really strange and dangerous ways to free themselves from the possessions. This culminated in the family being put on trial for domestic abuse after one of the adult children died from starvation (her autopsy revealed that the only thing she had in her stomach was feces, because the family was feeding their feces to one another). Since there weren't a lot of sources about the Wu family in English, we also talk about two other cases of folie à deux in order to gain a better understanding of how the condition affects families.

Sources:

Works Cited

“Based on a True Story, the Case in the Horror Film Incantation Is Still a Mystery to This Day.” Indonesia Posts English, indonesia.postsen.com/live-style/95267/Based-on-a-true-story-the-case-in-the-horror-film-Incantation-is-still-a-mystery-to-this-day.html.

“Daughter Riana Tromp Speaks out about That Bizarre Family Road Trip.” Marie Claire, 16 May 2017, www.marieclaire.com.au/tromp-daughter-of-bizarre-family-road-trip-speaks-out. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023.

Dziemianowicz, joe. ““It Looked like a Mummy”: Idaho Man Lived with Decomposing Remains of His Wife and Daughter for Years.” Oxygen Official Site, 18 Sept. 2021, www.oxygen.com/accident-suicide-or-murder/crime-news/david-kaneko-lived-in-idaho-with-familys-mummified-bodies. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023.

Griffith, Beth. “Beth Griffith on TikTok.” TikTok, 30 May 2023, www.tiktok.com/@thebethgriffith/video/7238974788591439147?lang=en. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023. Parts 1-13.

“Idaho Man Who Lived with Mummified Bodies of Wife, Daughter Denied Request to Clear Name.” Associated Press, 20 Mar. 2015, www.foxnews.com/us/idaho-man-who-lived-with-mummified-bodies-of-wife-daughter-denied-request-to-clear-name. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023.

Illustrious-bed5587. "The real life gruesome story that inspired Taiwan film incantation (2022) (trigger warning)." Reddit, 07/22/2023, https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/156mp2l/the_real_life_gruesome_story_that_inspired_taiwan/ 

Jepsen, Belinda. “In 2016, the Tromp Family Fled Their Home and Drove 800km North. We Still Don’t Know Why.” Mamamia, Mamamia, 17 July 2019, www.mamamia.com.au/tromp-family/.

“Man Who Let Wife, Daughter Die Sentenced | the Spokesman-Review.” Www.spokesman.com, www.spokesman.com/stories/2007/aug/22/man-who-let-wife-daughter-die-sentenced/. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023.

Rodriguez, Matt. “The Bizarre Tromp Family Road Trip.” Medium, 7 Oct. 2021, medium.com/@matt1199/the-bizarre-tromp-family-road-trip-8268896e0c27. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023.

“Tromp Family: The Mystery of a Tech-Free Road Trip Gone Wrong.” BBC News, 7 Sept. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37293494.

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After John Powell's death in Drake Hospital, they send his body off for an autopsy. The law in Ohio at the time mandated autopsies for anyone who died from an accident. They thought that John had died from complications related to a motorcycle accident, but the medical examiner realized that was not the case as soon as he opened his stomach. He detected a bitter almond smell, prompting him to run extra tests to see if John had been poisoned with cyanide. After test results validated the doctor's theory, he passed the case on to detectives. By the time they finish their investigation, they realize they are dealing with one of America's most prolific serial killers.

Note: Instead of focusing on a piece of art inspired by the case, we discussed a memoir written by John Powell's daughter. The book is called "Met the End," and I will link it below.

https://www.amazon.com/Met-End-investigation-daughters-herself/dp/B0BMDPJ63J

NEW EMAIL: [email protected]

Sources:

"Donald Harvey." Wikipedia, 10 Sept. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Harvey.

"Donald Harvey Pt. 1." Open.spotify.com, 22 Sept. 2021, open.spotify.com/episode/3rRtBCiiknmtNBjjNZ8EkA. Accessed 26 July 2023.

Holly Brians Ragusa. Met the End. 7 Mar. 2023.

Juan Ignacio Blanco. "Donald Harvey | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers." Murderpedia.org, 2020, murderpedia.org/male.H/h/harvey-donald.htm.

murden, Alastair James, et al. Medical Murders. Parcast, July 21AD, disc Donald Harvey Pt. 2. Accessed 25 July 2023.

Murden, Alastair james, et al. Donald Harvey Part 1. parcast, Sept. 2021.

Scott, Jason. ""He Just Liked Killing": Donald Harvey Convicted of 37 Murders." Https://Www.fox19.com, 23 Sept. 2019, www.fox19.com/2019/09/24/he-just-liked-killing-donald-harvey-convicted-murders/.

tudor. "Serial Killer: Donald Harvey (the Painkiller)." Www.youtube.com, July 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=stB3fjlei6o. Accessed 25 July 2023.

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