In the mid-1970s, San Mateo County, California was terrorized by the Gypsy Hill Murders—a string of brutal killings near Pacifica, Daly City, Millbrae, and South San Francisco. For decades, the crimes went unsolved.

Then in 1976, Michele Mitchell, a nursing student at the University of Nevada, Reno, was murdered in a case that also went cold. Decades later, DNA evidence revealed the shocking truth: both cases were tied to the same man—Rodney Halbower, the Gypsy Hill Serial Killer (aka the San Mateo Slasher)

In this episode of Reno Murders, we trace Halbower’s violent timeline—his prison escapes, attacks across states, and the breakthrough that finally brought justice. We also remember the victims, including Michele Mitchell, and ask the chilling question: how many more could there be?

References & Sources

CBS News (2018) – Gypsy Hill killer sentenced to life in prison
Coverage of Halbower’s California sentencing.
Read here

KTVU News (2018) – Life sentences in Gypsy Hill cold case murders
Trial verdict and sentencing highlights.
Read here

SFGate (2018) – Life in prison for Gypsy Hill murders
Local Bay Area coverage of the conviction.
Read here

San Mateo Daily Journal (2018) – Life in prison for Gypsy Hill murders
Local reporting on sentencing.
Read here

The Guardian (2015) – Oregon prisoner charged in 1976 murders after DNA link
First major coverage after DNA tied Halbower to Gypsy Hill.
Read here

Los Angeles Times (1986) – Two inmates escape Nevada prison by scaling walls, cutting fences
Contemporary reporting on Halbower’s second escape.
Read here

The Cinemaholic (2020) – Where is Rodney Halbower now?
Updated details on current incarceration.
Read here

ABC7 News (2018) – Accused Gypsy Hill killer speaks out from prison
Interview coverage during trial phase.
Read here

Spectrum Local News (2018) – Trial begins for Gypsy Hill serial killings
Trial coverage from opening statements.
Read here

KSL.com (2018) – Trial begins for Gypsy Hill serial killings
National reprint of trial coverage.
Read here

Disclaimer & Listener Warning
This podcast discusses sensitive and potentially disturbing topics, including murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. All information presented has been compiled from publicly available records, news reports, archival sources, and historical accounts. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, details may vary depending on source material.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help through your local crisis hotline or support services.

Support the Show
If you enjoy Deadly Truths, please rate, follow, and share the podcast. Your support helps bring these stories to more listeners and keeps us exploring the darkest chapters of history and true crime.

From Jane Doe to Justice: Reno’s Sheep’s Flat Mystery takes you inside one of Nevada’s most haunting cold cases. In 1982, the body of a woman was discovered near Sheep’s Flat outside Reno. For nearly four decades, she remained unidentified as “Jane Doe.” In 2019, forensic DNA technology finally revealed her name: Mary Silvani—and unmasked her killer, serial murderer James Richard Curry.

This true crime episode explores Mary’s story, the forensic genealogy breakthrough that solved her case, and the chilling details of Curry’s violent past. Listeners will get an inside look at Reno crime history, the role of DNA in solving cold cases, and the psychology of a serial killer who thought he’d escaped justice.

If you’re fascinated by true crime podcasts, Reno cold cases, unsolved murders, forensic genealogy, serial killers, and Nevada history, this episode delivers the details, the dark twists, and the breakthrough that finally brought justice.

References

Disclaimer & Listener Warning
This podcast discusses sensitive and potentially disturbing topics, including murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. All information presented has been compiled from publicly available records, news reports, archival sources, and historical accounts. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, details may vary depending on source material.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help through your local crisis hotline or support services.

Support the Show
If you enjoy Deadly Truths, please rate, follow, and share the podcast. Your support helps bring these stories to more listeners and keeps us exploring the darkest chapters of history and true crime.

In the early 1970s, stories spread of four mutilated bodies discovered in Robb Canyon, on the edge of Reno, Nevada. The victims were never identified, the case was never solved, and the mystery became one of Reno’s most chilling unsolved murder legends. Was this truly a brutal crime, or just a ghost story that grew into Nevada folklore?

In this bonus true crime episode, we explore the dark history of Robb Canyon—examining what was allegedly found, the unsettling atmosphere of the canyon itself, and the stories that connect it to Reno’s haunted past. We also confront the lingering question: did these murders really happen, or has Robb Canyon’s legend become one of Nevada’s most enduring ghost tales?

Reno Gazette-Journal (1970s–2000s). Local reporting and retrospectives on the Robb Canyon story and its place in Reno’s true crime lore.
https://www.rgj.com

Truckee Meadows Ghost Stories – The Robb Canyon Murders. Collection of local legends and accounts of the alleged 1970s murders.
https://hauntedreno.com

Reno Historical – Robb Canyon Folklore. Documentation of the canyon’s reputation as a haunted site and disputed crime scene.
https://renohistorical.org

Nevada Magazine – Haunted Nevada Features. Articles exploring the state’s unsolved murder legends and ghostly folklore, including Robb Canyon.
https://nevadamagazine.com

Paranormal Reno (local blogs and podcasts). Accounts of Robb Canyon as part of Nevada’s “Corridor of Death” folklore.

Charley Project – No official missing persons files match the Robb Canyon case, fueling debate over whether the murders occurred.
https://charleyproject.org

Disclaimer & Listener WarningThis podcast discusses sensitive and potentially disturbing topics, including murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. All information presented has been compiled from publicly available records, news reports, archival sources, and historical accounts. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, details may vary depending on source material.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help through your local crisis hotline or support services.

Support the Show
If you enjoy Deadly Truths, please rate, follow, and share the podcast. Your support helps bring these stories to more listeners and keeps us exploring the darkest chapters of history and true crime.

Murder in the Duplex: The Olympian’s Final Night on Yori Avenue

In March 1963, Reno was shaken by the brutal murder of Sonja McCaskie, a 27-year-old Olympic skier who had once represented Great Britain on the world stage. Inside her small duplex on Yori Avenue, police uncovered one of Nevada’s most shocking and gruesome true crime cases.

This episode of Reno Murders: Death in the Biggest Little City explores:

Sonja McCaskie’s death remains one of Reno’s darkest chapters — a haunting reminder of how quickly a city’s promise can be overshadowed by violence.

References & Further Reading

Nevada Supreme Court. State v. Bean, 81 Nev. 25 (1965).
Reno Evening Gazette (March–April 1963). Coverage of the McCaskie murder and trial.
Reno Gazette-Journal. Historic crime retrospectives on the Sonja McCaskie case.
Associated Press (1963). “British Olympian Murdered in Reno.”
Nevada State Journal (1963). Trial proceedings and sentencing of Thomas Lee Bean.
Clark County Library District – Special Collections. Nevada true crime archives.

Disclaimer & Listener Warning
This podcast discusses sensitive and potentially disturbing topics, including murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. All information presented has been compiled from publicly available records, news reports, archival sources, and historical accounts. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, details may vary depending on source material.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help through your local crisis hotline or support services.

Support the Show
If you enjoy Deadly Truths, please rate, follow, and share the podcast. Your support helps bring these stories to more listeners and keeps us exploring the darkest chapters of history and true crime.