He walked into quiet shops off America’s interstate… and killed in under ninety seconds.
Between 1992 and 1994, the unidentified I-70 Serial Killer murdered clerks in Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, and beyond — striking in broad daylight, vanishing onto the interstate within minutes, and leaving one of the most chilling cold cases in American history.

In this episode, we break down:
• The confirmed victims across the I-70 corridor
• Why Kansas City became part of his hunting ground
• Behavioral profile and why he killed so efficiently
• The ballistic links, witness sketches, and investigative gaps
• Possible connected murders across the Midwest
• How he disappeared — and why he was never caught

If you want the truth behind the I-70 Serial Killer — the victims, the patterns, and the investigation failures — this deep-dive is for you.

👉 Listen to the full episode and follow Deadly Truths for more unsolved American cases.
👉 Share this episode so the victims are never forgotten.

• FBI VICAP public alerts
• Kansas City Star archives
• Indianapolis Star reporting
• St. Charles Police archival statements
• Missouri Highway Patrol bulletins (1992–1994)
• Unsolved Midwest Highway Murders case files
• Public interviews with former detectives and profilers

This episode discusses real criminal cases and historical violence. No graphic descriptions are included. All information is based on publicly available records, reputable journalism, and law-enforcement reports. Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. This content is intended for education, analysis, and historical documentation.

This is Deadly Truths with Becca.
Today we’re going straight into one of the most disturbing cases in Kansas City history — a predator who hid in plain sight, manipulated the vulnerable, and turned an unassuming neighborhood house into a torture chamber. This episode breaks down who Bob Berdella really was, how he blended into KC’s flea-market culture, how he selected victims, and the methods he documented in chilling detail.

We cover his early life, the Art Institute years, the expulsions, the escalation into cruelty, and the double life he maintained behind the façade of a “helpful” shop owner. We dig into the first known victim, the turning point from grooming to abduction, and everything that came cascading after. Finally, we dissect the interrogation, the plea deal, the public reaction, his prison years, and what surfaced long after he died.

This is a hard story, but the victims deserve to be named, remembered, and humanized — not reduced to Berdella’s notes.

If this episode resonates with you, follow, rate, and share Deadly Truths on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. It keeps these stories alive and helps bring visibility to crimes that targeted some of the most vulnerable people in Kansas City.
VICTIM & SURVIVOR RESOURCES

• National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• RAINN (Sexual Assault Hotline): 1-800-656-HOPE
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
• Kansas City Anti-Violence Project: Local LGBTQ+ survivor support
DISCLAIMER

This podcast discusses real criminal cases, sometimes including violence, trauma, or sensitive themes. Listener discretion is strongly advised. The intent is educational, historical, and victim-focused. All information is sourced from public records, news archives, and historical documentation.

Primary Sources & Archival Material

• Kansas City Police Department Case Files (1984–1988)
Details from the investigation, evidence logs, interrogation transcripts, and charging documents.

• Jackson County Court Records – State of Missouri v. Robert A. Berdella
Plea deal filings, sentencing documents, psychiatric evaluations, official statements.

• Missouri Department of Corrections Records (1988–1992)
Prison intake, institutional notes, discipline logs, death report.

• The Kansas City Star Archives (1980s–1990s)
Original reporting on disappearances, the arrest, the public reaction, and the aftermath.

• Associated Press Wire Reports (1988–1992)
Contemporaneous national coverage during the case and post-arrest updates.

The Kansas City Two Trunks Murder is one of the Midwest’s most chilling forgotten cases—a woman dismembered, packed into two cheaply made trunks, and shipped through Union Depot in the 1890s. This is not the Kentucky trunk murder. This is Kansas City’s own nightmare, buried in the archives and nearly erased by time.

In this episode, we uncover the victim’s life, the killer hiding in the same boarding house, and the investigation that chased him across the rail lines.
None of the shock. All of the truth.

If this story matters to you, push the show forward. Follow, rate, and share on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and Amazon Music. It keeps these cases alive and tells the algorithm to spread the truth.

DISCLAIMER

This episode is based on historical newspaper reports, municipal archives, and surviving investigative records. Some 19th-century case materials are incomplete or lost; no speculation is presented as fact. All sensitive content has been handled with respect for the victim.

RESOURCES

Primary sources and research for this episode include:

• Kansas City regional newspapers (1890s)

• Municipal boarding-house records and rail-shipping documentation

• Missouri historical crime archives and case summaries

• Contemporary analyses of 19th-century trunk murders and victimology

All research and narration © 2025 Deadly Truths Media.

The truth isn’t dead. It’s just being forged in the murder factory.

On June 17, 1933, a burst of gunfire outside Union Station changed American law enforcement forever. The Kansas City Massacre wasn’t just a botched prisoner transfer — it was a deadly collision of mobsters, machine guns, and corruption that exposed how unprepared the FBI truly was.

In this episode of Deadly Truths, we break down the ambush minute-by-minute: the gunmen, the escape attempt, the political cover-ups, and how four men died on the concrete before the sun even came up. We dive into the myths, the suspects, and the violent criminal network operating across the Midwest during the Public Enemy era.

Follow, rate, and share to help keep these forgotten histories alive. New episodes every week.

📚 Resources & References

• FBI archival summaries on the Kansas City Massacre

• Kansas City Star historical reporting (1933–2024)

• DOJ/BOI case files and transcripts

• National Archives: Union Station photographs & incident reports

• Contemporary analyses of the Dillinger/Barrow era

  
  

  ⚠️ Disclaimer

  This episode contains discussion of violence, murder, and historical trauma. Listener discretion is advised. All research is based on publicly available records, historical reporting, and archival materials. This podcast is for educational and storytelling purposes only.

Jesse James didn’t die in a gunfight or on horseback.
He died unarmed, dusting a picture frame in a rented house while the Ford brothers aimed a pistol at the back of his head.

This premiere episode of Season 5: Kansas City’s Darkest Crimes — Heartland Homicide cuts through the Hollywood myth and exposes the real Jesse James: a violent outlaw, a master manipulator of the press, and a man trapped by the legend he created.

We break down his early years as a Confederate guerrilla, the real crimes of the James–Younger Gang, the collapse of his network, and the final moments that led to one of the most infamous back-shootings in American history.

Next week:
The Union Station Massacre (1933) — the machine-gun ambush that turned Kansas City into a national crime headline.

If you’re enjoying the show, don’t forget to follow, rate, and share Deadly Truths. Your support pushes these stories forward and keeps the history alive.

📚 RESOURCES & SOURCES

• Missouri State Historical Society Archives

• St. Joseph Public Records (1882)

• The Ford Brothers Trial Transcripts

• Kansas City Star Historical Crime Files

• “Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War” – T.J. Stiles

• Library of Congress: Western Outlaw Newspaper Collections

  ⚠️ DISCLAIMER

  This podcast discusses historical violence, murder, and criminal activity. All research is based on documented historical records, public archives, and verified sources. Some details may be graphic or disturbing for listeners.
  Listener discretion is advised.

Between 2013 and 2016, the quiet bourbon town of Bardstown, Kentucky became the center of one of America’s most disturbing clusters of unsolved cases. A police officer ambushed. A mother and teenage daughter brutally murdered. A young mother of five who vanished without a trace. And the father who was shot and killed while searching for her.

In this season finale, we break down every major case:
• Officer Jason Ellis (2013) — executed on the Bluegrass Parkway
• Kathy & Samantha Netherland (2014) — a staged and brutal double homicide
• Crystal Rogers (2015) — missing mother of five
• Tommy Ballard (2016) — killed during the search for his daughter

These cases reshaped Bardstown, fueled theories of corruption and organized crime, and ultimately led to a massive FBI takeover that continues today. This episode lays out the timelines, connections, suspects, failures, and the long shadow these tragedies still cast over the community.

This is Bardstown — the town that became a crime scene.

Sources: Court documents, FBI press statements, Nelson County Sheriff’s Office records, archived reporting from WHAS11, WDRB, the Louisville Courier-Journal, and community witness accounts.

If you’ve followed the Kentucky season, thank you. Your support has pushed this show to new heights — 500+ podcast downloads, 42k TikTok views, 600+ followers, and 97k YouTube views with more than 180 subscribers. Follow, rate, and share Deadly Truths to help keep these stories alive and support future seasons.

DISCLAIMER

This episode contains discussions of real violence, murder, and ongoing unsolved cases. Listener discretion is advised.

Twelve-year-old Shanda Sharer thought she was sneaking out to see a friend. Instead, she was walking straight into one of the most brutal and disturbing crimes in American history.

In this episode, we break down the real story behind the 1992 murder of Shanda Sharer—jealousy, manipulation, group psychology, and a night of escalating violence led by four teenage girls who crossed every line of humanity. From the abduction to the torture, the fire, the aftermath, and the shocking decisions made in court, this is the full, unfiltered truth of a case that still haunts Indiana and Kentucky today.

This episode examines the warning signs, the failures, the psychological dynamics, and the hard human cost left behind. Shanda’s life mattered. Her legacy matters. And this case forces us to confront how quickly cruelty can grow when no one intervenes.

Sources: Court transcripts, victim impact statements, police reports, archived local coverage from the Louisville Courier-Journal and Indianapolis Star, and Indiana Department of Corrections sentencing records.

If this episode resonated with you, follow, rate, and share Deadly Truths on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. It helps keep these cases visible and honors the victims who can no longer speak for themselves.

Disclaimer: This episode contains detailed descriptions of violence involving minors. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

The Bluegrass Conspiracy is one of the wildest true-crime stories to ever come out of Kentucky — a sprawling network of corrupt cops, wealthy insiders, drug-running pilots, political protection, and a smuggling pipeline that stretched from Lexington to Colombia. At the center of it all was former narcotics officer Andrew Thornton II, a man who went from badge to trafficker, flying low-altitude cocaine runs through the Appalachian mountains… until he fell out of the sky wearing night-vision goggles, a bulletproof vest, and a Gucci bag full of cocaine.

His death was only the beginning.
As investigators traced his final flight, they uncovered parachute drops, missing millions, and a string of corrupted institutions that didn’t want this story told. And when a black bear in Georgia stumbled onto one of Thornton’s lost duffel bags — consuming nearly 70 pounds of pure cocaine — it exposed just how chaotic the entire operation truly was.

This episode walks through the deep corruption, the drug routes, the DEA failures, the criminal network, the Cocaine Bear autopsy, and the lingering secrets still buried under Kentucky’s Bluegrass.

If you’ve ever wondered how one of the strangest cases in American crime history unfolded — this is the truth behind the headlines.📢 FOLLOW, RATE & SHARE

If you found this story compelling, follow, rate, and share Deadly Truths on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. Your support keeps these forgotten histories alive — and pushes the algorithm to bring these stories to more listeners who want the truth behind America’s darkest legends.📚 RESOURCES

• The Bluegrass Conspiracy by Sally Denton
• The Crimes of Andrew Thornton II – regional investigative articles
• Kentucky Historical Society crime archives

News & Archival Sources:
• Lexington Herald-Leader (1970s–1980s crime reporting)
• Louisville Courier-Journal investigative series
• Associated Press coverage of Thornton’s death
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation autopsy statements on the “Cocaine Bear”

Government & Legal Documentation:
• DEA reports on Appalachian smuggling corridors
• Federal court filings tied to Bluegrass Conspiracy indictments
• FAA incident records related to aircraft linked to Thornton
• Kentucky court records (publicly available summaries)⚠️ DISCLAIMER

This episode contains discussions of violence, drug trafficking, corruption, and historically documented criminal cases. Listener discretion is advised.
All information presented here is based on publicly accessible records, investigative journalism, and historical archives. While great care is taken to ensure accuracy, variations in historical accounts may exist.

Deadly Truths is written and produced independently.
This content is for educational and storytelling purposes only.

Marion Miley was one of the brightest stars in American golf — a 25-year-old prodigy with national titles, international attention, and a future the sports world was already predicting. But in the early hours of September 28th, 1941, everything ended in a violent burst of gunfire inside the Lexington Country Club.

In this episode, we uncover the full story:
• Marion’s rise as one of golf’s most promising female athletes
• Her final night inside the clubhouse apartment
• The break-in by three desperate men
• The chaotic gunfight that left Marion dead and her mother critically injured
• The massive Kentucky manhunt
• The confessions, trials, and executions
• The legacy Marion left behind in the world of sports and the Bluegrass

Kentucky remembers this crime for a reason — the brutality, the shock, the loss, and the way the entire state fought to bring justice to a young woman who deserved far better.

Follow Deadly Turths on Spotify and YouTube for more true-crime stories buried in the Kentucky Bluegrass.

Primary Newspaper Sources (1941–1943):
• Lexington Herald-Leader archives
• Louisville Courier-Journal reporting on the investigation & trials
• The Cincinnati Enquirer crime coverage
• Associated Press wire reports following the murder and executions

Historical & Legal Sources:
• Kentucky Court Records, Fayette County (trial transcripts & sentencing summaries)
• Kentucky Department of Corrections execution logs
• Lexington Country Club historical documentation
• “Marion Miley: A Kentucky Legend” – regional sports history articles
• Women’s Amateur Golf Association archival notes

Secondary Sports & Historical Analyses:
• Sports history features on early women golfers
• Local Kentucky historical society publications
• University of Kentucky Special Collections (regional crime & sports history)

This episode contains discussions of violence, homicide, and historical criminal cases. Listener discretion is strongly advised. All information in this episode is based on publicly available records, historical archives, and verified reporting from the time of the events. While every effort has been made to present accurate details, some elements of historical cases may vary between sources.

This podcast is for educational and storytelling purposes only. It does not sensationalize tragedy, and it is not intended as legal advice, investigative direction, or commentary on any ongoing cases.

Kentucky has seen violence, but nothing like what hit Rowan County in the 1880s.
This wasn’t a feud — it was a war.

In this episode, we uncover the brutal story of The Rowan County War, a three-year bloodbath that turned the quiet town of Morehead into a battlefield. What began as a political dispute exploded into public executions, ambushes, burned homes, and open-street shootouts, all led by the ruthless Craig Tolliver and his armed clan.

You’ll hear how a single Election Day killing lit the fuse… how Sheriff James Hogg’s daylight murder pushed the governor to deploy the Kentucky State Guard… and how the final, violent siege at the American Hotel ended one of the deadliest family conflicts in Kentucky history.

This is a story of power, revenge, and a town held hostage by fear.

This is Kentucky’s bloodiest feud.
This is Deadly Truths.

Follow, Rate & Share

If this episode pulled you in, do one quick thing to support the show:

Follow, rate, and share Deadly Truths on:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube

• Amazon Music

Your support keeps these forgotten American stories alive — and helps new listeners find the show.

Resources & References

Primary Historical Sources

• The Kentucky State Guard Reports, 1885–1888

• Rowan County Courthouse Documents & Inquest Records

• Official Correspondence of Governor J. Proctor Knott

• Contemporary newspaper coverage:

  • The Louisville Courier-Journal

  • The Lexington Herald

  • The Cincinnati Enquirer

• Eyewitness accounts preserved in the Kentucky Historical Society Archives

Secondary Sources / Research

• Collins, Lewis. History of Kentucky, Vol. II.

• Caudill, Harry. Night Comes to the Cumberlands.

• Brown, H.C. The Rowan County War.

• Kentucky Humanities: “The Tolliver-Martin Feud”

• Morehead State University Special Collections on the Rowan County Feud

  
  

  Disclaimer

  This episode of Deadly Truths is for educational, historical, and documentary purposes only.
  All events are presented based on recorded history, archival research, and publicly available documents.
  Descriptions of violence and historical events are not intended to sensationalize but to accurately portray the brutality of the era.
  All opinions expressed are my own.