Don't Blame The Mom

On May 9th 2021 the people of St John’s County, Florida were alerted to an ongoing search for a missing local teen.

Hopes for her safe return soon turned to horror, as it was revealed 13 year old vivacious cheerleader Tristyn Bailey had been found murdered in the woods. Tragically Tristyn had been the victim of a sustained attack & was brutally stabbed 114 times .

Not only was it an incomprehensible crime due to the fact someone so innocent had had their life snatched from them at such a young age.

But also because it soon transpired her vicious killer was himself also just a youth .

14 year old Aiden Fucci was quickly fingered as suspect number one after his suspicious version of events of that fateful night didn’t quite add up .

And not to mention the inappropriate posts he had made about Tristyn’s disappearance on his Snapchat account, which raised huge red flags with everyone involved in the case.

These social media posts even led to friends of his questioning could he infact have been the killer who committed this savage,brutal crime?

Today we look at how Tristyns tragic murder affected not only her family but also those working on her case.

And it has left us asking the uncomfortable question, how does one so young commit a crime that is so intrinsically heinous & evil?

This is episode 78,

Killer Teen: The Murder Of Tristyn Bailey

Crime talk timestamp: 7:55

Sources : Jacksonville.com, Wikipedia , independent.co.uk, NBC NEws, People.com, Reddit, The Tristyn Bailey Memorial Foundation

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Becoming an actor is a job that realistically most people can only dream about.

So to achieve success as an actor in Hollywood & land a role in a top TV show would be a huge opportunity for most .

Maybe even open doors that could lead to achieving long lasting fame & stardom.

One would think that would give you a great chance to have a successful, amazing life.

But sadly this is not always the case.

At least not for 28 year old American actor Johnny Lewis.

Because despite getting roles on popular American TV shows like ‘ The OC’ & cult favourite ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Johnny’s life soon turned from fame & stardom to strange, erratic behaviour.

Which ultimately spiralled into a brutal murder ….

When 81 year old Catherine Davis was found savagely murdered in her home in 2012, police didn’t need to look far for her killer.

Because Johnny’s broken body was also found nearby, leaving those that knew him & of him asking many questions that remain unanswered to this day .

How could someone on the precipice of huge stardom suddenly change so drastically?

Could a head injury have played a part in his eventual downfall and grizzly fate..?

And most importantly could Catherine’s tragic murder have been prevented?

Today we take a deep dive into the glittering universe of Hollywood & fame, & into the darker side of that life that the public can’t always see.

Leading us into the compelling topic of head injuries that seems to be prevalent in many cases of killers, & the traumatic effects these injuries can have on one’s psyche.

Maybe even in some extreme cases culminating in horrific murders like the one we discuss here today…

This is episode 77;

From Actor to killer: The Case Of Johnny Lewis

Crime talk timestamp: 10:21

Sources: LA Magazine-Billy Jenson/ Wikipedia/ Investigation discovery.com/ People.com/ Hollywoodreporter.com / deadline.com

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In the concluding part to our deep dive on ‘The Truck Stop Killer’ we pick up where sexual deviant Rhodes has finally been caught red-handed .

After being arrested after he was found in his truck with a shackled, naked & terrified woman investigators begin to look deep into his past .

And when they do it becomes clear that the victim rescued from inside his truck was not actually the only lucky survivor who had escaped his wicked clutches.

Investigators now believed that many victims before her had not been so lucky.

Terrifyingly they were faced with the reality that this predator had been on a decades long murderous rampage, using his job as a long haul truck driver to evade detection.

And they believed they now had an incredibly dangerous serial killer on their hands .

This hunch was only reinforced when hundreds of crime photos are discovered in his home , some of which lead to an unsolved murder case being blown wide open & finally solved .

Because in this man’s possession we’re not only whips, chains, and a torture kit containing many tools kept to chase utmost pain …

But also police found many harrowing, tragic photos that are now infamous in the true crime world.

These heartbreaking images captured the final moments of his 14 year old victim Regina Kay Walters whom he had kept alive for weeks so he could continuously terrorise & brutalise her.

A girl who, like so many victims before her , met a violent & tortuous end at the hands of this evil killer.

This case will leave you with the uncomfortable reality that in fact there may not just be many more victims who lost their lives at the hands of Rhodes… But also there very well may be many other killer truck drivers who haven’t been identified yet . And maybe they never will …

This is episode 76:

The Truck Stop Killer, Robert Ben Rhodes

Crime talk timestamp: 5:56

Sources: Wikipedia / FBI Files/ Thoughtcatalogue.com/ all that’s interesting.com/ Reddit

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On April 1st 1990 a state trooper in Arizona, America was doing his rounds as usual, when he came across a truck parked up along an interstate.

But, what he thought would be a standard check on the vehicle led to him stumbling upon a sexually, sadistic serial killer who had finally been caught in the middle of committing his heinous, torturous acts. Luckily he was stopped just moments before he killed his next victim.

Upon discovering a terrified, nude woman chained up inside & thus thankfully saving her life he arrested the perpetrator. This arrest led police to take a deep look into this long haul truckers past ….

It was then that they uncovered a long, violent history of sexual assualts & murders that had left sex workers & hitchhikers across America in mortal danger.

This incredibly methodical, dangerous predator is strongly suspected of torturing, raping & killing over 50 women between 1975 & 1990 .

In a murderous reign of terror that according to the killer Robert ben Rhodes himself had spanned at least 15 years .

Infact, the FBI has strong reason to believe that at his peak he was killing 1 to 3 women per month….

In today’s case we take a look back at a time when the very new phenomenon that was ‘serial killers’ was largely unknown .

A time where they were able to move more anonymously & freely amongst us, thus being able to avoid detection for years along the way .…

Killers that the likes of which we rarely see in modern times.

And today we are delving into one of the very worst, & one of the most deadly whom I believe isn’t mentioned enough in the vast annals of serial killer history ….

This is episode 75: ‘The Truck Stop Killer’

Robert Ben Rhodes Part 1

Crimetalk Timestamp: 10:30 mins

Sources : Wikipedia / fbi files / thought catalogue.com / allthat’s interesting.com/ thought catalogue.com/ Reddit

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On the 19th February 2015 Becky Watts’ stepmother said goodbye to the 16 year old girl as she left their home in Bristol, England.

Little did she know that besides Becky’s killers, she would be the last person to ever see her alive again.

Becky’s sudden disappearance hit the media fast with everyone searching for her & helping out in any way they could & hoping she would be found alive. But all hope was lost when police finally zoned in on her sexually deviant killers'.

When their identities were exposed it shocked people across the nation. Because Becky had been murdered & dismembered by her own stepbrother, 28 year old Nathan Matthews & his perverted 21 year old girlfriend Shauna Hoare .

Matthews & Hoare were convicted for Becky’s cruel murder but unbelievably Shauna Hoare has recently been released after serving only half of her sentence. Which raises the question, did she deserve another chance at life & be allowed to walk free after her significant role in Becky’s murder?

Or has there been a miscarriage of justice for Becky & her family who continue to miss & grieve her every day?

Today’s case shines light on the fact that you can’t always guarantee that you’re safe anywhere, not even in the safety of your own home. And sometimes not even around members of your own family….

This is episode 74: The Murder Of Becky Watts

Crime talk timestamp: 11:20 mins

Sources : the week.com/ Wikipedia/ the guardian.com/ newssky.com/ bbcnews/ YouTube

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It was November 2nd 2016 when 34 year-old mother of 2 Sherry Papini left her home in the town of Reading California to go for a jog. But when her husband returned home hours later, he finds that worryingly she had failed to pick up the children from school. He quickly raised the alarm when he realised his wife was nowhere to be found. Sherri’s disappearance sparked a nationwide search & blew up in the media with coverage about the missing mother becoming national news. Over 3 weeks went past, & hope turned to dread as no trace of Sherri could be found, leading people to believe the worst…. That was until Thanksgiving day, when suddenly a battered & bruised Sherri is found distraught, emaciated but still alive at the side of the road. After she divulges the awful details of what happened to her during her terrifying ordeal, police begin to realise that all was not quite as it seemed with this ‘all American girl next door.’ In fact, the horrific story of abuse & torture she claimed to have suffered at the hands of 2 female abductors sounds more & more suspicious. Leading police to believe Sherri had actually been fooling them all the entire time . It took 6 years of gruelling investigations to reveal the truth - that this normal house wife who’d been referred to as a super mom had woven an intricate web of lies & deceit. Faking her own kidnap, & injuring herself in the process for reasons that are still known only to her. Law enforcements painstaking investigations revealed her so called abduction had really just been one huge hoax & she had in fact masterminded her own disappearance. Today we look into the bizarre case of the girl that cried wolf, a case so strange that it shocked & baffled people across the world. And it also lead to compulsive liar Sherri becoming known as ‘the real life Gone Girl….’

This is episode 73: The Deception Of Sherri Papini.

Crime talk timestamp: 9:30 mins

Sources: Wikipedia/ cbsnews.com / foxnews.com/ Los Angeles Times/ The Hollywood Reporter/ Vanity Fair/ BBC News/Time Magazine

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This is the concluding part to the harrowing case of Josef Fritzl, & Austria’s most shocking crime. We find out how despite years of abuse Elizabeth Fritzl managed to escape the underground prison her father had held her in for so long. After 24 long years of being hidden away & held in captivity with her mother & family living unaware a few floors above, Elizabeth finds a way to take back her freedom after her eldest daughter became desperately ill. This unexpected turn of events consequently led to hospitals & law enforcement becoming involved. Once she realised she was really safe & free from her father’s grip Elizabeth bravely exposes the harrowing, hellish ordeal she had lived through for decades. At last she was finally free to expose her father Josef Fritzl for what he really was. An evil, calculating paedophile who had systematically raped, abused, & held her hostage in a secret underground chamber since she was a teenager, resulting in her giving birth to 6 of their children. Her bravery and resilience led to her father being sentenced for his wicked crimes & luckily receiving a sentence that has kept him locked up behind bars to this day . This is a case that when it hit the headlines was so unbelievable it sent shock & horror throughout the world & still remains one of the most infamous cases Austria has ever seen.

This is episode 72, The Shocking Case Of Josef Fritzl, Part 2….

Crime talk timestamp: 2:19 mins

Sources: Wikipedia / The Guardian.com/ All that’s interesting.com/ sky news/ bbc.co.uk

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In 2008 an unprecedented case involving kidnap, enslavement, imprisonment, incest & rape was revealed in the quiet town of Amstetten, Austria . A 42 year old woman named Elizabeth told police that she had been held captive for 24 years by her own father Josef Fritzl. She had been locked away in the dark, cramped cellar of a building from the age of 18, whilst paedofile Fritzl lived upstairs with his wife. After suffering years of deprivation & sexual abuse Elizabeth had given birth to 7 of her father’s children . When one child became desperately ill she was finally allowed to leave the cellar for the first time in her life to seek medical care. Her sudden appearance ultimately led to Elizabeth also escaping from the hellish prison & her freedom led to the unravelling of Fritzl’s twisted crimes. As Fritzl remains locked in prison to this day, we delve into a case that shows just how disturbed a man can be, even if he is your own flesh & blood. And how some predators really can lead a double life enabling them to successfully conceal the true monster that’s lurking inside . Thanks to Elizabeth’s stoicism & bravery she was able to shed light & raise the alarm on the true horrors her father had put her through. Admirably, despite the years of trauma she had experienced Elizabeth still managed to emerge back into the world as a true survivor ….

This is episode 71: The Shocking Case of Josef Fritzl…..

Crime talk timestamp: 7:52 mins

Sources: Wikipedia/ The Guardian/ allthat’sinteresting.com/ BBC.co.uk/ news.sky.com/ Reddit

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One of the things still loved by many kids nowadays is the excitement of being allowed to have a sleepover with your friends. It was always a fun opportunity to watch movies, overload on sugary snacks, stay up late laughing & gossiping. Nights like these were happy times for many of us as children, & when you look back as adults it gives you that warm feeling of nostalgia. But, what if one night your sleepover was suddenly interrupted by a knife wielding stranger dressed all in black . A dark form appearing in your bedroom in the middle of the night armed with a weapon, like a real life bogeyman . His intentions so dark & so evil that it’s like something straight out of a nightmare … Tragically, this is exactly what happened to bright, popular 12 year old school girl called Polly Klaas in October 1993. Her abduction from her bedroom that was witnessed by her friends led to one of the largest manhunts in the history of the FBI . When Polly was later found murdered, the horror of what she had suffered that night was so terrifying for the people of Petaluma, California, that it consequently ended up changing state laws . Laws that would help to prevent dangerous criminals like her killer Richard Allen Davis from being set free time & again, allowing them to reoffend. As Pollys legacy lives on & continues to raise awareness thanks to several foundations built in her honour, we delve in to what happened on that fateful night all those years ago. How Polly’s cruel murder finally set in motion the ‘three strikes law’, helping to prevent other children suffering from the same cruel fate that she had. And thanks to this change in law Polly’s memory was still helping to save lives years after her own untimely death …..

This is episode 70.... The Tragic Murder Of Polly Klaas

Crime talk timestamp: 13:22 mins

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This is the concluding part to our deep dive on millionaire heir turned killer Robert Durst. Just when you think his bizarre behaviour can’t get any more unbelievable Durst goes on the run , takes on an unconvincing disguise, before finally getting caught and tried for one of his suspected murders . And even though he manages to slip through the net once again and escape justice his ego and narcissism proves to be his downfall . A downfall of such epic proportions that this time he will not get away with his evil deeds . Durst was once and for all going to stand up in court as the calculating, evil killer that he really was . And no amount of money or power could help him this time …

This is episode 69: Power, Money & Murder - Robert Durst Part 2

Crime Talk Timestamp: 4:07 mins

Sources: The Jinx HBO documentary/ crimestory.com/ Wikipedia/ allthat’s interesting.com/ BBC News/ The Hollywood Reporter/ The New York Times/ The Telegraph/ USA Today

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