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Show Notes: Maury Troy Travis, born on October 25, 1965, in St. Louis, Missouri, was an American serial killer who terrorized the St. Louis area from 2000 to 2002. His life took a dark turn early on, as he began engaging in criminal activities, including robbing shoe stores, and developed a crack habit after dropping out of college. Travis's criminal acts escalated to heinous murders, with him transforming his home into a torture chamber where he would lure, rape, and murder several women, capturing these atrocious acts on video.

Travis claimed to have murdered 17 women in a letter, but authorities were skeptical about this number, with some believing it could be as high as 20. His victims were primarily African American women who were addicted to drugs and involved in prostitution, a choice possibly aiming to exploit their vulnerabilities and societal invisibility.

The breakthrough in the case came when Travis sent an anonymous letter and a map to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which led to his arrest on June 7, 2002. Investigators discovered a torture chamber in his house, along with instruments of torture, a stun gun, newspaper clippings of his crimes, and most disturbingly, videotapes showing him murdering and torturing his victims.

Before he could be tried for his crimes, Travis died by suicide on June 10, 2002, in his jail cell at the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton, Missouri. He left behind a chilling legacy that continues to horrify and fascinate the public, with his story being covered in various media including episodes of "Forensic Files", "Cold Case Files", and podcasts like "Last Podcast on the Left"

The horror of Travis's actions is compounded by the posthumous discovery of his deeds by the unsuspecting tenant of his former home, leading to further publicized trauma and a grim reminder of the lasting impact of such brutal crimes

Travel Notes: St. Louis

Must Sees: Gateway Arch: https://www.nps.gov/jeff/index.htm

Cathedral Basilica: https://cathedralstl.org/about-basilica/our-history

Statue of the Naked Truth: https://racstl.org/public-art/the-naked-truth/

Food: 

Broadway Oyster Bar: https://www.broadwayoysterbar.com/

Lona’s Lil Eats: https://lonaslileats.com/

Balkan Treat box: https://www.balkantreatbox.com/

Tattoos: 

Tattoo the Lou: https://www.tattootheloustudio.com/artists

Artists: Bowser: @bowser_tattoos

Drinks: 

The Grove: https://www.thegrovestl.com/

Venice Cafe: https://www.thevenicecafe.com/

Plantars House: https://www.plantershousestl.com/

Music: 

Venue: Old Rock House: https://oldrockhouse.com/

Aaron kamm and the One Drops: https://www.aaronkammonedrops.com/

Wes Hoffman: @wesleyhoffman 

Sources: https://fox2now.com/news/true-crime/serial-killer-maury-travis-the-street-walker-strangler/

https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/average-american-has-visited-just-12-states

https://youtu.be/XnyHfkr5QMc?si=QRZRBH3bCdFUUjbz

https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder#two

https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/serial-killer-myths

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/hunting-humans-encyclopedia-modern-serial-killers#:~:text=Seventy%2Dfour%20percent%20of%20the,and%202.5%20percent%20were%20Hispanic.

https://ccjls.scholasticahq.com/article/11134-media-messages-surrounding-missing-women-and-girls-the-missing-white-woman-syndrome-and-other-factors-that-influence-newsworthiness/attachment/27402.pdf