Evil Olive: A True Crime Podcast

The Jewel of the Forest, that is what Jasper, Texas is called. Located in East Texas, it is a place of community and beauty. Jasper is surrounded by pines and forests and has lakes and rivers. Looking online, it is easy to see why it is called the Jewel of the Forest for the pictures are breathtaking and show the wonder and beauty Jasper has to offer. Who could think something so awful could have in such a beautiful place?


Sources
King, Joyce. Hate Crime: The Story of a Dragging in Jasper, Texas. Anchor, 2011.

“Murder of James Byrd, Jr. | Crime, Trials, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/event/murder-of-James-Byrd-Jr. Accessed 13 Jan. 2022.

The Movie, Jasper, Texas

On June 1, 1921, the largest domestic terrorist act was committed in the United States in the Greenwood District of Oklahoma. Many have never heard of it and even the ones that have, haven't heard what happened to the Greenwood Community again 1971. Join us as we discuss the tragic events that unfolded in the Greenwood District. 

Sources

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/30/1000923192/3-documentaries-you-should-watch-about-the-tulsa-race-massacre

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tulsa-s-greenwood-neighborhood-found-prosperity-after-1921-massacre-then-n1268455

https://aaregistry.org/story/black-wall-street-a-brief-story/

https://www.oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/about-us/brief-oklahoma-rail-history/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/black-wall-streets-second-destruction-180977871/

https://www.travelok.com/article_page/around-the-block-tulsa-districts

https://www.southplattesentinel.com/2021/05/24/tulsa-race-riot-marks-its-centennial/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/17/tulsa-massacre-greenwood-black-wall-street-gentrification/

https://blog.obws.com/black-wall-street-100/

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/racemassacre/greenwood-district-land-ownership-has-evolved-in-the-last-century/article_4b868b4e-9725-11eb-b278-736cb90622d8.html

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/racemassacre/interstate-244-it-took-the-heart-out-of-greenwood/article_f61d48f4-ba7a-11eb-8e0e-67790e03b317.html

https://www.centerforpublicsecrets.org/post/the-nightmare-of-dreamland-by-lee-roy-chapman

In the state of Oregon, there is one case that continues to haunt police and investigators. It was one of the largest searches for a family ever conducted in the state and has been labeled the most bizarre case Oregon has ever seen.

Sources

StrangeOutdoors.com. (2021, July 11). The Cowden Family Massacre in Oregon. https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/true-crime-in-the-outdoors/the-cowden-family-massacre

Newsroom Staff. (2020, August 25). Unsolved So. Oregon: Mystery in the Woods Pt. 2. KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2. https://kobi5.com/news/unsolved-so-oregon-mystery-in-the-woods-pt-2-135405/

Blanco, J. I. (2021). Dwaine Little | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. Murderpedia. https://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/little-dwaine.htm

It was a scene out of movie. There was blood everywhere in the house that indicated a murder or murders had taken place, but there were no bodies. A mother lived in the house with her 2 children, but they were no where to be found. As investigators quickly started their search efforts and investigation, nothing could prepare them for how the case unfolded.

SOURCES

Hopper, J. (2011, February 10). Killer Stuffed His House With Leaves, Kept Kidnapped Girl on Bed of Leaves. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/killer-matthew-hoffman-stockpiled-leaves-ohio-home-made/story?id=12877942

lies, crimes & video season 3 episode 3

Listen to Rob and Sum discuss the cases from the month of November  (Weaver Family Saga/Episodes 5 & 6 and Shelly Knotek/Episodes 7 & 8). Enjoy!

Tune in for part 2 of the Shelly Knotek case and listen as her crimes, torture, and abuse unravel and catch up to her. 

Sources

Olsen, G. (2019). If You Tell. Thomas and Mercer.

Margaritoff, M. (2021, March 30). Shelly Knotek, The Serial Killer Mom Who Tortured Her Kids. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/shelly-knotek

A mother's love is something that we are born to know as a safe protecting. A mother is supposed to protect their child as it is a primal instinct to do so. However, for 3 children, they would never know their mother's love. Rather, they would only know abuse and torture. 

Sources

Olsen, G. (2019). If You Tell. Thomas and Mercer.

In episode 5/Part 1, you heard Ward Sr. and Ward Jr. In this episode, listen to the remainder of the Weaver family history that involves Ward the 3rd and his son Francis Weaver. It begs the question, is a killer born or are they made?

SOURCES

Oregonian/OregonLive, T. C. N. |. (2014, February 20). Murder suspect Francis Weaver’s family history spans four generations of violence. Oregonlive. https://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/2014/02/post_54.html

Kramer, A. (2002, August 26). Weaver's father buried body in yard in 1981. The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20020826&slug=dadgirls26.

Killer Family - The Weavers. (2016, February 22). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9jd9txQwLg

The Sad Story of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis. (2017, September 7). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRTm_kAerCg

Oregonian/OregonLive, T. C. N. |. (2014, February 20). Murder suspect Francis Weaver’s family history spans four generations of violence. Oregonlive. https://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/2014/02/post_54.html

BY JASON KOTOWSKI Californian staff writer [email protected]. (2016, September 7). Grandson of notorious Kern County killer arrested on suspicion of murder. The Bakersfield Californian. https://www.bakersfield.com/archives/grandson-of-notorious-kern-county-killer-arrested-on-suspicion-of-murder/article_9365c022-4fad-5a07-9f5e-178fd8a97191.html

FindLaw. (2001, August 20). FindLaw’s Supreme Court of California case and opinions. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-supreme-court/1071950.html

Is evil predetermined at birth or is it created through horrific experiences through a child’s youth? The answer to this centuries old question is rather convoluted and involves a labyrinth of theories. Many professionals believe that it is a combination of both. Or in other words, it is nature and nurture. However, one family puts this theory to the test. For 4 generations, a family comprised of murder, rape, and violence has doctors and professionals debating the nature vs. nurture theory. You decide!

Sources

Kramer, A. (2002, August 26). Weaver's father buried body in yard in 1981. The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20020826&slug=dadgirls26.

Killer Family - The Weavers. (2016, February 22). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9jd9txQwLg

The Sad Story of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis. (2017, September 7). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRTm_kAerCg

Oregonian/OregonLive, T. C. N. |. (2014, February 20). Murder suspect Francis Weaver’s family history spans four generations of violence. Oregonlive. https://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/2014/02/post_54.html

BY JASON KOTOWSKI Californian staff writer [email protected]. (2016, September 7). Grandson of notorious Kern County killer arrested on suspicion of murder. The Bakersfield Californian. https://www.bakersfield.com/archives/grandson-of-notorious-kern-county-killer-arrested-on-suspicion-of-murder/article_9365c022-4fad-5a07-9f5e-178fd8a97191.html

FindLaw. (2001, August 20). FindLaw’s Supreme Court of California case and opinions. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-supreme-court/1071950.html

Blanco, J. I. (2010). Ward Weaver | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. Murderpedia. https://murderpedia.org/male.W/w/weaver-ward.htm

Listen to your co-hosts discuss the episodes that were played throughout the month of October and their personal takes on the crimes that were committed. Enjoy some bad seeds with Chris and Rob in Evil Olive!