In 1930s Texas, Joe Ball was just another bootlegger-turned-barkeep—until the women around him started disappearing. With a backyard alligator pit, a string of missing waitresses, and a pistol always close at hand, Joe’s story blurs the line between fact and folklore. Step into the shadowy legend of the Alligator Man.

Source Materials

Joe Ball: The Butcher of Elmendorf — Introduction — Crime Library

Chilling story about the man known as “The Butcher of Elmendorf”

Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf – Texas Monthly

Suspected local serial killer who may have fed his victims to alligators killed himself 83 years ago

CRIME HUNTER: Bootlegger Joe Ball fed women to gators | Toronto Sun

In April 1836, 23-year-old courtesan Helen Jewett was found murdered in a New York City brothel. The prime suspect, Richard P. Robinson, was acquitted despite strong evidence. The case became a media sensation, highlighting the power of press coverage and exposing harsh 19th-century societal realities.

Source Materials

https://allthatsinteresting.com/helen-jewett

https://www.thoughtco.com/murder-of-helen-jewett-1773772

https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/classics/helen_jewett/

https://www.grunge.com/1009628/the-murder-of-helen-jewett-americas-first-tabloid-murder-trial/

https://reader.library.cornell.edu/docviewer/digital?id=sat3207#mode/1up

https://www.murderbygaslight.com/2009/10/girl-in-green.html

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/c/cohen-jewett.html

On February 4, 1880, the quiet town of Biddulph, Ontario, erupted into chaos as a mob set fire to a farmhouse,slaughtering the notorious Donnelly family in a brutal act of frontier justice. In this episode, we uncover the truth behind one of Canada’s most infamous true crime cases—a tale of feuds, vengeance, and a massacre that still haunts history.

Source Materials:

https://www.thoroldtoday.ca/local-news/donnellys-legend-lives-on-in-thorold-1226182

https://www.donnellymuseum.com/history

https://www.wanderlustcanadian.com/post/canadian folklore-black-donnellys

https://www.torontoghosts.org/index.php/the-province-of-ontario/south-western/313-lucan-the-donnelly-homestead-?showall=1

https://canadianmysteries.ca/sites/donnellys/prelude/settlingin/indexen.html

In 1927, 12-year-old Marion Parker was kidnapped in Los Angeles by William Edward Hickman, who demanded ransom from her father. But even after he was paid, Hickman had no intention of letting her go. This shocking case gripped the nation and changed the way kidnappings were investigated.

Source Materials:

Fiend Captured at Echo, Or; Jailed; Confesses, Report". Albany Democrat-Herald. December 22, 1927. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020.

What Marion Parker's Ransom Note Really SaidGirl's Grisly Killing Had City Residents Up in Arms - Los Angeles Times

How Marion Parker Murder Case Inspired 'Perry Mason' | Crime News

HICKMAN HANGED AS HE COLLAPSES; Loses Nerve as He Pays the Penalty for the Murder of Marian Parker. TELLS GUARD OF CRIME Youth Declares He Was Not Grazy --Would Have Killed Best Friend to Gain Ends. - The New York Times

The brutal 1969 murder of 22-year-old Betsy Aardsma inside Penn State’s Library remains unsolved over 50 years later. With no witnesses, few clues, and a crime scene wiped clean, investigators were left with more questions than answers. Who killed Betsy, and why?

Source Materials:

The Unsolved: Betsy Aardsma – The Morbid Library

Unsolved murder of Penn State student Betsy Aardsma haunts community 52 years after she was stabbed in library stacks

Mystery over Thanksgiving murder of Betsy Aardsma who was stabbed to death in porn aisle of Penn State library | The US Sun

The oldest cold case from every state

The Murder of Betsy Aardsma at Penn State – Crime and Coffee Couple

Betsy Aardsma Murder: Mystery Still Surrounds Death Of Penn State Student | Crime News

Betsy Aardsma: Unsolved Penn State Library Murder - Historic Mysteries

A charming Hungarian bachelor lured women through lonely hearts ads—then made them disappear. When authorities uncovered his gruesome secret, Kiss had already vanished. Sightings spanned decades and continents, but he was nevercaught. Did he fake his death? Was he hiding in plain sight? Join us as we unravel the chilling mystery of Bela Kiss, the elusive murderer who slipped through history’s fingers.

Source Materials:

The Terrifying Story of Bela Kiss, Hungary’s Most Murderous Bachelor

The Crimes of Bela Kiss — The Tinsmith Cometh — Crime Library

Kiss of Death: The Bloody Case of Béla Kiss

The Bizarre But True Story Of Béla Kiss, Hungary's "Vampire" Serial Killer

Not Quite Human? Bela Kiss, The Hungarian Vampire - Historic Mysteries

A tragic love affair ends in murder at Big Moose Lake. The case of Chester Gillette and Grace Brown inspired one of America’s greatest novels, An American Tragedy, and multiple film adaptations. But what really happened that fateful night? Dive into the true story behind the fiction.

SourceMaterials:

https://www.adirondack.net/history/grace-brown/

https://mail.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/classics/chester_gillette/9.html

https://crimereads.com/chester-gillette-theodore-dreiser-and-the-origins-of-americas-fascination-with-true-crime/

https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/environment/2008/01/13/the-diary-chester-gillette/44882987007/

When billionaire gold magnate Sir Harry Oakes was foundmurdered in his Bahamas estate in 1943, the crime shocked the world. With ties to high society, organized crime, and political power, his brutal death remains one of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

Source Materials:

Unraveling The Mysterious Death of Sir Harry Oakes in the Bahamas - DuJour

Fortune's End: The Mysterious Murder of Sir Harry Oakes — Discovery — Crime Library

The Unsolved Murder Of Sir Harry Oakes

The Dramatic Death of Harry Oakes: A Millionaire’s Murder Unsolved

Cold case murder: Who killed rich Palm Beacher 75 years ago?

The cold case murder of Sir Harry Oakes | Letters to the Editor | thenassauguardian.com

Great unsolved crimes: The ex-King, the conman and a millionaire's murder | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

On Christmas Eve 1945, a fire destroyed the Sodder home, and five children went missing. No remains were found, sparking suspicions of kidnapping. Despite years of investigations and mysterious clues, the case remains unsolved, haunting the family and the public to this day.

Source Materials

What Happened to the Sodder Children, the Siblings Who Went Up in Smoke in a West Virginia House Fire? | Smithsonian

The Chilling Story Of The Sodder Children Who Went Up InSmoke

Missing Sodder Children in West Virginia – Legends of America

The mystery of the vanished Sodder children has never been solved, but the cold case has haunted this small townfor decades - ABC News

Mystery of Missing Children HauntsW.Va. Town : NPR

Sodder children disappearance: What happened to the Sodder family? | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site

Gone on Christmas Eve: The Sodder Children Disappearance of 1945

The Enduring Mystery of the Sodder Children’s Christmas Disappearance

Hollywood starlet Thelma Todd was a comedic genius, a savvy businesswoman, and a rising star—until she was found dead in her car under suspicious circumstances. Was it an accident, suicide, or something more sinister? Decades later, her case remains one of Hollywood’s greatest unsolved mysteries. Tune in as we unravel the legend of theIce Cream Blonde.

Source Materials

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/thelma-todd-death-mystery?srsltid=AfmBOorG7FILOvaTYQM5o7Uk56KtWdkAA8kCDFGOt93_wiN_bS0gcFhC

https://www.pbssocal.org/food-discovery/food/thelma-todds-tragedy-the-forgotten-life-of-the-original-celebrity-restaurateur

https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/this-exclusive-book-excerpt-unearths-the-mysterious-dead-body-of-the-golden-age-film-star-thelma-todd-56059/

https://www.thedailybeast.com/hollywood-loved-thelma-todd-the-ice-cream-blonde-but-was-she-murdered/

https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-thelma-todd-19351217-story.html

https://goldenglobes.com/articles/forgotten-hollywood-unsolved-mystery-death-thelma-todd/

https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-mysterious-death-of-massachusetts-movie-star-thelma-todd/