In this episode we cover the story of Amy Archer-Gilligan, a seemingly devoted caregiver whose nursing home in early 20th century Connecticut became a house of horrors. We explore how her case reshaped elder care regulations and inspired the dark comedy classic "Arsenic and Old Lace." Join us as we reveal the twisted motives behind her crimes and the legacy that continues to resonate today.

Source Materials:

https://www.grunge.com/364312/details-you-didnt-know-about-serial-killer-amy-archer-gilligan/

https://spsp.org/news-center/character-context-blog/what-can-serial-killers-amy-archer-gilligan-tell-us-about-human

https://www.history.com/news/arsenic-old-lace-real-murders

https://thecrimewire.com/multifarious/Amy-Archer-Gilligan-and-her-Murder-Factory-Famous-Female-Serial-Killers

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/02/nyregion/whatever-went-wrong-with-amy.html

https://windsorhistoricalsociety.org/amy-archer-gilligan-entrepreneurism-gone-wrong-in-windsor/

Source Materials:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-december-3-2018-1.4929818/arrested-youth-should-not-be-interrogated-alone-says-man-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder-1.4929826

https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/the-serial-killer-they-couldnt-cure-dies-behind-bars/article_a5857e5e-669a-5f28-8ec2-5cbfbafa9eb7.html

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1741659019874171

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/woodcock-murders-angered-and-scared-toronto-60-years-ago/article_affb3b6e-d139-5234-8133-182e48eb6c4f.html

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/mandel-notorious-killer-dies-behind-bars-of-mental-health-centre

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/shadow-boxing/201602/these-crimes-are-not-sensitive-ears

Source Materials:

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2016/02/08/120-year-old-beheading-still-fascinates/80032790/

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2016/03/06/pennies-gravestone-provide-murder-victim-head/81218676/

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2022/05/04/abortions-kentucky-before-supreme-court-roe-v-wade-pearl-bryan/9015862002/

https://www.nkyviews.com/campbell/text/pearl_wilhelm.html

https://www.bannergraphic.com/story/2425083.html

Uncover the gripping tale of the 1963 Great Train Robbery, where a daring heist shook England to its core. Join us as we delve into the audacious crime that captured the world's attention.

Source Materials

https://www.postalmuseum.org/collections/great-train-robbery/

https://www.btp.police.uk/police-forces/british-transport-police/areas/about-us/about-us/our-history/crime-history/great-train-robbery/

https://news.sky.com/story/the-great-train-robbery-60-years-later-my-father-masterminded-it-and-i-spent-five-years-on-the-run-with-him-12937788

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/the-great-train-robbery-1963-gang-ronnie-biggs-how-much-stolen-a3901601.html

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/big-mystery-behind-great-train-robbery-may-finally-been-solved-180952054/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/great-train-robbery

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-21619150

Source Materials:

https://www.cracked.com/blog/4-terrifying-crimes-that-well-never-solve

https://www.police.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-07/1898%20Gatton%20Murders.pdf

https://the-line-up.com/gatton-murders

https://unresolved.me/the-gatton-murders

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/ipswich/revenge-behind-gattons-murphy-killings-from-1898/news-story/c92b56c4906b1b653b18dda0a104ab8c

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-17/aus-story-gatton-murders/4759320

In this episode, we journey back to the early 20th century

https://www.jezebel.com/lady-killers-tillie-klimek-high-priestess-of-the-blue-1677860528https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/chicagos-mrs-bluebeard-tillie-klimek

https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/why-arsenic-poisoning-is-more-than-a-murder-mystery-trope

https://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/klimek-tillie.htm#google_vignette

https://web.archive.org/web/20130208144819/http://www.chicagounbelievable.com/2012/02/tillie-klimeks-many-victims-with.html

We're covering the shocking murder of three-year-old Francis Saville Kent at Road Hill House in 1860—a case that rocked Victorian England and continues to fascinate true crime enthusiasts. Journey with us to the quiet village of Road, where the Kent family’s façade of respectability concealed a web of tension and secrets.

Source Materials

https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/1926/2/the-story-of-constance-kent

https://allthatsinteresting.com/constance-kent

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5122066/

https://www.wiltshire-opc.org.uk/Items/North%20Bradley/North%20Bradley%20-%20Constance%20Kent%20Story%201844-1944%20(Rode).pdf

https://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/blog-post/the-curious-case-of-constance-kent/

https://www.historicmysteries.com/major-crimes/constance-kent/25650/

https://katdevitt.com/2022/12/28/the-confession-of-constance-kent/

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/06/william-saville-kent-murder-mystery/619202/

In this episode, we explore the harrowing story of Richard Speck, whose brutal murder of eight student nurses in 1966 shocked Chicago and the nation. We'll examine his troubled past, the horrific crime, and the trial that followed, while reflecting on the broader impact of his actions on society and the rise of mass murder in America.

Source Materials

 https://www.isba.org/ibj/2016/11/rememberingtherichardspecktrial

https://allthatsinteresting.com/richard-speck

https://medium.com/@natasha.leigh/the-atrocious-slaying-of-eight-student-nurses-richard-speck-c464f0f6f077

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/how-richard-speck-s-rampage-50-years-ago-changed-nation-n606211

https://www.chicagohistory.org/first-mass-murderer-richard-speck/

https://www.cracked.com/article_34636_the-richard-speck-murders-the-most-horrifying-mass-killing-youve-never-heard-of.html

In this gripping episode of Historical True Crime, we unravel the astonishing and scandalous story of Lana Turner and the murder of Johnny Stompanato. Hollywood's beloved starlet from the 1940s and 1950s, Lana Turner, was the epitome of glamour and talent. However, her private life was a tumultuous saga of romance, scandal, and tragedy. We dive into her stormy relationship with the dangerous mob enforcer Johnny Stompanato, exploring the events that led to his shocking murder at the hands of Lana's teenage daughter, Cheryl Crane.

Source Materials

https://nypost.com/2024/02/17/lifestyle/the-lana-turner-love-affair-that-resulted-in-murder/

https://people.com/new-book-examines-the-murder-of-lana-turner-s-boyfriend-by-her-daughter-8549713

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/06/lana-turner-cheryl-crane-books

https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-stompanato-turner-20150810-story.html

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/641834/lana-turner-actor-facts

https://allthatsinteresting.com/johnny-stompanato

This episode dives into the chilling story of Velma Barfield, the first woman executed in the U.S. after the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. From her seemingly ordinary life as a churchgoer and caregiver to her shocking crimes of poisoning loved ones, Velma's tale is one of deceit, addiction, and murder.

Source Materials

https://medium.com/murder-mystery-and-mayhem-in-the-old-north-state/velma-barfield-the-death-row-granny-fe8a913d9437

https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/women/velma_barfield/10.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/11/02/woman-executed-for-murder/ec892226-c727-4194-87fa-b13bcf8f349e/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/velma-barfield

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/death-row-granny-who-first-31445901

https://torontosun.com/news/crime/crime-hunter-killer-granny-velma-barfield-had-a-penchant-for-poison