On December 12, 1982, in the mountains outside Trion, Georgia, a home built for peace became the setting for something brutally violent.

At the top of a winding dirt road, hidden deep along Taylor’s Ridge, stood Corpsewood Manor—a hand-built brick “castle” where Dr. Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom had carved out a life far removed from the world they left behind.

They wanted quiet. Isolation. Freedom to live on their own terms.

What they got instead… was a reputation.

Rumors spread through the small town below—about devil worship, about sex, about what really went on inside that house in the woods. And eventually, those rumors reached two men who saw something else entirely.

Not a sanctuary.

An opportunity.

That night, what began as a visit ended in gunfire, leaving both men dead inside the home they built together—and setting off a manhunt that would stretch across state lines.

But what happened at Corpsewood didn’t end with the murders.

Because in the aftermath, the story took on a life of its own—twisted by fear, shaped by prejudice, and retold so many times that the truth became harder to find than the road leading up that mountain.

This is the story of the Corpsewood Manor murders.

And thank you to Blake for recommending this case.

Sources:

https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/corpsewood
https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/corpsewood-manor-murders
https://www.ranker.com/list/corpsewood-manor-murders-facts/christopher-shultz
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1614436.The_Corpsewood_Manor_Murders_in_North_Georgia
https://www.churchofsatan.com/
https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/satanic-panic
https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/hiv.html
https://www.newspapers.com/

https://oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/the-corpsewood-manor-murders

https://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/the-corpsewood-murders-40-years-later/

https://churchofsatan.com/tragic-case-dr-charles-lee-scudder/#:~:text=On%20December%2016th%2C%201982%2C%20Tony,the%20weeks%20preceding%20the%20murders.

https://www.facebook.com/troytayloroddities/posts/the-corpsewood-manor-murderson-december-12-1982-a-rustic-retreat-in-the-woods-of/122148859382651114/

https://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/corpsewood-manor-murders/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/corpsewood-manor-murders

NEXT EPISODE WILL RELEASE ON JULY 9TH! SEASON 5!!!

Today's case is about how some cases aren’t just about what happened—they’re about everything that almost stopped it.

From the 1970s through the mid-1980s, across Indianapolis, Indiana and St. Louis, Missouri, and twenty-one additional states, a pattern quietly takes shape. Complaints that don’t go far enough. Identities that shift just enough. Moments that, on their own, don’t seem like proof—but together tell a much darker story.

At the center is Vernon Brown, a man who was able to move through lives and communities without drawing the kind of attention that might have stopped what came next.

Listen to this episode to hear Claire unravel a timeline filled with missed chances, overlooked connections, and the chilling reality of how long danger can go unnoticed—until it can’t anymore, and all the lives one man can destroy.

Sources:

Brown v. Luebbers. United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 19 Sept. 2003. ECF CA8,

ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/03/09/021845P.pdf. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.

“Execution Date Set For Convicted Killer Vernon Brown.” Missourinet, 15 Apr. 2005,

www.missourinet.com/2005/04/15/execution-date-set-for-convicted-killer-vernon-brown/. Accessed 18 Apr.

2026. (Missourinet)

State v. Brown. 902 S.W.2d 278. Supreme Court of Missouri, 25 July 1995. Justia,

law.justia.com/cases/missouri/supreme-court/1995/71264-0.html. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026. (Justia Law)

“Vernon Brown Case Notes.” User-provided source text, uploaded in conversation, Apr. 2026.

“50 American Serial Killers You’ve probably never heard of” Volume 5, By Robert Keller

In 1988, inside a quiet home in Canoga Park, ten-year-old child star Judith Barsi—a girl worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hollywood—was living in fear of her own father, József Barsi.
And despite desperate warnings, cries for help, and visible signs of abuse… no one was able to stop what he would do to her and her mother, Maria Barsi. Listen to today's episode to hear about the tragic end for Judith Barsi.

Sources:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-28-me-6114-story.html

https://www.apnews.com/article/child-actress-killed-judith-barsi-1988

https://people.com/archive/a-childs-terror-vol-30-no-7/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/07/29/child-actress-and-mother-found-slain/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/judith-barsi

https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/barsi-jozsef.htm

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0058823/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095489/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096787/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093300/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6693/judith-eva-barsi

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6694/maria-agnes-barsi

In 2005, a quiet town in Idaho was shattered by a crime so brutal it shocked the entire country. A man with a long, violent past slipped through the cracks of the justice system and into the lives of one family—with devastating consequences. What followed was a nightmare that crossed state lines, exposed failures in the system meant to stop predators, and left behind a story of unimaginable horror… and one survivor whose testimony would reveal just how far evil can go.

This episode unpacks the chilling trail of Joseph Duncan III—the warnings that were missed, the crimes that escalated, and the case that still haunts investigators to this day.

Sources

[1] Joseph Edward Duncan - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Edward_Duncan

[2] In 2005 Joseph Duncan killed three members of the Groene family ... https://www.reddit.com/r/serialkillers/comments/hannh7/in_2005_joseph_duncan_killed_three_members_of_the/

[3] Man in Idaho case has sex crime history - NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8446152

[4] Joseph Edward Duncan III - Crime Library https://crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/notorious/joseph_duncan/

[5] Idaho suspect's records show violent history - NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8485031

[6] Joseph Duncan III | Criminal Minds Wiki - Fandom https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Joseph_Duncan_III

[7] Convicted serial killer who murdered 10-year-old Beaumont boy 24 ... https://rivcoda.org/news/convicted-serial-killer-who-murdered-10-year-old-beaumont-boy-24-years-ago-dies-indiana

[8] Joseph Duncan III was an American pedophile and serial killer most ... https://www.reddit.com/r/CreepyWikipedia/comments/1bgs61q/joseph_duncan_iii_was_an_american_pedophile_and/

[9] The Groene Case - CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-groene-case/

[10] United States v. Duncan, III, No. 08-99031 (9th Cir. 2011) - Justia Law https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/08-99031/08-99031-2011-07-11.html

[11] Joseph Duncan III | Photos 2 https://murderpedia.org/male.D/d/duncan-joseph-edward-photos-2.htm

[12] I Survived the Serial Killer Who Murdered My Family https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/wholeness/a65383797/shasta-groene-survival-story/

[13] [PDF] Former jurors still haunted by Idaho trial of Joseph Duncan III https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/PublicUpload/eclips/Clips%20The%20Olympian%2002.11.13.pdf

[14] Convicted Child Murderer Joseph Edward Duncan, III, Dies on ... https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/pr/convicted-child-murderer-joseph-edward-duncan-iii-dies-death-row

[15] Serial Killer Documentary: Joseph Edward Duncan (The Boogeyman) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbXcZkrNp7k

This week's episode is another fan recommended case, Thank you Paulina!

In 1981, the quiet town of Lübeck, West Germany is shattered when 7-year-old Anna Bachmeier goes missing. What follows is every parent’s worst nightmare.

Anna is found brutally sexually assaulted and murdered—her body discarded in a cardboard box near a canal. The man accused of the crime, 35-year-old Klaus Grabowski, quickly becomes the focus of a case that grips the nation.

At the center of it all is Anna’s mother, Marianne Bachmeier—a woman navigating unimaginable grief, mounting anger, and a justice system that many felt moved too slowly.

As the trial unfolds, emotions intensify. Listen to today's episode to hear about how on a March morning inside a packed courtroom, Marianne’s pain, frustration, and fury reach a breaking point—resulting in a moment that would shock the world and ignite a lasting debate about justice, vengeance, and the limits of grief.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne_Bachmeier

https://allthatsinteresting.com/marianne-bachmeier

https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-march-6-what-happened-on-this-day-marianne-bachmeier/6e82226b-53c7-42a0-8d68-3ac8d77fc915

https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1378009700/view?sectionId=nla.obj-1632952514&partId=nla.obj-1378056127

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/06/marianne-bachmeier-germany-courtroom-shooting

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/07/world/woman-kills-man-accused-of-daughter-s-murder-in-german-court.html

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/03/02/Six-years-for-avenging-mother/1014415429200/

https://www.dw.com/en/the-revenge-of-marianne-bachmeier/a-16690545

https://theywillkillyou.com/profile/marianne-bachmeier

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087794/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090663/

In 1987, a quiet town in Ina, Illinois became the site of one of the most horrifying unsolved crimes in American history. When Keith Dardeen didn’t show up for work, police went to check on his family—and discovered a scene of unimaginable brutality. His pregnant wife Elaine Dardeen, their toddler Peter Dardeen, and a newborn baby girl had been murdered inside their home.

The violence shocked investigators. The motive made no sense. And decades later, no one has ever officially been held responsible.

Who could commit such a brutal attack on an entire family—and vanish without a trace?

Sources

[1] Dardeen family homicides - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardeen_family_homicides

[2] Inside the Chilling Dardeen Family Murders: Who Killed Them? https://people.com/dardeen-murders-unsolved-who-killed-illinois-family-8649561

[3] On the evening of November 18, 1987, police went to the ... - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/1fzq8zj/on_the_evening_of_november_18_1987_police_went_to/

[4] Dardeen Family Homicides and Red Herrings : r/UnresolvedMysteries https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/18oqhzu/dardeen_family_homicides_and_red_herrings/

[5] New episode of Voices for Justice Podcast: The Dardeen Family In ... https://www.facebook.com/SarahETurneyVFJ/posts/new-episode-of-voices-for-justice-podcast-the-dardeen-family-in-november-1987-ke/1198714468963137/

[6] The Dardeen Family: Unsolved Massacre - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QqPILHtw6g

[7] The Dardeen Family Murders (1987) On November 18, 1987, police ... https://www.facebook.com/groups/1996529647535547/posts/2370659936789181/

[8] The Chilling, Unsolved Case Of The Dardeen Family - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KendallsPlace/posts/the-chilling-unsolved-case-of-the-dardeen-family/1391519799316911/

[9] The Dardeen Family Murders #dardeen #dardeenfamilymurders ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TJOM9WjCdg

[10] The Gruesome Murder of the Dardeen Family by True Crime Recaps https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/amyjnathan/episodes/An-Unsolved-Mystery-The-Gruesome-Murder-of-the-Dardeen-Family-e34vbcr

[11] The Unsolved Dardeen Family Murders | True Crime Sleep Stories https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/the-unsolved-dardeen-family-murders-true-crime-sleep/id1649396201?i=1000715370376

[12] The Dardeen Family Murders - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziSuS4pUTQk

[13] MURDERED: The Dardeen Family | Crime Junkie Podcast https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/murdered-the-dardeen-family/

[14] Keith and Elaine Dardeen: A Family Trying to Escape Death https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka3wZyiIlSA

This week we ask, "what do a celebrity hairstylist's stabbing and a father's decapitation have in common?"

Devyn Michaels.

Two love triangles. Two life sentences. One woman's chaotic pattern.

Listen to today's episode and dive into the circular family tree of Devyn Michaels, her custody nightmares with Johnathan Willette, and trial twists that end with children paying the ultimate price. Also, it's a BOGO kind of week! Not only does Devyn Michaels bring chaos, but so does her ex-husband, Robert Baker!!

Sources:

LA County D.A. – Monica sentenced to life⁠https://lacounty.gov/2025/06/23/monica-sementilli-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-husbands-murder/⁠

Core case coverage:

Video / trial days (for flavor and quotes):

This week's episode is about GG Allin. He didn’t perform music—he performed violence.

In this episode, we dig into the life of one of punk’s most infamous figures, a man whose shows were marked by assault, self-harm, arrests, and chaos disguised as art. We examine his abusive upbringing, obsession with death, and the culture that excused real harm in the name of shock value.

This isn’t a tribute.
It’s a reckoning.

Because when violence becomes entertainment, someone always pays for it.

Sources

[1] GG Allin - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GG_Allin

[2] GG Allin's Demented Life And Death As Punk Rock's Wild Man https://allthatsinteresting.com/gg-allin

[3] GG Allin: 16 gruesome things you might not know | Louder https://www.loudersound.com/features/blood-and-guts-16-facts-about-gg-allin

[4] GG Allin age, hometown, biography - Last.fm https://www.last.fm/music/GG+Allin/+wiki

[5] GG Allin: the gruesome life and tragic death of the most shocking ... https://www.loudersound.com/features/gg-allin-the-gruesome-life-and-tragic-death-of-the-most-shocking-man-in-music

[6] GG Allin: Live Fast Die | Malvern Books https://malvernbooks.com/2014/07/16/gg-allin-live-fast-die/

[7] GG Allin - Biography - IMDb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0021359/bio/

[8] GG Allin's Last Day on Earth - VICE https://www.vice.com/en/article/gg-allins-last-day-on-earth/

[9] Hated: GG Allin and The Murder Junkies (1993) "Punk ... - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Documentaries/comments/gh3d0u/hated_gg_allin_and_the_murder_junkies_1993_punk/

[10] GG Allin on Jango Radio | Full Bio, Songs, Videos https://www.jango.com/music/GG+Allin/_full_bio

[11] Kevin Michael Allin; Rock Performer, 37 - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/01/obituaries/kevin-michael-allin-rock-performer-37.html

[12] GG Allin Gets Trapped in America, Sends Word to the Empire https://brooklynrail.org/2013/11/music/gg-allin-gets-trapped-in-america-sends-word-to-the-empire/

[13] GG Allin | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Nx3gPpU2OFLI80rv7fDX5

[14] American punk rock musicians, GG Allin and the Murder Junkies at ... https://www.facebook.com/100064829642926/posts/american-punk-rock-musicians-gg-allin-and-the-murder-junkies-at-the-gas-station-/1166168385554139/

[15] The Brethren of GG (i.e., Jesus Christ) Allin - Film International https://filmint.nu/brethren-christ-allins/

On the night of September 6th, 1971, a quiet farmhouse in Hope Forest, South Australia, became the scene of an unimaginable horror. Clifford Bartholomew, a 40-year-old husband and father, calmly and methodically murdered ten people—his wife, seven children, his sister-in-law, and her toddler.

This episode explores life inside the Bartholomew household, the events that led to the massacre, Clifford’s shocking arrest, and the legal aftermath. Decades later, Clifford resurfaced his dark past hidden until it was unearthed long after his death.

Fan Recommended Case! Thanks Ebony!

Sources:

https://www.mamamia.com.au/clifford-bartholomew/

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110689926

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Forest_shooting

https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/07/archives/10-persons-on-farm-in-australia-slain.html

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110676163

A mother. A home invasion.
In 2001, Traci Richter told police she killed an intruder to protect her children — and a small Iowa town rallied behind her. She was called a hero. A survivor. A brave mother who did what she had to do.

But years later, one pink diary forced investigators to ask an unthinkable question:
What if the person everyone believed… was lying?

The case of Traci Richter is a chilling reminder that the most convincing stories aren’t always the true ones.

Sources:

[1] Hero claim rejected, Iowa mom guilty of murder - CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hero-claim-rejected-iowa-mom-guilty-of-murder/

[2] Richter wants child support cash in prison - Storm Lake Times Pilot https://www.stormlake.com/stories/richter-wants-child-support-cash-in-prison,12770

[3] IN RE THE MARRIAGE OF MICHAEL ROSS ROBERTS AND ... https://law.justia.com/cases/iowa/court-of-appeals/2011/1-392.html

[4] 'Hero mom' gets life in prison for killing neighbor - The Gazette https://www.thegazette.com/news/hero-mom-gets-life-in-prison-for-killing-neighbor/

[5] Dateline: Conviction of Tracey Roberts Explained - Oxygen https://www.oxygen.com/dateline-unforgettable/crime-news/dateline-conviction-of-tracey-roberts-explained

[6] Woman gets life term in bizarre framed-for-murder plot - KATU https://katu.com/news/nation-world/woman-gets-life-term-in-bizarre-framed-for-murder-plot

[7] Tracey Richter Now: Where is She Today? Is She in Jail? Update https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-tracey-richter-roberts-now/

[8] [PDF] IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF IOWA No. 2-997 / 11-2124 Filed ... https://www.iowacourts.gov/moduledocuments/embed/22650/2997_D4A4EC4A4E2CA.pdf

[9] Ex-friend: Iowa murder suspect showed no emotion - ABC7 https://abc7.com/archive/8409487/

[10] Prosecutor: Woman shot neighbor to keep him quiet | ABC7 Chicago https://abc7chicago.com/archive/8406559/

[11] Prosecutor: Woman shot neighbor to keep him quiet - Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/2011/10/26/20226081/prosecutor-woman-shot-neighbor-to-keep-him-quiet/

[12] Iowa Mom Tracey Roberts Fatally Shot Neighbor Dustin Wehde https://www.oxygen.com/kill-or-be-killed/crime-news/iowa-mom-tracey-roberts-fatally-shot-neighbor-dustin-wehde

[13] Is Tracey Roberts heroic mom or a shrewd killer? - WJLA https://wjla.com/news/crime/is-tracey-roberts-heroic-mom-or-a-shrewd-killer--68205

[14] Hero mom or killer? - The Gazette https://www.thegazette.com/news/hero-mom-or-killer/

[15] Prosecutor: Woman shot neighbor to keep him quiet - Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/2011/10/26/20226005/prosecutor-woman-shot-neighbor-to-keep-him-quiet/

[16] Jurors speak out on Tracey Richter - NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/jurors-speak-out-on-tracey-richter-44585539609

[17] TRACEY ANNE RICHTER, Applicant-Appellant, vs. STATE OF IOWA ... https://law.justia.com/cases/iowa/court-of-appeals/2017/15-1800.html