Homocidal Tendency: A Queer True Crime Podcast

In August 1991, the curtain fell on one of St. Petersburg’s most colorful figures. Robert Gierka was a man of contrasts: a dedicated nursing assistant by day and a master of the "Sawdust Circle" by night. 

When he was found murdered in his 40th Avenue home a residence known as the "Museum of Whimsy"police were met with a crime scene that was as surreal as it was brutal.

​In this episode, we explore the dual lives of the man known as "Roberto the Great," the specialized circus artifacts that vanished from his collection, and the "ghost" fingerprint that remains the primary link to a killer who has evaded justice for over three decades.

​Case Facts & Details

​Victim: Robert "Bobby" Gierka (Age 45).

​Location: 845 40th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL.

​Discovery Date: August 11, 1991.

​The Scene: A "staged" environment where porcelain dolls were positioned to overlook the victim.

​Stolen Property: Rare 1920s/30s Circus Route Books, professional ventriloquist puppets, and a 1983 Maroon Oldsmobile Omega (later recovered in Tampa).

​Key Evidence: A latent fingerprint recovered from a porcelain clown and a "silent" DNA profile.

​Call to Action: How You Can Help

The murder of Robert Gierka is an active cold case. We are calling on the community and the circus world to help turn the spotlight back on:

​Memorabilia Collectors: If you have acquired rare circus Route Books or professional puppets with no clear provenance originating from the Florida area in the early 90s, please contact authorities.

​Tips: If you have any information regarding this case, no matter how small, contact the St. Petersburg Police Cold Case Unit at (727) 893-7179.

​Resources & Further Reading

​St. Petersburg Police Department Cold Case Files.

​The 
Tampa Bay Times
 Digital Archives (Search: Robert Gierka, 1991).

​The Ringling Circus Museum Archives, Sarasota, FL.

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Hadden Clark was the "odd" neighbor everyone ignored—until the floorboards started talking.

 A classically trained chef and paranoid schizophrenic, Clark didn't just kill; he processed. Using his professional butchery skills, he turned suburban Maryland into a private hunting ground, hiding a six-year-old girl in plain sight for 14 years. 

From forced cross-dressing childhood trauma to drinking blood and confessing to a man he believed was Jesus Christ, this is the story of a man whose mother stole his identity—and who spent the rest of his life consuming the identities of others.

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Part 2

He was the most popular Santa in the city. Parents stood in line for hours just so their children could sit on his lap. But while Bruce McArthur was checking his 'Naughty or Nice' list, he was hiding a graveyard in the gardens of Toronto’s elite.

​How does a man hide eight murders in plain sight for nearly a decade? The answer isn't found in the shadows, but in the most trusted places imaginable: a festive mall throne and a blooming flower planter.

​In this episode, we deconstruct the terrifying double life of Bruce McArthur—the "grandfatherly" landscaper who weaponized his own kindness to become Canada’s most prolific serial killer. We’re peeling back the "Santa" mask to reveal a predator who calculated that the world wouldn't look for a killer who looked like Saint Nick.

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Bruce McArthur didn’t just hide behind a mask; he hid behind a legend. While he was actively stalking and murdering men in Toronto’s Gay Village, he spent his winters as a Santa Claus at the Agincourt Mall. He wasn't a man in a costume; he was a man who had transformed himself into a symbol of ultimate trust.

​How does a man become a pillar of his community while simultaneously becoming its greatest predator? This week, we explore the life and crimes of Bruce McArthur, the "Mall Santa" who terrorized Toronto’s Gay Village for nearly a decade. We go beyond the headlines to examine the "performance" of his normalcy, the systemic failures of "Project Houston," and the chilling forensic discovery at 53 Mallory Crescent.

​

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​"He was a balding, overweight pizza delivery driver who walked with a cane and lived with his sister. To the locals, he was 'Miss Moped,' a pathetic wannabe drag queen obsessed with Patti LaBelle. But behind the closed doors of his Bayou Blue trailer, Ronald Dominique was something else entirely. This is the story of The Bayou Strangler—the man who murdered 23 men over a decade while police dismissed the victims as 'throwaways,' and the lone survivor who finally brought the most prolific serial killer you’ve never heard of to justice."

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