Kurt Sonnenfeld has been in the news for nearly 18 years, both for the death of his wife Nancy and for being an outspoken 9/11 “truther.”  As a videographer for FEMA, Kurt put together footage of the 9/11 disaster for media outlets around the world. On CNN, he spoke of the heroics of the recovery workers under tragic circumstances.  But, back at home, Kurt was a very troubled man.Nancy Sonnenfeld died on January 1, 2002 under suspicious circumstances.  When it looked like Kurt might be prosecuted for her murder, he fled the country.  Since then, he has remarried and developed a new narrative about his work and Nancy’s death.Join us at the quiet end today for Justice Denied.  The death of Nancy Sonnenfeld has been determined, by scientists and investigators, to be a murder.  But will her loved ones ever get a chance for justice for Nancy?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Justice Denied: The Death of Nancy Sonnenfeld

True Crime Brewery is the true crime podcast that brings you deeply inside of a crime and its investigation. Hosts Jill and her retired pediatrician husband, Dick, use their medical knowledge and life experiences to share the stories behind some of the most compelling crimes from all over the world. And, just for fun, Dick uses his secondary expertise as a craft beer lover to review the best beers from the regions where each crime occurred. Meet this true crime obsessed couple at the quiet end of the bar to share a delicious a craft brew and an immersive storytelling experience.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

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17-year-old Karla Homolka met 23-year-old Paul Bernardo in 1987. Some saw their meeting as love at first sight, but the two had a dangerous attraction which would drive them to commit abductions, sexual assaults, and even murder. This good-looking couple became obsessed with each other. And Paul was very controlling of Karla. But Paul Bernardo’s crimes were not all his own.  Evidence, including videotapes, would show that Karla was a willing participant, despite her claims that she was just another one of Paul’s victims.Join us at the quiet end for Killer Couple: Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo. The most basic question asked about serial killers is why.  This becomes much more complicated and difficult to answer when murders are committed by more than one person. Today we’re analyzing one of the most notorious couples in modern history. What role did Karla play in Paul’s violent sex crimes and how did her gender affect the disparity in their charges and sentencing?Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment infoSupport the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!Record a voicemail for a future showContact UsShop TCB MerchJoin our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion GroupSourcesDeadly Innocence, Scott Burnside, Alan Cairns, 1995Investigating Gender Bias and Sentencing Disparity: A Case Study Analysis of the Paul Bernardo-Karla Homolka Case, Kathrine Lorraine Leafloor, Carleton University, 5/1997 Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes, Discovery Plus, 12/13/2021The Ken Murray Case: Defence Counsel's Dilemma, Criminal Defence News, 7/6/2011 Lethal Marriage: The Uncensored Truth Behind the Crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, Nick Pron, 2005Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka Case, The Canadian Encyclopedia, retrieved 3/30/2024 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Killer Couple: Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo

On a weekday afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, fifteen-year-old Paula Cooper stabbed 78-year-old Ruth Pelke to death. In a city with a history of racism, Ruth was a white, beloved bible teacher who refused to move out of her overwhelmingly black neighborhood. When Paula and her friends showed up at Ruth’s door that day asking about bible studies, Ruth had happily invited them in.Join us at the quiet end for Death Sentence: The Murder of Ruth Pelke & the Punishment of Paula Cooper. When Paula was sentenced to death, few argued against the state’s impending execution of a tenth grader. But when the victim’s grandson forgave the girl, the media brought the story to the forefront and millions signed petitions in support of Paula. This case raises questions about the value of a human life and whether our justice system is made for rehabilitation or retribution.SourcesA Clear Scientific Consensus that the Death Penlty Does Not Deter, Amnesty International, retrieved 3/14/2024, https://www.amnestyusa.org/updates/a-clear-scientific-consensus-that-the-death-penalty-does-not-deter/A Pause in Federal Executions, but Uncertainty About What’s Next, The New York Times, Hailey Fuchs, 7/22/2021Biden vowed to end the death penalty. Activists are demanding action as he nears the 100-day mark, CNN.com,  Christina Carrega, 4/25/2021Do Executions Lower Homicide Rates: The Views of Leading Criminologists' Michael L. Radelet Traci L. Lacock, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, Winter 2009.IndyStar Archives 1985-2017Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy by Alex Mar, 2023Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Death Sentence: The Murder of Ruth Pelke

April Kauffman didn’t have an easy life growing up.  When she was just seventeen, she gave birth to her daughter Kim and set out to make a better life for them both. April raised her daughter in a loving home despite an early split from Kim’s father. She earned her cosmetology license and worked as a hairdresser and as a model. April was fun, energetic, and independent. But life as a single mom could be lonely.Join us at the quiet end for The Dr. & Mrs. Kauffman. In 2002, April believed she had finally found her happily ever after when she married Dr. Jim Kauffman, a successful physician and a former green beret. As the wife of a Vietnam Veteran, April became an outspoken radio personality and a fierce veteran’s advocate. But Dr. Kauffman had a dark side which April began to uncover. The doctor was running a pill mill out of his medical office and associating with a criminal motorcycle gang: The Pagans. When April had had enough and threatened divorce, she began to realize that her life was in danger, and she might never make it out of this marriage alive.SourcesApril Kauffman, https://everipedia.org/wiki/lang_en/april-christine-kauffman-atlantic-city-new-jersey, retrieved 2/27/2024http://aprilkauffman.net/, retrieved. 2/27/2024Doctor Dealer: A doctor high on greed, a biker gang high on opioids, and the woman who paid the ultimate price,  George Anastasia and Ralph Cipriano, 2020 The Doctor, the Hitman & the Motorcycle Gang : the true story of one of New Jersey’s most notorious murder for hire plots, Annie McCormick, 2020Doctor's Orders, Discovery Plus, 9/3/2021Husband of slain radio host paid man to kill his wife 5 years ago, authorities say, NJ.com, True Jersey, Chris Franklin, 09/3/2018Punishing Pill Mill Doctors: Sentencing Disparities in the Opioid Epidemic, William & Mary Law School, Adam M. Gershowitz, 12/2020Who Was April Kauffman: Her Life, Her Mysterious Death and Why None of it Makes Any Sense, Boardwalk Journal, Sarah Colson and Ian Licht, 6/2012Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

The Dr. & Mrs. Kauffman

The Halderson family appeared to be living a happy middle-class life. Parents Krista and Bart had everything they had wished for and worked for, including a comfortable suburban home and two loving sons. Mitchell, 24, was working in the tech industry and Chandler, 23, was a college student living at home. But all was not as it seemed with Chandler.Join us at the quiet end for Parent Trap. Chandler Halderson was weaving a complex web of lies for years. His college degree and job prospects were not what he portrayed them to be. In fact, Chandler’s life was going nowhere and his father was becoming frustrated and suspicious. But before Krista and Bart could uncover their son’s lies, the couple disappeared. Over the days that followed, evidence revealed that Chandler Halderson would stop at nothing, including murder, to protect his life of deception.Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment infoSupport the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!Record a voicemail for a future showContact UsShop TCB MerchJoin our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion GroupSourcesChandler Halderson Trial, Channel 3000, https://www.channel3000.com/news/chandler-halderson-trial/, retreieved 1/3/2024Parricide: An Introduction for Clinical and Forensic Mental Health Professionals, researchgate.net, Kimberly D. Dodson, 9/2017State of Winconsin v. Chandler M. Halderson, Circuit Court Dane County Wisconsin, 8/24/2021Timeline: Order of Events leading up to Chandler Halderson's trial, WKOW.com, Sierra Rehm, 1/3/2022Unemployed Son Mooched Off Parents He Killed and Dismembered, Claimed to Be College Student Who Got Job at SpaceX: Prosecutor, Law & Crime, Alberto Luperon, 1/4/2022 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Parent Trap: The Murders of Krista & Bart Halderson

Karla Brown was 22-years-old in 1978. After five-years of an off and on relationship, she and her fiancé, Mark, bought their first home together. That June, the couple were focused on moving and decorating their new home. They had friends over to help with the move on June 20th, followed by an evening of food and drinks. Next door, at the home of Paul Main, the pretty and outgoing Karla had not gone unnoticed.Join us at the quiet end for Finding Karla Brown’s Killer. Karla’s fiancé Mark went to work on June 21st, leaving Karla home alone. Between 10 and 11am, Karla ended a phone call with her future mother-in-law, telling her that someone was at the door. By the time Mark returned home that day, Karla would be the victim of a brutal murder and the focus of a lengthy, complex investigation.SourcesBite Mark Identification- A Relieable Forensic Tool or Junk Science, Penn State Dickinson Law, Samuel D. Hodge Jr., Robert E. Rains, 7/1/2017The Karla Brown story: What happened and the latest updates, Tuko.co.ke, Florence Wanjiru, 4/5/2022PCAST, Court Decisions Assessing the Admissibility of Forensic Science Evidence,Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-Comparison MethodsPEOPLE v. PRANTE, Supreme Court of Illinois, The People of the State of Illinois, Appellant, v. John Prante, Appellee. Decided: 5/12/2023Silent Witness: The Karla Brown Murder Case by Don W. Weber and Charles Bosworth, Jr.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Justice Denied: The Death of Nancy Sonnenfeld

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