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When Lloyd Gaines requested a course catalog from the University of Missouri’s School of Law, the registrar sent one right away. Later, when Lloyd applied to the school, university officials thought nothing of it. He was a qualified applicant. Then the university’s registrar received his undergraduate transcripts, and shit hit the fan. The transcripts came from historically black Lincoln University. But the University of Missouri School of Law refused to accept black students. They asked Lloyd to go to law school in a neighboring state, but Lloyd refused.

Then Brandi tells us about a creepy church lady. Mary Jane Fonder had been attending Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church for years. Despite her long tenure at the church, she didn’t have many friends there. People generally thought she was pretty weird. But her weirdness kicked into overdrive when she convinced herself that she and the church pastor had feelings for one another. She left him long, incoherent messages. She snuck food into his house. Later, when he began helping a new church member named Rhonda Smith, Mary Jane lost her shit.

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“Before Brown: Charles H Houston and the Gaines Case,” by Douglas O. Linder for Famous-Trials.com

“Lloyd Gaines,” entry on Wikipedia

“Charles Hamilton Houston,” entry on Wikipedia

“Little known Supreme Court case from Missouri was early stepping-stone to school desegregation,” by Ryan Delaney for St. Louis Public Radio

“Mary Jane Fonder” episode Snapped

“Test of Faith: Killing shocks congregation” by Keith Morrison, Dateline

“Bucks County killer Mary Jane Fonder dies just weeks after search for missing father reopened” by Manuel Gamiz Jr., The Morning Call

“Police hope remnants of Bucks County home, once owned by a murderer, holds clues about long-missing man” by Vinny Vella, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Mary Jane Fonder” wikipedia.org

“Mary Jane Fonder” murderpedia.org

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Kenneth Parks showed up at his local police station in a haze. He was covered in blood. His hands were horribly injured. He was confused, but horrified. He told police, “I think I have just killed two people.” In fact, he’d just murdered his mother-in-law, Barbara Ann Woods. He’d attempted to murder his father-in-law, Dennis Woods as well, but Dennis survived the attack. But why did Kenneth attack his in-laws? Prosecutors said he did it because he didn’t want to tell them about his gambling addiction. But Kenneth’s defense argued he hadn’t intended to attack his in-laws at all. He’d committed the crime while sleepwalking.

Then Kristin tells us about a former army ranger who was down on his luck. Pat Sabo was back in his hometown of Eastlake, Ohio. Money was tight. He’d had a few run-ins with the law. That’s when an old high school friend named Christine Metter connected with him on Facebook. The pair hadn’t talked in nearly 20 years, but they quickly bonded over stories about their ex’s. Christine, in particular, wouldn’t shut up about her ex, David. She and David were recently divorced, and he was seeking primary custody of their daughters. Christine was pissed. So, Pat made an innocent joke. He said, “save your money and hire a hitman! LMAO.” Pat was kidding. But Christine took him seriously.   

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“Eastlake Conspiracy” episode of Dateline

“‘Have Fun,’ Says Dad Trying To Hire A Hitman To Off His Daughter’s Ex,” by Daniel Egitto for Oxygen.com

“Ex-husband Statement At Wife’s Murder-For-Hire Sentencing,” News 5 Cleveland on YouTube

“Facebook Murder-for-Hire Conviction Gets Woman 10 Years,” by Nikki Ferrell for Patch.com

“Christine Metter Gets Maximum 10-Year Setnence For Trying to Hire Hit Man To Kill Ex-Husband,” by Tracey Read for The News-Herald

Clips from Oxygen’s “Murder For Hire” episode, “Daddy’s Girl”

“A Bump in the Night: When Sleepwalkers Turn Violent” by Matt Soniak, Mental Floss

“Sleepwalking man’s excuse in death of mother-in-law” The Ottawa Citizen

“Innocent By Reason Of…” by Ken MacQueen, The Ottawa Citizen

“Jury acquits sleepwalker in attempted murder case” The Windsor Star

“Sleepwalking Canadian Walks On Murder Charge” by Toronto Globe and Mail, The Chicago Tribune

“Man Acquitted Of Sleepwalking Murder Running For School Trustee In Durham” by News Staff, City News Toronto

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Hello you skeezy scunches! We’re off this week for New Year’s, but we’ll be back next week with a brand spankin’ new episode. We hope you’re having a safe and happy holiday season!

In this episode, Brandi starts us off with an old timey story that may have you screaming “TOO SOON!” 

In the early 1900s, germs were a novel concept. Washing your hands was an optional activity. The idea of being an asymptomatic carrier was nearly unheard of. So when a sanitation engineer named George Soper approached a woman and demanded samples of her blood, urine and feces, she scared him away at forkpoint. She scared the next doctor away, too. But the public health community would not be deterred. They were convinced that Mary Mallon was an asymptomatic spreader of Typhoid. And they had to stop her.

Then Kristin tells us about a nightclub singer named Rommy Revson. Rommy had gorgeous, long hair. She even used it as part of her act. For her first couple of songs, she’d have her hair clipped up with a clampy ring-shaped thingy. Then she’d take it down. But then she had to do the rest of her songs holding that damn hair clip! Rommy knew there had to be a better way. She wanted something that could hold her hair up, without damaging it, and that she could slip on her wrist when she wasn’t wearing it. But that thing didn’t exist. She had to invent it. 

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“Typhoid Mary's tragic tale exposed the health impacts of ‘super-spreaders’" by Nina Strochlic, National Geographic

“Was The Real Typhoid Mary A Reckless Superspreader Or The Victim Of An Unjust System?” All That’s Interesting

“The Frightening Legacy of Typhoid Mary” by Veronique Greenwood, Smithsonian Magazine

“The Most Dangerous Woman in America: In Her Own Words” pbs.org

“Mary Mallon” wikipedia.org

“The Queen of the Scrunchie” episode of the podcast “Every Little Thing”

“Night club singer, Scrunchie inventor Rommy Revson relocates to Rogers” by Kim Souza for Talk Business

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Amy Anderton was concerned. Her boyfriend, Logan Storm, *seemed* like a good guy. He was a middle school math teacher. He talked a lot about trust and positivity. But something seemed off. So one day, when Logan left for work, Amy snooped through Logan’s stuff. That’s when she came across a thumbdrive. She plugged it into her computer, opened it, and was horrified by what she saw -- hundreds of images of child pornography.

Then, Brandi tells us about high school student Tyler Hadley’s massive party. When Tyler first told his friends about his plan to throw a party, they were a little skeptical.Tyler wasn’t the party-throwing type. His parents were super strict. But Tyler was determined to throw a party, and that’s exactly what he did. Tons of kids showed up from all over the sleepy town of Port St. Lucie, Florida. They had so much fun that they didn’t notice that Tyler’s house was a crime scene.

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“Still claiming innocence, Logan Storm sentenced to eight years in prison on child porn, failure-to-appear convictions,” by Helen Jung for The Oregonian

“Logan Storm slips ankle bracelet, flees hours after verdict on child porn charge,” by Helen Jung for The Oregonian

“Child porn convict dumps monitor,” Statesman Journal

“Former teacher, Logan Storm, sentenced to prison for possessing child pornography and failing to appear in court,” press release for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon

“Jury finds former teacher Logan Storm not guilty of groping girls in public pool,” by Aimee Green for The Oregonian

“Why did seven years pass before former teacher Logan Storm was tried for child molestation,” by Aimee Green for The Oregonian

The “Weathering the Storm” episode of “Who The Bleep Did I Marry?”

In this episode, Brandi pulled from:

“Tyler Hadley’s Killer Party” by Nathaniel Rich, Rolling Stone

“Best Friend ‘Ruined My Life’ When He Killed His Own Parents” by Sean Dooley, Jenner Smith, and Alexa Valiente, ABC News

“Murder of Blake and Mary Jo Hadley” wikipedia.org

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Rita Crundwell had just about everything. She owned multiple properties. A kick ass RV. 400 horses. A freezer full of horse semen. How did she support herself? Well, that depended on who you asked. Some people thought her parents had been early investors in Campbell’s Soup. Other people thought her side hustle brought in good money. One thing was certain -- Rita’s salary as the treasurer of Dixon, Illinois, wasn’t enough to cover her lavish lifestyle.

Then Brandi tells us a terrible story that begins in a doublewide trailer in Florida. The bank had recently foreclosed on the trailer. Neighbors said that the two sisters who occupied it hadn’t been there in months. But when a father and son crew arrived to clean it out, they discovered a horrible stench. The body of Debbie Burns had been wrapped in several blankets and a shower curtain. Her sister/caretaker, Barbara, was nowhere to be found.  

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

The documentary “All the Queen’s Horses” 

“Rita Crundwell” entry on Wikipedia

“The Saint: Barbara Burns was devoted to her disabled sister” by Lane DeGregory, Tampa Bay Times

“The Sacrifice: Barbara Burns wanted her life back, so she took another” by Lane DeGregory, Tampa Bay Times

“She cared for her sister her whole life. Then she killed her.” by Lane DeGregory, Tampa Bay Times

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Richard Henry Patterson was mortified. His girlfriend, Francisca Marquinez, was dead in his bed, and he knew exactly what was to blame. His sizable penis. He was certain she’d choked and died while performing oral sex. Richard was so embarrassed that he took a few days to call the police. At least… that’s the story he told them when they showed up.

Then Kristin tells us about the first and only criminal trial in the history of the United States Supreme Court. It all started in 1906 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A pretty white woman named Nevada Taylor was on her way home from work when a man attacked and raped her. She didn’t get a good look at her attacker. She knew he had a soft, gentle voice, strong arms, and… was maybe black? That was all Sheriff Joseph Shipp needed to hear. In fact, it was all that most white folks needed to hear. Soon after the reward money piled up, a sketchy man came forward with an incredible story. He was pretty sure he’d seen a black man who matched the attacker’s description near the scene of the crime, around the time of the crime, twirling the leather strap that the attacker had wrapped around Nevada’s neck. That man, apparently, was Ed Johnson.

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“Sheriff Shipp Trial,” by Douglas O. Linder for famous-trials.com

“Mrs. Daisy Hixon Divorced,” Chattanooga Daily Times, Sept. 28, 1907

“Miss Nevada Taylor Dies,” Chattanooga Daily Times, May 13, 1907

“Styles Linton Hutchins,” Tennessee State Government website

“Lynching of Ed Johnson,” entry on Wikipedia

“Lynching of Alfred Blount,” entry on Wikipedia

edjohnsonproject.com

“Ed Johnson Gravesite; Pleasant Garden Cemetery,” by Rob’s Randomness on YouTube

“Man accused of murder asks to show penis to jury in oral-sex choking defense” by Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel

“Florida man who claimed girlfriend choked during oral sex because of his over-sized manhood, is found NOT guilty of her murder” by Abigail Miller and Snejana Farberov, The Daily Mail

“"It needs to be erect": Accused murderer's bizarre defense” by Jackie Salo, New York Post

“Defense rests in man’s oral sex choking trial” by Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel

“Man who claimed girlfriend choked during oral sex acquitted in murder case” by Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel

“Margate man acquitted in murder case after oral-sex defense”by Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel

"Lawyer admits size never mattered in big-penis murder trial” by Jackie Salo, New York Post

“Man who murdered high-flying solicitor and claimed she choked to death while performing a sex act on him is jailed for life” The Daily Mail

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It was the mid-90’s and Sharon Lopatka was super into the brand spankin’ new world wide web. She launched a handful of online businesses. She chatted with newfound friends. She also explored her sexuality. The anonymity of the internet allowed Sharon to discuss some pretty kinky stuff. She went into chat rooms, looking for men to torture her to death. Some said yes, but backed away when the conversation shifted from fantasy to logistics. Then, Sharon found a guy who wasn’t scared. His name was Robert “Bobby” Glass. 

Then Brandi tells us a horrifying tale that took place right across from her salon. Robin Bell was the manager of a Dollar General in Bonner Springs, Kansas. One night in November of 2005, she planned to work late. The district manager was coming the next day, and she wanted the store to look perfect. But when her husband, Don, woke up in the middle of the night and found that Robin wasn’t in bed with him, he knew something had to be wrong. He drove straight to the Dollar General, using the exact route Robin should have taken back home. But he didn’t find her car along the side of the road. He found it in the store’s parking lot.

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“A date with death,” by Rachael Bell for the Crime Library

“Killer of Carroll woman dies in N.C. prison,” by Sheridan Lyons for the Baltimore Sun

“Take my life -- please,” Raleigh News and Observer, November 3, 1996

“A year later, family still wondering who killed Tonganoxie woman” by Jesse Truesdale, The Tonganoxie Mirror

“Bonner murder leaves lasting impression” by Nicole Kelley, The Basehor Sentinel

“Family attends hearing in murder case” by Bobbi Mlynar, The Emporia Gazette

“Jurors view grisly video of Dollar General crime scene” by Jesse Truesdale, The Basehor Sentinel

“Dollar General killers receive life in prison” by Nicole Kelley, The Chieftain

“Third defendant in 2005 Dollar General murder gets maximum juvenile sentence” by Nicole Kelley, The Lawrence Journal-World

“State v. Haberlein” caselaw.findlaw.com

“State v. Backus” caselaw.findlaw.com

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When Kathleen Schroll called her mom late one night in the spring of 2008, her voice shook with fear. She said that a man named Ollin “Pete” Coones was in her house. He’d stolen her lawn mower, and now he planned to kill Kathleen and her husband, Carl. Kathleen told her mom that Pete said “he has his tracks covered where no one will know who did it.” When police arrived at the Schroll home, it was too late. Carl and Kathleen were dead. So… Pete did it. Right?

In that same vein, Kristin tells a story that starts bad and gets so much worse. In 1913, Atlanta was rocked by the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan. Mary was killed at the National Pencil Company, where she worked long hours for little pay. The crime scene was littered with evidence, including bloody fingerprints, footprints, human feces, and two notes -- presumably written by Mary as she lay dying. Atlanta police rushed to solve the case, but didn’t go where the evidence led them. They went to Leo Frank, the factory’s superintendent.

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“Leo Frank,” famous-trials.com

“Leo Frank case,” New Georgia Encyclopedia

“Star witness in Frank case arrested here,” The Atlanta Constitution, October 21, 1941

“Frank case witness to be freed Nov. 15,” The Atlanta Constitution, November 5, 1941

“Jim Conley admits attempted at burglary,” The Atlanta Constitution, January 17, 1919

“Leo Frank,” entry on Wikipedia

“Did His Dad’s Caretaker Frame Him for Her Own Murder-Suicide?” By Rachel Olding, The Daily Beast

“Kansas man was framed in ‘Machiavellian’ murder-suicide scheme, lawyers argue” by Luke Nozicka, The Kansas City Star

“Olin “Pete” Coones v. State of Kansas, Motion To Vacate” Midwest Innocence Project

“KCK man goes free after 12 years in prison” by Luke Nozicka, The Kansas City Star

“Olin ‘Pete’ Coones Exonerated” Midwest Innocence Project

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Byron David Smith was in his basement on Thanksgiving Day, minding his own business when he heard a window break upstairs. Then he heard someone enter his home. Byron grabbed his gun and waited quietly as the intruder roamed the house. When the intruder came down the stairs, Byron fired his gun three times. The intruder, 17-year-old Nicholas Brady, died. Ten minutes later, another intruder entered Byron’s home. It was 18-year-old Haile Kifer. Byron killed her, too -- shooting her six times. On the surface, it seemed that Byron had acted within his legal rights. In Minnesota, a person may use deadly force to prevent a felony from taking place in their home or dwelling. But as investigators soon discovered, this case wasn’t clear cut, and Byron wasn’t as innocent as he seemed.  

Then Brandi tells us about a “normal, middle class family,” but we all know where this story is headed. Chris and Tina Lunney were living what appeared to be a pretty comfortable life in New Jersey. They had two children, and had asked Tina’s mother to come live with them. From the outside looking in, it seemed that everything was going well. But then one day, Tina called Chris in a panic. Her mother, Marie Zoppi, had died by suicide. She hadn’t seemed unhappy, but she’d taken her life. Or had she?

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“12 minutes on Elm street” episode of Dateline

“Court to announce jury’s verdict in Byron Smith murder trial,” by Ashli Overlund for WJON News

“MN Supreme Court upholds Byron Smith conviction,” by Allen Costantini for KARE 11

“Graphic audio released by courts of Byron Smith as he guns down two teens in his Minnesota basement,” Associated Press

“Little Falls man found guilty on all four counts of murder,” Associated Press 

“Castle Doctrine,” entry on Wikipedia

“Byron David Smith killings,” entry on Wikipedia 

“Byron David Smith,” entry on Murderpedia

“Tina Lunney” episode Snapped

“State of New Jersey v. Tina Lunney” law.justia.com

“Prosecutor: Fairfield woman killed mother, 81, staged it to look like a suicide” by Julia Terruso, The Star-Ledger

“Husband reads letter to jurors where wife confesses to murdering her mother” by Julia Terruso, The Star-Ledger

“Fairfield woman told police she strangled mother with necktie” by Julia Terruso, The Star-Ledger

“Jury convicts Fairfield woman of strangling her mother” by Julia Terruso, The Star-Ledger

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When Bruce Rouse didn’t show up for work one summer morning in 1980, his employees immediately knew something was up. So they called his house and Bruce’s teenage children went to their parents’ master bedroom to check on them. But the scene in their parents’ bedroom was shocking. Their mom, Darlene, had been shot in the face. Their dad, Bruce, had been shot in the face, too. He’d also been beaten and stabbed. A sheet covered their bodies. Who could have done such a thing? (This is a total Brandi case, so we’ll give you one guess.)

Then Kristin tells us about Julia Phillips -- a Southern lady who was pumped to celebrate her birthday. She got a bunch of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, bought some sexy new lingerie from Victoria’s Secret and headed to her boyfriend, Melvin Roberts’ house. But as she was getting out of her car, a man came up from behind her. He was black. Or was he hispanic. He had an accent. Maybe Indian? It was all a blur as the mystery man wrapped duct tape around her wrists, legs, eyes and mouth.  

And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.

“Death in the Driveway” episode of Dateline

“Julia Phillips, convicted killer of former York Mayor Melvin Roberts, dies at age 72,” by Andrew Dys for the Herald 

“Prosecution Rests its Case,” by Jonathan McFadden for the Herald 

“Phillips found guilty; sentenced to life,” by Jonathan McFadden for the Herald 

“Family Secrets” by Mark Gribben, The Malefactor’s Register

“Murder Mansion: The Shotgun Slaying of Bruce and Darlene Rouse” by Tori Richards, The Crime Library

“Murder Thy Father and Thy Mother” by Marie Kusters-McCarthy, Crime Magazine

“Man Confesses To Brutally Murdering Parents 15 Years After Squandering His Inheritance” by Benjamin H. Smith, Oxygen

“Rouse’s Defense Tries To Implicate His Brother” by Shirley Salemy, Chicago Tribune

“Judge Gives Rouse 80 Years, Wishes It Were More” by Gary Mays, Chicago Tribune