When a well-to-do couple named Charles and Lois Hitchcock are discovered hacked to death on their fruit farm in Garden Grove, California in January of 1888, suspicions quickly turn to an itinerant German, who has been looking to buy a property in the area.  

This is a special "this day in true crime history" episode of Most Notorious, narrated by Erik Rivenes. 

References:  

Los Angeles Evening Express, 1/27/1888, p. 5.

Los Angeles Times, 1/27/1888 p. 4. 

Los Angeles Evening Express, 1/28/1888 p. 5

Los Angeles Times, 1/28/1888 p. 4

Los Angeles Herald, 2/1/1888 p. 2, 4.

Los Angeles Evening Express, 2/18/1888 p. 5

Los Angeles Herald, 2/19/1888 p. 2

Los Angeles Herald 3/16/88 p. 4

Los Angeles Evening Express, 10/22/1888 p. 8

Los Angeles Evening Express, 11/2/1888 p. 1

Los Angeles Evening Express, 11/15/1888 p. 1 

Los Angeles Herald 11/15/1888 p. 1

Orange County history: http://www.ocalmanac.com/History/hi01d.htm

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The Creek War is one of the most tragic episodes in American history, leading to the greatest loss of Native American life on what is now U.S. soil. What began as a vicious internal conflict among the Creek Indians metastasized like a cancer. The ensuing Creek War of 1813-1814 shattered Native American control of the Deep South and led to the infamous Trail of Tears, in which the government forcibly removed the southeastern Indians from their homeland. The war also gave Andrew Jackson his first combat leadership role, and his newfound popularity after defeating the Creeks would set him on the path to the White House.

My guest is international award-winning author Peter Cozzens. His book "A Brutal Reckoning: Andrew Jackson, the Creek Indians, and the Epic War for the American South" is the third in his trilogy about America's westward expansion.

Visit the author's website here: https://www.petercozzens.net/

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Prolific Australian crime writer Roy Maloy is my guest this week. He gives us the scoop on the complex and violent legacy of Melbourne gangster Squizzy Taylor. Highlights include Squizzy's marriage to notorious madam Dolly Gray, the infamous 1919 Fitzroy Vendetta, and his own bloody death at the hands of his rivals. 

His book is called "Squizzy - The Biography: The Forensics - The Man - The Vendetta." 

The author's Linktree page: https://linktr.ee/RoyMaloy

The author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/roymaloy

The author's TikTok account: https://www.tiktok.com/@roymaloy4

Readers in the United States can buy the book through Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Squizzy-Biography-Forensics-Man-Vendetta/dp/1716377986/

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Four-time guest and author Kimberly Tilley joins me once again, this time to talk about two unsolved historical mysteries. First, she tells the story of nineteen-year-old Lillian Hawkins, who was harassed by a murderous stalker in turn-of-the-twentieth century Ohio. Then we're off to 1920 Los Angeles, where a bit-part Hollywood actress named Ruby Reed was brutally slain in her home. 

More about Lillian Hawkins' wild story here: https://oldspirituals.com/2023/06/29/mysterious-persecution-1/

More about Ruby Reed's murder and investigation here:   https://oldspirituals.com/2023/08/13/ruby-murder-1/

"Love's Old Sweet Song" by Irene Pavloska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIvz5zEaRBw&t=17s

This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to https://www.hellofresh.com/notoriousfree to get free breakfast for life! (One breakfast item per box while subscription is active.)

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In this Most Notorious holiday re-release, we revisit an interview that got a lot of attention when it first aired. This is my interview with Lise Pearlman about the fascinating research she did in the infamous 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping, and her jaw-dropping conclusions about who was really behind it all.

More information on Lise and her books can be found at her website here: www.lisepearlman.com

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One of the most colorful criminals in 19th-century California history was a man that you may not have ever heard of - Charley Flynn, aka Charles Mortimer. Flynn was a charmer and a ne'er-do-well whose life was something right out of a movie - a seemingly non-stop series of dramatic robberies and daring escapes. Flynn's activities turned terribly violent, however, after partnering with fellow criminal Carrie Jones, and culminated in two horrific murders and his eventual execution.

My guest is author and editor of the Wild West History Association Journal, Matthew Bernstein. He joins me to talk about his book "Hanging Charley Flynn: The Short and Violent Life of the Boldest Criminal in Frontier California".

More about the author and his work here: https://www.unmpress.com/9780826365040/hanging-charley-flinn/

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It was a chilly December night in 1956 when young Barbara and Patricia Grimes, dedicated fans of Elvis Presley, set out to watch "Love Me Tender" for the eleventh time. Their disappearance sparked a desperate search, fueled by countless sightings and reports. Yet, despite the intense media frenzy and police efforts, the case was riddled by confusion, misinformation, and potential corruption that have obscured the truth for decades.

In this episode, we discuss the web of possible suspects, including the enigmatic figure of Benny Bedwell, the rumors of sex trafficking rings, and the disturbing confessions that only added layers to this mystery. Author and historian Troy Taylor is my guest, and he offers his insights from his book "The Two Lost Girls: The Mystery of the Grimes Sisters".

The author's website: https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/

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On Monday, February 13, 1905, eight- year-old Kenneth Beasley walked to the back of his school’s playground and into the melting snow of the woods beyond. He never returned. A massive search was undertaken for the North Carolina state senator’s son, and a reward was offered. Despite clues, rumors and even a ransom note, he was never found.

A year and a half later, a political rival hurriedly was charged. Accused of the most bizarre and twisted of plots, he faced a courtroom overflowing with jurors, star lawyers, spectators and newspaper reporters. The eventual verdict and stunning aftermath would rip apart two families and shock a state ... yet leave a mystery unsolved.

My guest is former criminal defense attorney Charles Oldham, author of "THE SENATORS SON: The Shocking Disappearance, The Celebrated Trial, and The Mystery That Remains A Century Later." 

More about the author and his work here:  https://beachglassbooks.com/books/the-senators-son

This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to https://www.hellofresh.com/notoriousfree to get free breakfast for life! (One breakfast item per box while subscription is active.)

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Few American criminals have captured the imagination of Hollywood like Charles Starkweather, a red-haired James Dean wannabe who murdered eleven people in 1957 and 58.  With him during most of his killing spree was his girlfriend (and possible accomplice) Caril Ann Fugate. Among the victims were Caril's own mother, step-father and little sister.

My guest, Edgar award winner and bestselling author Harry N. MacLean, knew the Starkweather family as a boy in Lincoln, Nebraska. One of his main goals in writing his book, "Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree that Changed America", was to examine more closely the question of whether 14-year-old Caril was complicit in the murders, or instead coerced by Starkweather to participate.

The author's website:   https://www.harrymaclean.com/

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Brighten the season and go to https://www.betterhelp.com/notorious to get 10% off of your first month.

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In my final interview of this Ripper series, I chat with Sarah Bax Horton, author of a recently published book called "One-Armed Jack: Uncovering the Real Jack the Ripper". Her prime suspect is Hyam Hyams, whose distinctive physical characteristics (including a stiff arm) match period eye-witness descriptions of the killer. She also has a personal connection to the story - her great-great grandfather was a police sergeant in Whitechapel during the Ripper murders.

The U.S. Amazon link to the author's book:  https://www.amazon.com/One-Armed-Jack-Uncovering-Real-Ripper/dp/178929536X

More about the author and her book here:  https://www.mombooks.com/book/one-armed-jack/

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