Murder In The Rain

Part 1: The Maximum Amount Of Damage

In Portland, an extortion letter threatening a bombing was received and in the process of being read when said bomb exploded inside a downtown department store. The search for the culprits stretched on for months before an unrelated case of mail fraud led investigators to a known grifter and his accomplice, whom he employed as 'his eyes', due to the lack of vision of his own. In part one of Explosive, I'll also thrill you with the story of Portland's own Liberty Bell and that time in 1970,  when it exploded. 

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Josh McCullough

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In the early morning hours of January 22nd, 2007 Karen Bodine’s body was discovered by a passerby at the entrance of a gravel pit in Rochester, Washington. Mere hours before, a police officer spoke to Karen and had the opportunity to make sure she got home safely to her family safely, but they didn’t. What happened to Karen Bodine? In this episode of Murder in the Rain, we sit down with Karlee Bodine to help us tell the story of her mother’s murder. We also get to hear from the new Thurston County Sheriff to learn just how he intends to deal with cases like Karen’s in the future. 

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Emily Rowney

To keep up with the Bodine family, you can follow the Justice for Karen Bodine Facebook page Justice for Karen Bodine

To support the Bodine family raise funds for a new billboard please consider making a purchase at lashgasms.com Use code Karen20 at checkout to get 20% off your order AND 20% of your purchase will go directly to the Karen Bodine Cold Case Fund.

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For a teen from California, the jarring Alaskan temperatures of late January were unbearable. Luckily, he had three guides there to help him stay warm and to show him the hunting traditions of their ancestors. The day after they began their adventure, the dark figure of the young man was spotted by hunters in a helicopter. Something had happened to his chaperones, and no one, not even the boy knew what had occurred. His story left Alaskan authorities wondering, who killed Oscar Henry, Freddy Jackson, and Clarence Arnold?

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Alisha Holland

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

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In Oregon's Umpqua National Forest, three officers responded to a report of an unknown party firing on a trailblazing crew, and when they arrived at the hand-built creekside cabin of the man they believed responsible, their suspect's Winchester rifle rang out and one of the officers was shot in the head and killed instantly. The shooter- a nearly-seventy-year-old-recluse, trapper, and gold prospector- fled the scene and vanished into the wilds, moving around the vast search area like a phantom- invisible to his pursuers and seemingly impossible to capture. This is the story of George Baker Dunkin: The Woodsman.

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Josh McCullough

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

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In the early 1980s, several adults came together and formed a “new light” bible study group in Grants Pass, Oregon. This was a group of Seventh-day Adventists who wanted to be more in tune with God. Eventually, the group welcomed sisters Sharon and Deborah Halstead, childhood friends of the leader’s husband who grew up with him in California. What started out as straightforward bible study morphed into what modern-day religious leaders would call Spiritualism or Voice Ministry, something that the church does not support. The group fractured and some members began following a very unlikely prophet, one who led them down a dark path of destruction and murder. 

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Emily Rowney

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

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Part 2: “Mental Condition Black”

Last week I told you about just a few of the incidents of officer-involved shootings so far this year. The first United States Climate Activist to be killed by authorities, Tyre Nichols, whose death and the subsequent charges to stem from it are being looked at as a blueprint for change. And the three men, Oscar Sanchez, Keenan Anderson, and Takar Smith, who were killed in Los Angeles within 48 hours of each other. Today, I’ll be focusing on one case, that of Manuel Ellis of Tacoma. His beating and restraint-induced death was horrific, but hope remains that the responsible parties will face justice. 

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Alisha Holland

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

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Part 1 "Who Do You Serve"

We had all hoped, perhaps with naive hearts, that the brutal murder of George Floyd, the protests that followed, and the new expectations surrounding inclusion and anti-racism by the ‘woke’ crowd would have meant the killing of Americans, especially of color, by police, would have been lessened if not nearly eradicated. Sadly, predictably, 2022 saw a record number of police-involved killings. Already in 2023, there seems to have been a rash of incidents. One killing in Tacoma, Washington, was lost to the news cycle and the sheer number of incidents. Today, in part one of two, I’ll be talking about just a few of the multiple officer-involved shootings so far this year. 

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Alisha Holland

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

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Often we hear of mass shooters taking their lives in the wake of a rampage to avoid being killed by cops or going to jail. But far more often, instances of murder-suicide are intimate and personal. In this week’s case, we discuss the murders of Mitra Mehrabadi, James 'JJ' Hurtado, and Lisa Stevie Haynes and the deaths of Jim Morgan, Kenneth Valdez, Jason Huston, and Terry Daniel. 

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Josh McCullough

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

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On February 18th, 1992, the decomposed body of a man was discovered in the waters near the Black River parkway in Cape Town, South Africa. As the area is rife with gang activity  it was initially theorized that the man was yet another victim of gang gun violence, but they soon discovered he had a very unique wound; a crossbow through his head. Using a new technique  to help identify the body, they were able to identify him as Victor Graham Chatburn from Kraaifontein, a northern suburb of Western Cape Town. As investigators dug into who could have killed the married father, a truly shocking story unfolded. 

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Emily Rowney

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members of at least $5/mo, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

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Today’s case was one that was requested. Unlike most that are sent to us, we received many requests for it to be covered, and for good reason. When Aron left his camping party to go on a solo hike, it was nothing out of the ordinary. His friends started to worry when he wasn’t back in time for dinner, something very out of the ordinary. Things only got worse from there when he and his puppy were found dead on a trail. Confessions have been made and stories told, yet no one has been arrested and no one knows why. This is the story of Aron Christenson and Buzz and how the Lewis County Sheriff's office has left his friends and family with more questions than answers.

To support the family and friends seeking Justice for Aron Christensen, please consider donating to their GoFundMe. 

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. 

Episode Host: Alisha Holland

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members of at least $5/mo, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

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