Once Upon A Crime

Before he became the legendary—and notoriously volatile—frontman of Guns N’ Roses, Axl Rose was a troubled kid from Lafayette, Indiana, with a childhood marked by family secrets, abuse, and rebellion.

In this special Rocktober episode, we explore the life behind the rock-star persona—from Axl's turbulent upbringing and repeated run-ins with the law to his meteoric rise with Guns N’ Roses, infamous onstage meltdowns, and eventual return to the spotlight.

But a darker chapter of Axl Rose's family history may surprise even longtime fans.

In 1984, Axl's estranged biological father, William Bruce “Bill” Rose, was brutally murdered. For nearly three years, the crime remained a secret, until a frightened teenager revealed what had happened inside his family's home.

It's a shocking story of jealousy, revenge, domestic violence, and two courageous children who helped bring a killer to justice.

Join us as we uncover the troubled history of one of rock's most controversial frontmen—and the little-known murder that became part of his family's legacy.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Once Upon a Crime, Season 6, Episode 257: Bands Gone Wild: Guns N’ Roses and the Riverport Riot

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s6-ep257-bands-gone-wild-guns-n-roses-and-the-riverport-riot/

Once Upon a Crime, Season 3, Episodes 122-123: Murder Memories: Eileen Franklin 

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s3-ep122-murder-memories-eileen-franklin-part-1/ 

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s3-ep122-murder-memories-eileen-franklin-part-1/ 

Sources: 

Axl Rose: Biography, childhood, and musical career

Rolling Stone — Axl Rose: The Rolling Stone Interview — Axl discusses his childhood, family relationships, emotional struggles, and therapy.

The Guardian — Guns N’ Roses feature (2008)

Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N’ Roses — Stephen Davis.

Mockingbird — The Secret History of William Axl Rose, Part 1

Axl Rose — Biographical reference

Billboard — The Billboard Q&A: Axl Rose

The murder of Bill Rose, the Faulkner family

The Southern Illinoisan — Daughter Who Helped Convict Her Father for Murder Tells Story in Memoir

The Rose Among Thorns — Valerie Faulkner's memoir recounting her family's experiences and her role in bringing her father to justice.

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Axl Rose, American Cults & Mexico’s ‘Reformed’ Serial Killer - Welcome to Spooky Season on Once Upon a Crime!  

Spooky Season has arrived on Once Upon a Crime! October is Esther’s favorite month, and this year we’re celebrating with a lineup of stories exploring murder, music, mind control... and one of the most unusual serial killer cases we’ve ever covered.

Coming this month: the troubled early life of Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, beginning with the little-known story of his father’s murder; a fascinating conversation with Harrison Hill, author of The Oracle’s Daughter: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult, about high-control groups and the leaders who manipulate them; and the extraordinary story of Mexican serial killer Gregorio “Goyo” Cárdenas Hernández, who became a celebrity and convinced many that he had been rehabilitated.

Plus, Dark Topic’s Jack Luna returns to Once Upon a Crime to help Esther unravel Goyo’s remarkable story.

Subscribe now and get ready for a very dark, and very different October.

🎃 Welcome to Spooky Season on Once Upon a Crime!

Bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes videos & more:

Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/onceuponacrime.

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Taylor Parker presented herself as a hardworking Texas country girl, a devoted girlfriend, an heiress to a family fortune—and soon, an excited mother-to-be.

There was just one problem.

Much of it wasn't true.

Taylor wasn't an heiress. The millions she promised her boyfriend didn't exist. And despite the ultrasound photos, maternity pictures, growing belly, gender reveal, and nursery, Taylor wasn't pregnant—and couldn't become pregnant.

But as her supposed due date came and went, Taylor was running out of ways to keep the deception alive.

On October 9, 2020, 21-year-old Reagan Simmons-Hancock—35 weeks pregnant with her second daughter—was murdered inside her New Boston, Texas, home. Taylor then attempted to pass Reagan's baby off as her own.

In this episode of Once Upon a Crime, we examine the years of deception that preceded the murder and ask a larger question: What happens when maintaining the person you've invented becomes more important than admitting the truth?

We'll explore Taylor Parker's history of fabricating illnesses, wealth, crises, and relationships; the extraordinary lengths she went to in order to convince boyfriend Wade Griffin that she was pregnant; and the prosecution's contention that the fake pregnancy was part of Taylor's desperate effort to keep him from leaving her.

We'll also look beyond the Netflix documentary Maternal Instinct to examine Taylor's background and family relationships, as well as the conflicting psychological and neurological testimony presented during the penalty phase of her trial.

As Wade Griffin would later say of Taylor:

"She painted a pretty picture."

But when that picture began to fall apart, Reagan Simmons-Hancock and her daughter, Braxlynn, would pay an unimaginable price.

Content Warning: This episode discusses the murder of a pregnant woman, fetal abduction, pregnancy loss, and violence. Some listeners may find the subject matter particularly distressing.

Sources & Further Reading

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — Parker v. State of Texas (2025)

The court's opinion affirming Taylor Parker's capital murder conviction and death sentence. This is an especially valuable source for the trial evidence, prosecution theory, testimony concerning Parker's deceptions, and issues raised on appeal.

Read the court opinion via Justia

Netflix — Maternal Instinct

Jessica Dimmock's 2026 documentary examines the Taylor Parker case through interviews, law-enforcement footage, and people directly affected by Parker's deceptions and crimes.

Maternal Instinct — Netflix Tudum

Netflix Tudum — Maternal Instinct Director Interview

Director Jessica Dimmock discusses the case, fetal abduction, and questions surrounding Parker's psychological evaluation.

Read the director interview

KTAL/NBC 6 — Taylor Parker Trial Coverage

Extensive local reporting from Parker's capital murder trial, including testimony from former boyfriend Wade Griffin and other witnesses.

https://www.ktalnews.com/news/crime/taylor-parker-trial/ex-boyfriend-takes-stand-in-taylor-parker-capital-murder-trial/

KTLA/Nexstar — Red Flags Revealed During Taylor Parker Trial

Reporting on testimony concerning Parker's false pregnancy and the suspicions raised by people close to her and Griffin.

https://ktla.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/red-flags-revealed-in-trial-of-woman-accused-of-killing-woman-unborn-child/

TIME — The True Story Behind Maternal Instinct

Background reporting published in connection with the release of the Netflix documentary.

https://time.com/article/2026/06/12/maternal-instinct-true-story-netflix/

Yahoo — Taylor Parker Family Guide

Additional background concerning Parker's family, relationships, and personal history.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/taylor-parker-family-guide-everything-181259347.html

The Tab — Taylor Parker's Childhood and Family Background

Supplemental reporting about Parker's upbringing and testimony concerning her family history.

https://thetab.com/2026/06/18/details-about-taylor-parkers-childhood-and-trauma-you-should-know-after-maternal-instinct

The Tab — Taylor Parker Hospital Interrogation

Additional reporting concerning Parker's statements and behavior at the hospital following the crime.

https://thetab.com/2026/06/17/full-video-of-taylor-parkers-hospital-interrogation-is-worse-than-what-was-in-maternal-instinct

Additional Background

Wikipedia — Murder of Reagan Simmons-Hancock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Reagan_Simmons-Hancock

Support Once Upon a Crime on Patreon:

patreon.com/onceuponacrime

Patreon members get access to monthly bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, videos, ad-free episodes, blooper reels, and more—starting at just $5 per month.

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In July 2022, 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla was behind the wheel of a car that slammed into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio, at nearly 100 miles per hour. Her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic “Dom” Russo, and their friend, 19-year-old Davion Flanagan, were killed. Mackenzie survived.

What initially appeared to be a horrific accident soon became a double-murder investigation.

Mackenzie maintained that she couldn't remember the moments before the crash, and her defense raised the possibility that a medical condition caused her to black out. But investigators pointed to surveillance footage, vehicle data showing full acceleration and no braking in the final seconds, and troubling evidence from Mackenzie's relationship with Dom. She was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

The 2026 Netflix documentary The Crash introduced the case—and Mackenzie herself—to a much wider audience. But in this episode of Once Upon a Crime, we look beyond the question of accident or murder to examine the contrasting images of Mackenzie Shirilla.

There was the Mackenzie she presented on social media: a fashion-loving, rebellious would-be influencer seemingly devoted to her longtime boyfriend.

There was the Mackenzie investigators and prosecutors said existed behind the screen: a volatile and controlling girlfriend whose private messages and recorded interactions with Dom told a much darker story.

And then there is the Mackenzie the public sees today—the convicted murderer whose old TikToks, behavior after the crash, and first prison interview have been dissected by millions of strangers searching for evidence of guilt, innocence, or remorse.

Who was the real Mackenzie Shirilla? And how much can social media—or even a documentary—really tell us about the person behind the image?

****

truecrimepodcast.com - For links to all our social media channels and Patreon. 

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Resources

Netflix — The Crash

The 2026 documentary examines the crash, investigation, trial, and competing accounts of what happened, and includes Mackenzie Shirilla's first public interview from prison.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81941710

Netflix Tudum — The Crash: The Case and Documentary

Background on Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan, the investigation, surveillance and vehicle evidence, trial, and interviews featured in the documentary.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-crash-release-date-news

Netflix Tudum — Mackenzie Shirilla Speaks from Prison

More about Mackenzie's interview for The Crash, her claim that the collision was not intentional, the POTS defense, and the role her social-media history played in perceptions of the case.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-crash-where-is-mackenzie-shirilla-now

Netflix Tudum — Mackenzie and Dom's Text Messages

The filmmakers discuss thousands of text messages and recorded calls released by Strongsville police and what they reveal about the relationship between Mackenzie and Dom.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-crash-mackenzie-shirilla-text-messages

Ohio Court of Appeals — State v. Shirilla, 2026-Ohio-830

The March 2026 appellate decision affirming the dismissal of Shirilla's petition for post-conviction relief.

https://law.justia.com/cases/ohio/eighth-district-court-of-appeals/2026/115101.html

Time Magazine - “The Harrowing True Story Behind ‘The Crash’” 

https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/the-crash-true-story/

People - “Mackenzie Shirilla Loses Last Chance to Appeal Murder Conviction at State Level” 

https://people.com/mackenzie-shirilla-loses-last-chance-to-appeal-murder-conviction-state-level-12094674

Criminally Obsessed - “Mackenzie Shirilla ‘Loves Being Hated”: Forensic Psychologist Reacts to Netflix’s ‘The Crash’ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPoybP5gE8Y

If you or someone you know is experiencing dating abuse:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

https://www.thehotline.org

Call 800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.

Sources and additional reading: Netflix/Tudum, Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, court records and materials cited in the episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode, Esther shares the complete interview with journalist Annette McGivney, author of Plastic Shaman: The True Story of a Deadly Self-Help Retreat and America’s Misguided Quest for Wellness, expanding on the 2009 Sedona sweat lodge tragedy and self-help guru James Arthur Ray.

McGivney details Ray’s rise from 1990s business motivational speaking to fame via The Secret and Oprah, his blending of secular “prosperity gospel” with spirituality, and prior warning incidents of heat illness before 2009.

They discuss why attendees stayed in the dangerously hot lodge (cost, credibility, coercion, impaired thinking), staff dynamics, and profiles of victims Kirby Brown, Liz Newman, and James Shore.

The conversation also covers commercialization and appropriation of Indigenous ceremonies, the term “plastic shaman,” Ray’s post-prison comeback and lack of regulation, his 2025 death, McGivney’s personal wellness journey, red flags, and the Seek Safely resource

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2009, self-help superstar James Arthur Ray invited dozens of followers to a six-day retreat near Sedona, Arizona, promising a life-changing journey of spiritual transformation. Instead, his Spiritual Warrior program ended in tragedy when three participants—Kirby Brown, James Shore, and Liz Neuman—died following an extreme sweat lodge ceremony.

Once Upon a Crime first covered the case in 2019 as part of our Deadly Therapy series. Now, Esther revisits the story with new insight from journalist and author Annette McGivney, whose new book, Plastic Shaman: The True Story of a Deadly Self-Help Retreat and America’s Misguided Quest for Wellness, takes a deeper look at the tragedy and the culture that allowed it.

Throughout the episode, Annette discusses her years of research into the case, the warning signs that preceded the deaths, the psychological pressure that kept participants pushing past their physical limits, and Ray’s appropriation of Indigenous spiritual traditions. The case also raises a question that remains relevant today: When does the pursuit of self-improvement cross the line into exploitation—and how do we recognize a dangerous guru before it’s too late?

Patreon Bonus: You’ll hear excerpts from Esther’s conversation with Annette throughout this episode. Once Upon a Crime Patreon members can hear the complete, uncut interview with Annette McGivney, where she shares more about her investigation, the people at the center of the tragedy, and what the Sedona case can teach us about today’s self-help and wellness industry.

Become a member starting at just $5 per month at patreon.com/onceuponacrime.

Featured Book:

Plastic Shaman: The True Story of a Deadly Self-Help Retreat and America’s Misguided Quest for Wellness by Annette McGivney

https://www.torreyhouse.org/plastic-shaman 

https://azdailysun.com/flaglive/annette-mcgivney-dives-into-impacts-of-self-help-schemes-with-new-book-plastic-shaman/article_42b52fe1-5d6d-4c40-9693-dd2dd468307e.html

Support the show by visiting our sponsors! 

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In this bonus episode of Once Upon a Crime, we ask a disturbing question: did the Scott Peterson case inspire other men to murder their wives?

We examine the cases of Lori Hacking, Jennifer Corbin, and Teresa Lane, three women whose murders shared striking similarities with the Peterson case. In some instances, the connection went beyond coincidence. One killer reportedly followed Peterson’s trial closely, while another allegedly referenced Peterson directly before murdering his wife.

We also turn the question around: could Scott Peterson himself have been influenced by earlier disappearances and murders that occurred while he was a college student in San Luis Obispo?

From staged accidents and disappearances to the dangerous myth of “no body, no crime,” this bonus episode explores how high-profile murder cases can become cautionary tales... or, in the wrong hands, criminal blueprints.

Sources: 

Erased: Missing Women, Murdered Wives, Marilee Strong, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2008. 

“Death and the Dentist,” Rob Stafford for NBC News, October 18, 2006

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15253153

“Thomas Lane, convicted of wife’s murder, sentenced to death,” Jared Boyd, AL.com, June 7, 2016.  

https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2016/06/mobile_man_accused_of_killing_3.html

Thomas Robert Lane v. State of Alabama, Feb. 5, 2010, accessed on Findlaw.com. 

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/al-court-of-criminal-appeals/1507261.html

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In Part Two of Scott Peterson Revisited, Esther is joined by her sister Yolanda to take a closer look at the claims now being made on behalf of convicted murderer Scott Peterson.

In 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project announced that it was investigating Peterson’s claims of actual innocence. The following year, his attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that new evidence and scientific analysis undermined key elements of the prosecution’s case. A judge rejected those claims in April 2026, but the LA Innocence Project has said it plans to appeal.

Now Esther and Yolanda reopen the case for themselves.

Together, they examine the major arguments being presented as evidence of Peterson’s innocence: the burglary across the street from the Peterson home, witnesses who claimed they saw Laci walking her dog after Scott left that morning, new theories about where Laci and Conner entered San Francisco Bay, evidence suggesting Laci may have known about Scott’s fishing boat, and questions surrounding when Conner died.

They also revisit allegations that investigators developed tunnel vision and ignored evidence that didn’t fit their theory of the crime. What actually caused detectives to focus their attention on Scott? Were other leads adequately investigated? And does the so-called “new evidence” meaningfully change the circumstantial case that led a jury to convict him?

More than two decades after Laci and Conner Peterson were murdered, Esther and Yolanda separate what’s new from what has been argued before, challenge each other’s assumptions, and ask the question at the heart of Scott Peterson’s latest bid for freedom:

Is there truly new evidence of innocence — or simply a new way of presenting an old defense?

Content warning

This episode discusses the murder of a pregnant woman and the death of an unborn child.

Links to our original episodes:

This episode revisits research originally presented in Episodes 71 and 72 of Once Upon a Crime in 2017, along with subsequent court rulings and the claims presented by the Los Angeles Innocence Project in Scott Peterson: The New Evidence.

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s2-ep71-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-1/

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s2-ep72-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-2/

Other resources: 

People Magazine article (with photos of van, “Laci note” with handwriting comparison, etc.) 

https://people.com/pieces-forensic-evidence-could-lead-scott-peterson-freedom-exclusive-12014816?hid=bc2984855ed727914fef22dff40e20764d844358&did=24648672-20260713&utm_source=ppl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ppl-true-crime_newsletter&utm_content=071326&lctg=bc2984855ed727914fef22dff40e20764d844358&lr_input=f39d77450fcf063cdc7d94fda7ecdf5efd39306fc49121111e7af41f018cc829&campaign=18955543 

For Laci: A Mother’s Story of Love, Loss, and Justice, Sharon Rocha, Crown Publishers, 2006. 

YouTube: Crime & Justice, “Scott Peterson Case: Lead Detective Dismantles “New Evidence” Claims

https://youtu.be/a5qvh_KVvW0?si=hSlZWEh6DcvzcgY_

YouTube: East Idaho News, “Homicide Detective Jon Buehler and legal analyst Beth Karas on the truth about Scott Peterson”

https://youtu.be/U8OlJsSdWxM?si=t7mRvJluYIhjv8LB

https://www.stanislaus-da.org/pdf/news/2026/press-release-05-12-2026-SPeterson.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawTJwBZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR573on0mjwU15IxHrPF2s_dROtgKY4mxWsO_FbqPJzGzGd_qwChWikSZPIFiw_aem_UvmC6ZEk7nqxD9jDoOFt7A

Los Angeles Innocence Project Court Filings: 

Notice of Motion for DNA Testing, Jan 17, 2024 

 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ev6pivmu5f34w0f4fsj4c/1405-DNA-Motion.pdf?rlkey=3a2im5v5osa1b6jxjb739b3hj&e=1&dl=0

Notice of Motion for Post-Conviction Discovery, Jan 17, 2024

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wa5itop6v4mxgx5bdojqc/1054.9-Discovery-Motion_Redacted.pdf?rlkey=api1iepe8sw96utwe2aiy3j1x&e=1&dl=0

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode of Scott Peterson Revisited, we look beyond the evidence to examine the man at the center of the case. Was Scott Peterson capable of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner?

We explore Scott’s family history, childhood, relationships, repeated infidelities, and carefully cultivated image as the family’s “Golden Boy” and “Mr. Perfect.” We also consider the patterns of deception and compartmentalization that emerged throughout his life and ask whether they offer clues to how he could commit such a devastating crime—and continue to deny responsibility more than two decades later.

Unmasking Scott Peterson examines the man behind the carefully constructed image and asks: What happens when maintaining the mask becomes more important than confronting reality?

Content warning

This episode discusses the murder of a pregnant woman and the death of an unborn child.

Sources and further listening

Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson, Keigh Ablow, M.D., St. Martin’s Press, 2005.

Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage, and the Mind of the Killer Spouse, Dr. Robi Ludwig and Matt Birkbeck, Atria Books, 2006.

When the Husband is the Suspect, F. Lee Bailey with Jean Rabe, A Forge Book, 2008. 

Witness for the Prosecution of Scott Peterson, Amber Frey, Regan Books, 2005. 

For Laci: A Mother’s Story of Love, Loss, and Justice, Sharon Rocha, Crown Publishers, 2006. 

Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson is Guilty, Anne Bird, Regan Books, 2005. 

“Fun and unpredictable, that was the real Laci,” Diana Walsh for The San Francisco Chronicle, May 30, 2004. 

“William “Kent” Gains - December 8, 1972 - August 21, 2021, Epilogg.com. 

Links to our original episodes: 

This episode revisits research originally presented in Episodes 71 and 72 of Once Upon a Crime in 2017. 

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s2-ep71-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-1/

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s2-ep72-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-2/

Sponsors: 

See a list of our sponsors and discount codes on our website:

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/sponsors/

Links: 

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Our Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com 

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YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast

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Twenty-three years after the murders of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, the case against Scott Peterson is once again under scrutiny.

In January 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project announced that it was representing Peterson and investigating his claims of actual innocence. Since then, his attorneys have filed new challenges to his conviction, arguing that previously overlooked evidence and new scientific analysis undermine the prosecution’s case.

In July 2026, A&E aired the two-part documentary Scott Peterson: The New Evidence, produced by the Los Angeles Innocence Project, bringing many of these claims back into the national conversation.

In Part One of this two-part series, we’ll revisit the case from the beginning and examine the evidence that originally led investigators to focus on Scott Peterson.

We review the timeline surrounding Laci’s disappearance on Christmas Eve 2002, Scott’s secret relationship with Amber Frey, the investigation that followed, and the discovery of Laci and Conner’s remains months later near the area where Scott said he had been fishing.

We’ll also look at the legal history of the case after Scott’s conviction, including the California Supreme Court’s decision to overturn his death sentence, his resentencing to life without parole, and the more recent efforts by the Los Angeles Innocence Project to reopen the case.

Content warning

This episode discusses the murder of a pregnant woman and the death of an unborn child.

Sources and further listening

This episode revisits research originally presented in Episodes 71 and 72 of Once Upon a Crime in 2017, along with subsequent court rulings and the claims presented by the Los Angeles Innocence Project in Scott Peterson: The New Evidence.

Links to our original episodes: 

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s2-ep71-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-1/

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s2-ep72-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-2/

Coming next

In Part 2, Esther and her sister, Yolanda, evaluate the new innocence claims one by one and discuss whether any of them materially change the evidence against Scott Peterson.

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