In this special Halloween episode, horror comes to a family in the middle of the night.  But unlike ghostly tales, this was all too real and was the last thing they’d ever expected as they invited the monster into their home. 

Resources: 

https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-suspect-allegedly-bludgeoned-victims-3217121.php

https://www.therotundaonline.com/remembering-associate-professor-of-sociology-dr-debra-s-kelley/article_2fab25df-a3f5-527c-ba59-cf14588b4e00.html

Slain mom, teen had counseling over music - https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32992286

Links: 

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

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime 

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

In July 1993, Mia Zapata, a rising star in the genre of punk rock music, joined what is morbidly referred to as “The 27 Club” - artists and celebrities whose lives ended at the age of 27. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse all qualify. But like other members of this unfortunate club, Mia Zapata didn’t die as the result of a drug overdose or by her own hand.  She was murdered on the streets of Seattle just before she reached success with her band, The Gits.

In this episode, I’ll detail the life, death, and lasting legacy of Mia Zapata.

Resources: 

Mia Zapata and The Gits: A Story of Art, Rock, and Revolution, Steve Moriarty, (2024) https://amzn.to/3T2cjgv 

https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a44362322/a-cross-between-janis-joplin-and-johnny-rotten-remembering-mia-zapata-of-the-gits/

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/mia-zapata-murderer-dead-1170206/

https://web.archive.org/web/20130406042509/http://thegits.com/?page_id=410

https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/singer-s-killer-gets-37-years-1143741.php

“Mia: Mia Zapata left her Louisville roots for a shot at success with her band, The Gits. But death ended her dream, and her killer is still at large,” James Nold, Jr., The Courier-Journal, Oct. 9, 1993. 

Links: 

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

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime 

Our website: www.truecrimepodcast.com 

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In 1975, a renowned drummer who played with some of the most prominent artists of the 1960s and ‘70s was found shot and killed after an apparent botched robbery. 

But some suspected Al Jackson, Jr. had been set up for murder.  Was his soon-to-be ex-wife involved in his slaying? Was a friend’s relationship with a wanted fugitive to blame?  Or was he privy to sensitive music business information that made him a target? 

Resources: 

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/25/al-jackson-jr-memphis-sunset-the-mysterious-death-of-stax-heartbeat 

http://staxrecords.free.fr/aljacksonpage.htm

https://torontosun.com/news/world/hunter-murder-music-and-the-memphis-sound-of-stax-volt

http://vancouverdrummer.blogspot.com/2017/09/al-jackson.html

Links: 

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime 

Our website: www.truecrimepodcast.com 

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In this episode, a young Ohio man begins playing music before he is barely out of diapers. He and his brothers would form a band and shoot to the top of the charts. They were hometown heroes and certified music stars, but a baffling turn of events would end in a double tragedy.  

This is chapter one in the Rocktober series, “Murdered Musicians” - Zapped - The Life and Death of Funk Musician Roger. 

Resources: 

https://www.dayton.com/news/local/icon-lost-one-dayton-most-gut-wrenching-murders-years-ago/g0LamsZlgO9s7NvR6Ar6cM/

https://www.daytondailynews.com/what-to-know/troutman-brothers-shot-dead-recording-artist-believed-victim-in-murder-suicide/HDHRGKMFV5BP5DQVK53FIE7DX4/

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/zapp-brothers-found-dead-90905/

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/photos-roger-troutman-and-the-legendary-zapp-band-through-the-years/s5jkHsjNadR3ym8L3YLK9H/

https://vimeopro.com/user15889254/unsung/video/301288752 

https://www.grunge.com/931330/the-tragic-1999-murder-of-funk-legend-roger-troutman-explained/

https://ohtravel88.wordpress.com/2020/06/14/the-tragic-stories-of-roger-larry-troutman-and-ray-combs/

Links: 

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

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On a dark night in April 1989, a young man named Chip Flynn was shot in a Florida orange grove. His ex-girlfriend Kim was the only surviving witness and claimed a Black man had robbed, kidnapped, and killed Chip. A year later, Crosley Green was sentenced to death by an all-white jury for Flynn's murder. After 32 years behind bars, a judge ruled Green was wrongfully convicted — so why is he still in prison? Here’s a preview of the new “48 Hours” podcast, “Murder in the Orange Grove: The Troubled Case Against Crosley Green” which offers the most comprehensive deep dive into this shocking case that leaves one man fighting desperately for his freedom. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty has followed this controversial case for 25 years, delving into inconsistencies — from coerced confessions to allegations of a racial hoax — that challenge the integrity of the verdict. You can hear the rest of this episode by searching for “Murder in the Orange Grove: The Troubled Case Against Crosley Green”wherever you get your podcasts.

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

A formerly peace-loving man becomes obsessed with extreme political conspiracy theories. David DePape falls down a rabbit hole, consuming ever-more radical views on YouTube, blogs, and social media posts.  

A perfect storm of factors will cause him to carry out a baffling and horrific attack after breaking into the home of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Resources: 

“Paul Pelosi attack: From nudist activism to online hate, suspect David DePape’s strange descent,” Rachel Swan, Dustin Gardiner, and Sarah Ravani, The San Francisco Chronicle, November 16, 2023. 

“Where is Nancy?: Here’s what happened, minute by minute, inside the Pelosi home,” Megan Cassidy, The San Francisco Chronicle, November 3, 2022. 

“David DePape Sentenced after Conviction on Assault and Attempted Kidnapping Charges,” Press Release, Office of the Attorney General, May 17, 2024.

“Gypsy Taub Speaks Out About Ex-Boyfriend David DePape,” Jay Barmann, SFist.com, October 31, 2022. 

“Ex-wife of man who attacked Paul Pelosi is barred from court,” Brian Krans, KQED, June 18, 2024. 

Links: 

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

Dani After Dark - Watch my interview on “Dani After Dark” on YouTube - https://youtu.be/_krzF5A1t7I?si=1dY4TgRrQA3DtrLC

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In this month’s series, “The Politics of Murder,” we’ll take a look at cases where violent acts are perpetrated upon political figures.  In this episode, a disgruntled man whose life is unraveling due to his own actions places the blame on the policies of one political party.  His random act of violence will turn a pleasant day at a ballpark into ten minutes of horror and chaos.  

Sources: 

https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2020-06/Hodgkinson.pdf

https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/05/28/terrifying-story-of-the-congressional-baseball-shooting-steve-scalise/

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/21/2017-baseball-field-shooting-fbi-conculsion-483993

Links: 

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

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

In this month’s series, “The Politics of Murder,” we’ll take a look at cases where violent acts are perpetrated upon political figures.  First up, a young man begins to lose his grip on reality and fixates on a congressperson whom he targets for assassination.  Jared Lee Loughner’s mass shooting at a community political event will spark debate regarding violent political rhetoric, gun control laws, and the state of mental health care in the U.S.  

Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tucson_shooting

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/08/arizona.shooting.suspect/

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/09/arizona.shooting.investigation/index.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/27/gabby-giffords-shooting-records/2024589/

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/15/arizona.shooting.images/index.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/08/justice/arizona-loughner-sentencing/index.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/27/gabby-giffords-shooting-records/2024589/

https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/us/arizona-loughner-plea/index.html 

https://theweek.com/articles/488172/arizona-massacre-should-sarah-palin-share-blame

Links: 

Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

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Before Ted Bundy became a collective symbol of a real-life boogeyman and the person who helped coin the term “serial killer,” he was a son, a brother, a grandson, and a cousin - someone with friends and family members who loved him and never could have suspected the evil that lay within him and would come to destroy so many lives. 

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with one of those family members - someone who grew up with Ted Bundy and with whom he shared a close relationship.

Edna Cowell Martin knew Bundy as “cousin Ted.”  Having to face the horror of what her cousin had done and the chaos of the media circus surrounding his arrest, trial, and execution, Edna and her family chose to remain anonymous…until now.  

Edna’s new memoir, “Dark Tide: Growing Up with Ted Bundy,” reveals new details of his life, personality, and family relationships through his cousin Edna’s memories, photographs, and letters from Bundy himself.  We learn what it was like for his family members to grapple with the realization that a person they loved and thought they knew well was one of the most infamous serial killers in U.S. history. 

***

You can purchase the book “Dark Tide: Growing Up with Ted Bundy” at the link below or ask for it at your favorite independent bookstore. 

https://amzn.to/3SQ3MNR

One listener will win a copy of the book.  To enter, go to our Instagram page, look for the “Dark Tide” post, and follow the instructions to have a chance to win. Good luck!  https://www.instagram.com/OnceUponaCrimePod/

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

A young woman grows up hearing stories about her abusive grandfather. She takes it upon herself to learn the whole truth about him. In the course of her investigation, shocking revelations come to light, and she begins to ask the question - was Jim Mordecai a serial killer?

Sources:

The Truth About Jim, 2024, Skye Borgman, director. Distributed by HBO Max. 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-woman-suspects-relative-was-serial-killer-uncovering-family-secrets 

https://www.the-sun.com/news/10391888/truth-about-jim-mordecai-hbo-sierra-barter/

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/the-truth-about-jim-docuseries-1234968110/ 

https://www.businessinsider.com/jim-mordecai-zodiac-killer-the-truth-about-jim-sierra-barter-2024-2 

https://www.theeducationisthub.com/jim-mordecai/ 

Links.

Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast

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