Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

By Esther Ludlow

Society & Culture History

What's Once Upon A Crime | True Crime about?

THE podcast for the true crime addict. True crime stories are told chapter by chapter - kidnappings, murders, mysterious disappearances, serial killers, celebrity crime and more.

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Episode 189: Body of Eviden...

11.17.2020

Two women thought they'd met the man of their dreams. But one of them would be found dead of mysterious circumstances and one would go missing never to be seen again. Would justice prevail to convict Drew Peterson for these ...

Once Upon A Crime | True Crime episodes:

11.17.2020 Episode 189: Body of Evidence: Stacy Peterson Two women thought they'd met the man of their dreams. But one of them would be found dead of mysterious circumstances and one would go missing never to be seen again. Would justice prevail to convict Drew Peterson for these ...
11.10.2020 Episode 188: Body of Evidence: Sierra LaMar A teenager goes missing in Morgan Hill, California never to be seen again. It would take meticulous detective work to prove she'd been the victim of a murder and bring her killer to justice.
11.03.2020 Episode 187: Body of Evidence: Anne Marie Fahey This month's series features crimes that were solved...without a body. Tom Capano thought he'd pulled off the perfect murder when his ex-girlfriend disappeared. Meticulous detective work and dogged determination would be needed to solve the crime.
10.22.2020 October Announcements and Upcoming Events News, updates and announcements for our listeners! #updates #news #events #CrimeCon #AltaOnline #JournalofAlta #DiscoverPods #Patreon
10.19.2020 Episode 186: Ghosts in the Attic: Daniel LaPlante A story about a teenage stalker who hides in his victim's homes to prey upon them becomes an urban legend. But, the true life and crimes of Daniel J. LaPlante would be a real-life horror story.
10.12.2020 Episode 185: Ghosts in the Attic: Otto Sanhuber The mysterious murder of Fred William Oesterreich in Los Angeles in 1922 would be revealed years later as one of the strangest and most bizarre true crime cases in California history
10.05.2020 Episode 184: Ghosts in the Attic: Natasha Ryan In 1998, a 14-year-old disappeared from Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It would be feared she had become a victim of serial killer, Leonard Fraser, but this story would end with a shocking revelation.
09.21.2020 Episode 183: Bad Teacher: John J. Donovan, Sr. A multimillionaire in a feud with his family over money and property perpetrates a bizarre hoax in order to get revenge on his children and hold on to his assets.
09.14.2020 Episode 182: Bad Teacher: Vincent Brothers A well-respected educator in Bakersfield, California is accused of a brutal crime - the murders of five of his family members.
09.07.2020 Episode 181: Bad Teacher: Mary Kay Letourneau In this month's series "Bad Teacher" I'll share cases of educators who committed newsworthy crimes. First up, a 34-year-old teacher scandalizes the nation when she is convicted of child rape with one of her 6th grade students.
08.31.2020 Episode 180: Familiar Strangers: Anastasia Romanov, Part 2 In Part 2 of Familiar Strangers - Anastasia Romanov, a young woman comes forward claiming to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia. The investigation into her claim would take decades to solve her true identity. I welcome back my sister, Yolanda, ...
08.24.2020 Episode 179: Familiar Strangers: Anastasia Romanov, Part1 On this first part of a 2-part episode, I share the fascinating story of the disappearance of the last imperial family of Russia, the Romanovs.
08.10.2020 Episode 178: Familiar Strangers: Walter Collins, Part 2 On this second part of a two-part episode we continue the story of 9-year-old Walter Collins who went missing from Los Angeles in 1928. In part two, we discover that a serial killer, Gordon Stewart Northcott, has been preying on ...
08.03.2020 Episode 177: Familiar Strangers: Walter Collins - Part 1 A young boy who goes missing in 1928. When he returns home, his mother will say he's an imposter, but her claims are dismissed. Who was the boy claiming to be her missing son and what happened to the real ...
07.27.2020 Episode 176: Stranger Than Fiction: Starr Faithfull and "BUtterfield 8" The life and tragic death of a young socialite in the 1930s inspires an Academy Award winning movie. But, Starr Faithfull's life was far from the glamorous treatment it would receive on the big screen.
07.22.2020 Bonus Episode: "Ripped from the Headlines" with author Harold Schechter As a bonus for this month's theme "Stranger Than Fiction" I interviewed author Harold Schechter about his new book, Ripped from the Headlines: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movies' Most Memorable Crimes, an anthology of forty true crime cases ...
07.13.2020 Episode 175: Stranger Than Fiction: Belva Gaertner & Beulah Annan and Chicago Two women accused of murder in the Roaring 20s would become the inspiration for one of the best known and longest running shows in American musical theater history. This is the story of the real life Roxie and Velma from ...
07.06.2020 Episode 174: Stranger Than Fiction: Richard Crafts and "Fargo" In 1986, a beautiful young mother discovers her husband is cheating on her and files for divorce. Soon afterward, she goes missing. Discovering what happened to Helle Crafts would take an small army of detectives, forensic scientists, serologists, forensic anthropologists, ...
06.29.2020 Episode 173: Till Death Do Us Part: Nancy Andrade and Mark Crew In the last chapter of "Till Death Do Us Part" a woman meets and quickly marries a man. He promises her a new life, but soon after the wedding she goes missing. It will take years of investigative and legal ...
06.22.2020 Episode 172: Till Death Do Us Part: Kelly Ecker and Scott Samson A bride sees many red flags in her relationship before walking down the aisle. but her fear of angering her fiancee would compel her to go through with the ceremony. Within hours, that decision would become fatal. #domestic violence #coercive ...
06.08.2020 Episode 171: Till Death Do Us Part: Jordan Graham and Cody Johnson A new bride decides she's made a mistake in tying the knot. The decision she makes in order to end the marriage will be a shocking act of cruelty.
06.01.2020 Episode 170: Till Death Do Us Part: Wendy Trapaga and Michel Escoto In this series, I'll share cases of newlyweds who's lives were cut short by the person who vowed to love them forever. In this first case, a young bride is unaware that her new spouse married her to collect on ...
05.18.2020 Episode 169: Last Dance: The Pelley Murders - Part 2 In Part 2 of "The Pelley Murders" I'll tell you about Jeff Pelley's trial, theories of the murder and give you a strange and compelling story about who else may have been responsible for the murders of Bob Pelley and ...
05.11.2020 Episode 168: Last Dance: The Pelley Murders - Part 1 A 17-year-old is suspected in the murder of four of his family members because he was forbidden from attending his prom. Was this a case of a homicidal teen or a rush to judgement?
05.04.2020 Episode 167: Last Dance: Adam Sapikowski In this series, "Last Dance", I share stories of crimes that happened on prom night. In the first episode, a teenager commits an act of parricide then attends his prom and holds a party at the crime scene.
04.27.2020 Episode 166: StepMonsters - Joshua and Jerome Ellis An abusive stepfather gets his comeuppance when his stepsons turn on him resulting in a grisly murder.
04.20.2020 Episode 165: StepMonsters: Tracey Wright A child, unwanted from birth and neglected by her birth parents, is hopeful that her new stepmother will love her like a daughter. It is not to be and her story will become a cautionary tale in the U.K. of ...
04.06.2020 Episode 164: StepMonsters: The Disappearance of Charlie Bothuell In our new series, “StepMonsters,” I’ll share stories of bad stepparents whose actions became true crime news. In this first episode I'll share the story of a young boy who went missing and was found in a very unlikely place. ...
03.30.2020 Episode 163: Swan Songs: Evelyn Dick A gruesome crime would become a media sensation in Canada in 1946 when a beautiful young woman was accused of the grisly murder. This is the case of the infamous Evelyn Dick and the Torso Murder of 1946. Link to ...
03.23.2020 Episode 162: Swan Songs - Gerald Friend - "Polly" In 1991, Kurt Cobain released a song on the album Nevermind. Titled "Polly" the song was inspired by a kidnapping and rape of a young girl in Tacoma, Washington. This is the story of that crime. Listen to "Polly" by ...
03.09.2020 Episode 161: Swan Songs: Jennifer Levin A young girl is brutally murdered in New York's Central Park in 1986. Her killer, Robert Chambers, would be dubbed "The Preppy Killer" in the press and his victim's name would be dragged through the mud. This is the real ...
03.03.2020 Episode 160: Swan Songs: Katherine Korzilius The mysterious death of a young girl inspires Jon Bon Jovi to record a song dedicated to her. This is the case of Katherine Korzilius.
02.25.2020 Episode 159: Bad Seeds: Leslie Arnold In Nebraska, in 1958, a high school junior holds animosity towards his mother and takes deadly revenge. He is caught and imprisoned and, years later, disappears for decades. Where is Leslie Arnold today?
02.11.2020 Episode 158: Bad Seeds: Lowell Lee Andrews In Kansas in 1958, an 18-year-old kills both of his parents and his only sibling. Was it a case of greed, mental illness, or was Andrews just a "bad seed"? #parricide #InColdBlood #TheBrothersKaramazov #deathrow #familyannihilators
02.04.2020 Episode 157: Bad Seeds: Marlene Olive In 1975, a rebellious teen enlists her boyfriend to kill her parents in a small, Northern California town. The gruesome crime would be dubbed "The Barbecue Murders" in the press.
01.28.2020 Episode 156: Behind the Crime: Aileen Wuornos In this special episode I'll do an in-depth look at the infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Time stamps: Early Life: 02:41 Teen Years: 13:25 Young Adult Life: 32:17 On the Road: 35:30 Criminal Activity: 36:12 Tyra: 47:30 The Victims: 55:57 ...
01.05.2020 Bonus Episode: Happy New Year from Once Upon a Crime On this bonus episode I share the highs and lows for 2019, list the top episodes of last year, talk about upcoming events and share the last word on the 2019 plagiarism scandal.
12.17.2019 Episode 155: Analyzing the JonBenet Ramsey Case with Jack Luna On this special episode my guest is Jack Luna from Crime Machine Podcast. We discuss the evidence and theories behind the JonBenet Ramsey Case.
12.10.2019 Episode 154: The Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis w/Erica Kelly On this special episode, I discuss the death of Shawn Stephens Lewis. Shawn was the fifth wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and country music star. When Shawn Lewis was found dead in Lewis's mansion on August 24, 1983, ...
12.03.2019 Episode 153: AMA and Case Updates for 2019 On this year-end wrap up episode, I answer listener questions and share updates on cases I've covered in past episodes.
11.26.2019 Episode 152: Fugitives from Justice: Ruth Eisemann-Schier In this last episode about fugitives on the run from the law I tell you the story of the very first woman ever to make the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. Ruth Eisemann-Schier, along with her boyfriend, Gary Krist, carried ...
11.19.2019 Episode 151: Fugitives from Justice: Alex Kelly A young man from a wealthy family is accused of committing two rapes while still in high school. Before he could be tried on these charges he'd flee the jurisdiction and disappear for eight years before finally being brought to ...
11.12.2019 Episode 150: Fugitives from Justice: Nazira Ugalde and Brenda Delgado In this episode I’ll share two separate cases of women who became part of a very small and exclusive club - women who made the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. Nazira Ugalde killed for financial gain and flees to South ...
11.05.2019 Episode 149: Fugitives from Justice: Jesse James Hollywood A small time drug dealer kidnaps a rival's younger brother in order to settle a debt. The unfolding series of events would become one of California's most bizarre and tragic kidnapping cases on record and would even inspire an award-winning ...
10.21.2019 Episode 148: Rocktober: Rock and Roll Haunts In this episode I dig into my file of spooky stories to share some haunted happenings in the world of rock and roll. #themansionatlaurelcanyon #redhotchilipeppers #slipknot #hauntedhouses #bonscott #joshuatreeinn #halloween #ghoststories
10.14.2019 Episode 147: Rocktober: The Bob Marley Assassination Attempt Bob Marley went from singing R&B harmonies in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica to becoming a pioneer of reggae music, bringing his own blend of reggae, rock and ska music to a global audience. But as a popular figure in Jamaica, he ...
10.07.2019 Episode 146: Rocktober: Altamont, The Rolling Stone and The Hells Angels A free concert took place in northern California in December of 1969 featuring The Rolling Stones. It would descend into chaos due to poor planning, rampant drug use and the ill-advised use of the Hells Angels as concert security.
09.30.2019 Episode 145: Taunting Terrors: Ruth Finley and The Poet A woman begins receiving harassing phone calls and letters from a stalker. It would take years to discover who the anonymous man was, but when he was finally identified a shocking secret would be revealed.
09.23.2019 Episode 144: Taunting Terrors: Susan Jaeger A 7-year-old goes missing while on a family camping trip in 1973. Anonymous calls would be placed demanding a ransom, but, the trail would grow cold until exactly one year later when the kidnapper would call her mother to brag ...
09.16.2019 Episode 143: Taunting Terrors: Little Gregory and The Crow In a small French village, a little boy goes missing and the family receives anonymous letters from a person taking responsibility who is dubbed "The Crow". This strange case could be considered the Jon Benet Ramsey case of France.

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