Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

By Esther Ludlow & Studio71

Society & Culture History

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

Once Upon a Crime is a weekly true crime podcast that tells “the story behind the story” of real life crime. Told in a storytelling style, listeners are presented facts and information about each case they won’t hear anywhere else.

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Episode 286: 7 Case Updates...

06.05.2023

We’re celebrating our 7th anniversary of the podcast by bringing you 7 case updates of crimes we’ve covered since 2016. Thank you all so much for making this crazy true crime ride possible! Episodes referenced: Episode 1: Lost and Found: ...

Once Upon A Crime | True Crime episodes:

06.05.2023 Episode 286: 7 Case Updates from 7 Years of Once Upon a Crime We’re celebrating our 7th anniversary of the podcast by bringing you 7 case updates of crimes we’ve covered since 2016. Thank you all so much for making this crazy true crime ride possible! Episodes referenced: Episode 1: Lost and Found: ...
05.29.2023 Episode 285: Dead Woman Walking: Shawna Forde In this series, I share true crime cases that resulted in women being sentenced to Death Row. In 2009, a woman victimized by a childhood of abuse and violence becomes immersed in anti-immigrant vigilante groups. Her zeal and dedication to ...
05.22.2023 Episode 284: Deadly Devotion: Motherhood and Mayhem, Part 2 This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime) as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrifices of mothers, but ...
05.22.2023 Episode 283: Deadly Devotion: Motherhood and Mayhem, Part 1 This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime) as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrifices of mothers, but ...
05.08.2023 Episode 282: Who Killed Robert Wone? A Conversation with Paul Epstein Who Killed Robert Wone? Streaming on Peacock: https://pck.tv/3XzPVui On the night of August 2, 2006, a call comes in to 911 to report a man has been stabbed by an intruder at a Washington D.C. home. First responders arrive to ...
05.01.2023 Episode 281: Dead Woman Walking: Christa Pike In 1995, a troubled young woman, jealous of one of her peers, enlists the help of two others to eliminate her enemy. But when the full and horrifying details of the plan emerge, the public is aghast at how a ...
04.24.2023 Episode 280: April Fools: World’s Worst Criminals w/ Leroy Luna On our final collaborative episode for the series “Fool Me Once,” Leroy and I share true stories about criminals who were very bad at their jobs. Sources: Taco Shop Turns Burglary Footage Into Awesome Ad (newser.com) Pr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzdv4FUHqP8 Suspect Busted ...
04.17.2023 Episode 279: Fool Me Once: Metal or Murder? We continue our “April Fools” series with a fun game for all you Metalheads! Play along as I try to stump Leroy Luna, host of Excuse Me, That’s Illegal, as he tries to guess I’m quoting serial killers or lyrics ...
04.14.2023 Once Upon Has Gone “Hollywood”! - Updates and Announcements We have some exciting announcements to share with you in this short update episode. Find out where and when you can see Esther appear on television and in person! We love you all, and thank you so much for your ...
04.03.2023 Episode 278: Fool Me Once: Fake or Felony? With Guest Co-Host Leroy Luna We’re celebrating April, the month of “April Fools” by having a little fun with true crime. The best person I know to help me with this is my friend and fellow podcaster Leroy Luna, host of Excuse Me, That’s Illegal. ...
03.27.2023 Episode 277: The Devil’s Luck: The Zodiac Killer Survivor A young couple out for a leisurely day at the lake find themselves faced with one of the most infamous killers of the 20th century. Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were victims of a brutal attack by a hooded man ...
03.13.2023 Episode 276: The Devil’s Luck: The Moorhouse Murders Survivor This month I’m sharing cases of people who, against all odds, survived some of the worst killers in modern history. In this week’s story, a teenage girl is picked up by a seemingly ordinary couple and then spends two days ...
03.07.2023 Episode 275: The Devil’s Luck: The Bluebelle Massacre Survivor In this month’s episodes I’ll tell you stories of people who were fortunate enough to survive horrifying experiences. In this episode, a family dream vacation turns into a nightmare on the sea. All seems lost when the ship sinks with ...
02.21.2023 Episode 274: Love Monsters: Daniel and Manuela Ruda, Part 2 In this second part of a two-part episode, in their quest to be transformed into vampires, Daniel and Manuela Ruda conclude that the only way to prove their loyalty to Satan is by performing a human sacrifice. Their crime would ...
02.14.2023 Episode 273: Love Monsters: Daniel and Manuela Ruda, Part 1 Daniel Ruda, a 26-year-old, self-described “black vampire” immersed himself in Germany’s goth and death metal scene as an outlet for his dark proclivities. In the year 2000, he was ready to find his soulmate or, as he put it, his ...
02.07.2023 Episode 272: Deep Cover: Never Seen Again with Jake Halpern I’m pleased to have Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jake Halpern, back with me again to discuss a new case he investigated for his podcast “Deep Cover”. Deep Cover, a Pushkin podcast, is all about people who lead double lives. In the ...
01.31.2023 Episode 271: The Girl Who Cried Orphan - Barbora Skrlova, Part 2 We continue the story of Barbora Skrlova from where we left of last week. In part two, you’ll learn all the details of the bizarre unfolding of events in the Mauerova home. I’ll conclude by telling you the unbelievable tale ...
01.24.2023 Episode 270: The Girl Who Cried Orphan - Barbora Skrlova, Part 1 For our first series of 2023, we’ll do a deep dive into a case that has so many bizarre twists and turns a Hollywood horror movie was later based on it. In this first part of a 2-part series, a ...
01.17.2023 Episode 269: “Bad Behind Bars: Jodi Arias w/Special Guest Donavan Bering In 2008, Travis Alexander was brutally murdered in his home in Mesa, Arizona. His ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias, was convicted of the slaying and was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A new Lifetime Television movie ...
12.27.2022 Episode 268: “I Am Vanessa Guillen" with Special Guest Margot from Military Murder Podcast In this last of our special holiday episodes, Esther and Lorena discuss the Netflix documentary “I Am Vanessa Guillen" with Margot, host of the podcast Military Murder. Vanessa Guillen was a United States Army soldier who went missing from a ...
12.20.2022 Episode 267: “The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist" with Special Guest Bob Ruff from Truth and Justice Podcast In this special episode Esther and Lorena talk with Bob Ruff, host of the podcasts Truth and Justice and True Crime Binge. They discuss the Netflix documentary series "Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist" that details one of the most ...
12.13.2022 Episode 266: "The Watcher" with Special Guest Tim and Lance from Crawlspace Podcast In this special holiday episode Esther and Lorena discuss the Netflix series "The Watcher" with Tim and Lance from Crawlspace Podcast. We compare and contrast this fictionalized version of the true mystery "The Watcher House". In 2014, Derek and Maria ...
11.29.2022 Episode 265: Holidays in Hell: The Richmond New Year’s Murder Spree For many people around the world, ringing in the new year brings with it the promise of new hope, a fresh start, and renewed possibilities. But each year of Ricky Javon Gray’s short life brought only violence, brutality, and death ...
11.22.2022 Episode 264: Holidays in Hell: Little Boy Blue On Christmas Eve, 1985 a grim discovery was made on a frozen field outside of Chester, Nebraska. The body of a child had been abandoned. The mystery of who the anonymous child who locals dubbed “Little Boy Blue” would take ...
11.15.2022 Episode 263: Holidays in Hell: Missing Mom Kelsey Berreth A young mother goes missing after a Thankgiving Day shopping trip in 2018. After meticulous detective work on the part of several law enforcement agencies answers come to light. The perpetrator would be someone no one would suspect - least ...
11.08.2022 Episode 262 - “What the Crime?” 3 Strange and unusual crime stories In today’s episode, I’ll share three strange and intriguing true crime cases currently in the news - a suspected serial killer hunting for victims in a small California town, a gruesome discovery on a local walking trail, and a bizarre ...
11.02.2022 Episode 261: A Nightmare Before Halloween, Part 2 A Nightmare Before Halloween, Part 2 …1 campfire… …1 dark forest… …31 bone-chilling stories… …Will YOU survive the night? This Halloween season, enter the woods for a unique and truly epic podcast experience! Around the campfire Shane Waters will introduce ...
10.31.2022 Episode 260: A Nightmare Before Halloween, Part 1 …1 campfire… …1 dark forest… …31 bone-chilling stories… …Will YOU survive the night? This Halloween season, enter the woods for a unique and truly epic podcast experience! Around the campfire Shane Waters will introduce 31 crime podcast hosts, including Once ...
10.17.2022 Episode 259: Bands Gone Wild: N.W.A. - Drama in Detroit N.W.A. became one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time and became one of the first rap groups to reach platinum status with their debut album Straight Outta Compton. In 1989, they took the stage in front of ...
10.10.2022 Episode 258: Bands Gone Wild: The Cure Robert Smith formed the band The Cure with his schoolmates when he was still in middle school. They found early success and soon began touring around the world. But their sobriety and mental health began to suffer from the strain ...
10.03.2022 Episode 257: Bands Gone Wild: Guns N’ Roses and The Riverport Riot In our first “Rocktober” episode of the month I’ll tell you the story of the Bad Boy of Rock and Roll - Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses. In July of 1991, Guns N’ Roses was on its 28-month “Use ...
09.26.2022 Episode 256: Crimes on Campus: Brock Turner In this episode, I’ll cover a case that sparked a national debate and shone a spotlight on discrepancies in the justice system regarding the treatment and rights of survivors of sexual assault. Brock Turner was a first-year student at Stanford ...
09.23.2022 Bonus Episode: Death of an Artist: A Conversation with Helen Molesworth In this bonus episode I talk to Helen Molesworth, writer and art curator, about the story of Ana Mendieta, a Cuban-born artist who was just gaining recognition for her genre-bending performance art when she fell 34 stories to her death ...
09.19.2022 Episode 255: Crimes on Campus: Melissa Drexler “Prom Mom” In this episode I’ll tell you about a case that got worldwide media attention due to the bizarre circumstances, the heinous nature of the crime, and the venue at which it occurred - a high school prom. Resources: Melissa Drexler, ...
09.12.2022 Episode 254: Crimes on Campus: The Murder of Lola Martinez A student residing with three roommates on an Indiana college campus finds herself mired in a tense living situation. An unusual set of circumstances soon turns deadly. Resources: Murder Loves Company: Dorm Living Nightmare, Season 1, Episode 1, The Investigation ...
08.22.2022 Episode 253: Wild Women: Kitty LeRoy Kitty LeRoy was a sharpshooter, cardsharp, dancer, and entrepreneur. She became a well-known entertainer in the Old West and ran with legends like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock. But her fierce temper and fiery personality often made her dangerous ...
08.15.2022 Episode 252: Wild Women: The True Story of Lavinia Fisher and The Six Mile Wayfarer House In 1819, Lavinia Fisher and her husband John were accused poisoning and murdering multiple guests of their Charleston, South Carolina inn and sentenced to hang. But were the Fishers really serial killers or is the legend simply a tall tale ...
08.01.2022 Episode 251: Wild Women: Sally Six-Shooter In this series we’ll step back in history to learn about some of the history’s first female outlaws. In this episode I’ll tell you about Sally Skull, ranch owner, horse trader, fandango dancer, and gunslinger. Some say Sally’s quick temper ...
07.25.2022 Episode 250: Final Curtain Call: Fatal Obsession - The Murder of Catherine Woods A young girl leaves her hometown of Ohio for the Big Apple with her heart set on a career as a Broadway dancer. Instead, she meets a young man who becomes obsessed with controlling her life. Unable to let her ...
07.18.2022 Episode 249: Final Curtain Call: Theatre of Pain - The Murders of Daniel Wozniak This week’s episode details a murder that, at first glance, appears to be a cut-and-dried case of a lover’s quarrel turned deadly. Upon investigation, it is discovered to be a much more thought-out and sinister plan. When authorities uncover the ...
07.11.2022 Episode 248: Final Curtain Call: Paul Bateson and The Exorcist In this month’s series “Final Curtain Call” a film or theater actor is connected to a sensational crime. In 1973, The Exorcist was released in theaters. Moviegoers were shocked by the film’s graphic depiction of a little girl possessed by ...
06.27.2022 Episode 247: Picture Perfect Murder: Harry Uzoka Harry Uzoka was a rising star who’d broken into the world of high-end modeling against all odds. But another model envious of his success began a rivalry which lead to a violent showdown that no one saw coming. SOURCES Adey, ...
06.20.2022 Episode 246: Real Life Heroes: The Foiled DeAnza College Shooting In light of the ongoing tragedies of frequent mass shootings in America, I’ve decided to make this week’s episode one of hope and heroism. In this story, a young girl becomes an unlikely hero when she acts upon a hunch ...
06.13.2022 Episode 245: Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber with Author Jamie Gehring In 1996, the longest and most expensive investigation in the FBI’s history was successfully solved when Theodore Kaczynski was identified as “The Unabomber” 18 years after he began building and planting bombs at various locations. Three people were killed and ...
06.06.2022 Episode 244: Picture Perfect Murder: The Beauty Queen Killer Christopher Wilder posed as a photographer to lure beautiful young women with the promise of modeling work. Those who take him up on his offer - and even those that didn’t - found themselves victims of a serial rapist who ...
05.23.2022 Episode 243: YouTube Mayhem: The YouTube Headquarters Shooting A young woman who creates a YouTube channel to advocate for animal rights and veganism becomes disgruntled with the social media platform when she feels she is being targeted for discrimination. But, no one imagined that her anger would spiral ...
05.16.2022 Episode 242: YouTube Mayhem: Mr. Anime In this episode, a young man who dubs himself “Mr. Anime” gains a large following as a critic and reviewer on YouTube.. But, he’ll later admit to harboring dark fantasies most of his life after he commits a shocking act ...
05.09.2022 Episode 241: The Minds of Mass Killers with Author Shavaun Scott This week I have a special episode diving into the topic of the psychology of mass killers. What prompts someone to commit mass murder against random strangers? How did Columbine become a cultural touchstone that inspired others to plan and ...
05.02.2022 Episode 240: YouTube Mayhem: Dying To Be Famous A young couple on a quest for internet fame record a prank for their YouTube channel with tragic results. Resources: YouTube Prankster Jailed, BBC News, March 15, 2018 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43410816 The Last Moments Before a YouTube Stunt Went Fatally Wrong, Buzzfeed ...
04.18.2022 Episode 239: The Ties That Bind: The Crimes of Shelly Knotek - Part 2 This is part 2 of a 2-part- episode. As we continue the story, Shelly and Dave Knotek have isolated themselves, their three daughters, nephew, and a boarder, Kathy Loreno, in their Ramond, Washington home. The torture and abuse Kathy endured ...

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