Just after 5:00 p.m. on February 18, 2014, ten-year-old Hailey Owens set out on the short walk home from a friend’s house. What began as an ordinary Tuesday turned horrific when neighbors Carlos and Michelle Edwards watched a tan Ford Ranger pull alongside Hailey. After asking for directions, the driver suddenly grabbed her and dragged her into the truck as she tried to walk away. Carlos Edwards sprinted after the vehicle, nearly reaching Hailey before the truck disappeared down the street, while another neighbor chased the kidnapper and called 911. Michelle managed to provide the police with the license plate as panic swept through the quiet neighborhood. Just doors away, Hailey’s mother, Stacey, was preparing dinner, expecting her daughter home any minute, only to be met instead by flashing police lights, frantic officers, and the horrifying realization that her child had been abducted. As volunteers flooded the streets with flashlights and Hailey’s smiling photo spread across social media, the entire city of Springfield, Missouri, held its breath. 

Join Cam and Jen of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode entitled ‘Stolen: The Abduction and Murder of Hailey Owens.’

This episode proudly sponsored by Quince. 

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Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS

Music by our editing team @theinkypawprint

Sources:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bTPtJhuvFaGbx8IskGQsT?si=w9oJuIMrThujd3iyJ0EZgw

https://web.archive.org/web/20170403111325/http://www.kspr.com/content/news/Accused-killer-of-a-Springfield-child-wants-a-deal-413473193.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/lastimages/comments/o1905m/last_photo_of_hailey_owens_that_was_shown_in/

https://www.ky3.com/video/2026/01/13/missouri-supreme-court-denies-appeal-hailey-owens-murder-case/

https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/welcome.do

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

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rape-charges-added-in-missouri-girls-death/

https://web.archive.org/web/20170316113827/http://www.kspr.com/content/news/Hailey-Owens-13th-Birthday-celebration-390662231.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMO6rYiHpZM

https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2019/02/10/hailey-owens-abduction-murder-springfield-missouri-5-years/2518034002/

https://www.reddit.com/r/springfieldMO/comments/1aroy2f/10th_anniversary_of_the_hailey_owens_case/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hailey-owens-case-defense-concedes-coach-kidnapped-raped-killed-missouri-girl/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/crimejunkie/posts/1919198728908494/

http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2017/04/20/mother-hailey-owens-asks-prosecutor-drop-death-penalty/100619792/

https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2017/11/02/craig-wood-guilty-first-degree-murder-hailey-owens-killing/825535001/

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/jury-can-t-agree-on-death-penalty-so-missouri-judge/article_6bd5d4cc-5760-57fe-b397-7cb0c66028e4.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20180112014847/http://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/breaking-craig-wood-sentenced-to-death/910819854

https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2019/07/12/missouri-governor-signs-haileys-law-amber-alert-system-hailey-owens/1682479001/

https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Haileys-Law-takes-effect-today-after-55-years-of-waiting-558599941.html

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This month, we have a talk with Courtney from The Book of the Dead, who joins us to talk about the murder of Sister Tadea Benz and the execution of Johnny Frank Garret.

In October 1981, the quiet city of Amarillo, Texas, was rocked by a crime that felt like a nightmare: the brutal assault and murder of 76-year-old Sister Tadea Benz inside St. Francis Convent. The pressure to catch the killer was on, and the police quickly set their sights on 17-year-old Johnny, who lived across the street.

Johnny Frank Garrett was executed by the state of Texas in 1992, but was he a cold-blooded killer, or a convenient scapegoat?

Don't forget to subscribe to Courtney's podcast, ⁠The Book of the Dead⁠. We think you will like her as much as Jen and Cam do.

Music by Nico Fyffe-Vettese Editing by Jesse Fyffe-Vettese

Both from ⁠The Inky Pawprint⁠

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When hunters in Bulltown Swamp discovered the remains of an unidentified woman in late 2022, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was left with a mystery that felt impossible to solve. There were no matching missing person reports, no DNA matches, just a dental implant and a crime scene that looked like an attempt to make a person disappear forever.

Months later, the GBI got the lead they needed when someone recognized the victim from an artist’s rendering that appeared on television.

What they would soon hear would be unbelievable.

Sponsored by Quince

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Now available in Canada, too!

Our team:

Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen

Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COq5nugr08w

https://people.com/married-couple-on-the-run-wife-dead-who-killed-her-11854940

https://gbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2023-05-12/unidentified-womans-remains-found-riceboro

https://www.newspapers.com/image/959876255/?match=1&terms=Kassotis

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1008274478/?match=1&terms=%22Nicholas%20Kassotis%22

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/286941684/mindi-ruth-kassotis

https://www.keenesentinel.com/community/announcements/mebane-kassotis-wedding/article_22c52c0b-dd2b-5b40-b57d-1ec745c0d94c.html

https://bfmg.news/go/docket/georgia-v-nicholas-kassotis/

https://www.courttv.com/title/dismembered-wife-murder-trial-watch-the-verdict/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/husband-granted-bond-missing-woman-220306182.html

https://coastalcourier.com/news/kassotis-found-guilty-sentenced-to-life-without-parole/

https://www.wjcl.com/article/nicholas-kassotis-pre-trial-hearing/65502593

https://people.com/crime/mindi-medane-writer-slain-husband-charged-months-later/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5bhtulFxD4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5bhtulFxD4&t=10s

https://vanishinggeorgia.com/2023/09/17/portal-hunting-club-georgias-oldest/

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/man-arrested-for-death-of-wife-whose-remains-were-found-at-georgia-hunting-club-in-2022

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In the early 1990s, long before his name would be tied to something unthinkable, Scott McLaughlin was already unraveling. Untreated childhood trauma, cognitive struggles, and severe mental illness shaped his life. Suicide attempts. Institutionalizations. Heavy medication. And yet, nothing seemed to stick. The help he received was fleeting. 

A decade later, in 2002, his path crossed with Beverly Guenther, a woman who knew hardship in a very different way. Beverly had lived through devastating loss, including the death of her young child, and years of grief that followed. But she fought her way back. She found purpose in her work, her creativity, and her compassion for others. To those who knew her, she was kind, intelligent, and resilient, someone who believed in helping people, even when they were broken.

“She was really turning her life around,” her brother once said.

And then… she met Scott McLaughlin.

Join Cam and Jen for this episode of Our True Crime Podcast, titled ‘Waiting in the Dark: The Murder of Beverly Guenther.’

This episode is sponsored by Hello Fresh. Go to HelloFresh.com/otcp10fm now to get 10 Free meals plus a Free Nutribullet® Ultra Plus+ 2-in-1 Compact Kitchen System—that’s a $189.99 value after you order your 3rd box!

Listener discretion is by @octoberpodVHS.

All music and editing is by our team @theinkypawprint.

Sources: 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/amber-mclaughlin

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/missouri-governor-refuses-clemency-to-first-openly-transgender-woman-to-be-executed-in-u-s

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11539779/Transgender-inmate-Missouris-death-row-asks-mercy.html

https://www.stlpr.org/law-order/2023-01-03/missouri-executes-transgender-woman-amber-mclaughlin-2003-murder

https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2024/02/25/remembering-first-trans-woman-executed-us/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/us/amber-mclaughlin-missouri-execution

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/16/us/missouri-transgender-inmate-death-row/index.html

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/missouri-set-to-execute-amber-mclaughlin-on-january-3-in-first-u-s-execution-of-a-transgender-person

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/03/amber-mclaughlin-missouri-transgender-person-execution

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MODOC/bulletins/340c2a4

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-the-execution-of-amber-mclaughlin-in-missouri

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/federal-appeals-court-reinstates-death-penalty-in-2003-st-louis-county-rape-murder/article_aa1dc368-0f70-5560-b9cd-6d9c7cdcc149.html

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The 1970s were more than just shag carpet and polyester; they were a time of deep contradiction. While things felt full of possibility, a shadow of distrust hung over everything—fueled by Vietnam, Watergate, and a struggling economy. As more parents headed to work to keep up, many children were left unsupervised for long stretches.

By this time, neighborhoods like Houston’s “The Heights” had become run-down and poverty-stricken. Many teenage boys were dropping out of school just to help their families survive. Growing up in a world that felt increasingly unstable and often without a father figure at home, these boys were vulnerable. They were searching for belonging and a mentor, but tragically, they found a monster who used his own teen accomplices to lure them into a trap.

Join Jen and Cam as they discuss "In the Boat Shed: The Houston Heights Murders."

Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen

Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sources:

available on ourtruecrimepodcast.com

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This month, Nina Innsted of the Already Gone podcast joins Cam and Jen to discuss the disappearance of Paige Renkoski. Paige was a 30-year-old substitute teacher who seemingly vanished into thin air in May of 1990. It’s a curious case because it happened in broad daylight, on a busy highway. The only thing she left behind was her shoes and her purse.

Please make sure to subscribe to Nina's podcast, Already Gone. It's a must for any true crime fan.

You can find Nina's book, Unsolved Michigan , HERE

If you want more information on the organization Missing in Michigan, you can find it HERE

If you have any information on the disappearance of Paige Renkoski, please call the Livingston County Sheriff's office at 517-546-8477.

Music by Nico

Audio Editing by Jesse

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In the early hours of December 4, 1979, something jolted Edith Hastie awake—and within seconds, her worst fears were confirmed. Fire was already inside her home on Selby Street in Kingston upon Hull, climbing fast, swallowing the staircase, cutting off escape.Her four young sons were still inside.What followed was a frantic, desperate race against heat and smoke, one that would end in unimaginable loss, an act of quiet heroism, and questions that would linger long after the flames were extinguished. Three boys would be pulled from the wreckage with catastrophic burns. But this wasn’t just a tragic house fire. It was something far more disturbing.Because as investigators began to piece together what happened that night, a chilling pattern would emerge, one that pointed not to an accident, but to a firestarter hiding in plain sight. 

Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast as we discuss ‘Firestarter: Crimes of Bruce George Peter Lee.’

Listener discretion is by @octoberpodVHS

Music is by our editor @theinkypawprint. 

Episode is sponsored by Hello Fresh. 

Go to HelloFresh.com/otcp10fm now to Get 10 Free meals + Free Nutribullet® Ultra

Plus+ 2-in-1 Compact Kitchen System (a $189.99 value) on your 3rd box. Free meals are applied as a discount on the first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan. Disclaimer: Must order the 3rd box by May 31st, 2026.

Sources:

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/hulls-worst-serial-killer-bruce-6621713

http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/531/644/115751697w16/purl=&dyn=11!pdy_3_0FFO-1981-JAN21-003-F?sw_aep=corlonli

Ron Sagar MBE Hull, Hell And Fire The Extraordinary Story Of Bruce Lee (Highgate publications, 1999)

The Daily Mail (Hull) December 5th 1979- January 31st 1981, February 11th 1981, 10th December 1983.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/A-city39s-memories-branded-in.5883752.jp

http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/32/498/118877646w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS85296526&dyn=5!xrn_1_0_CS85296526&hst_1?sw_aep=corlonli

https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2022-02-08/serial-arsonist-bruce-lee-loses-appeal-over-string-of-fatal-fires-in-1970s

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/fire-master-forgotten-manchester-born-31350618

https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Bruce_George_Peter_Lee

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-58876813

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-58876813

https://web.archive.org/web/20181019135453/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/analysis/a-city-s-memories-branded-in-fire-of-killer-s-reign-of-terror-30-years-ago-1-2314856

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/hulls-notorious-serial-killer-bruce-6625127

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/A-city39s-memories-branded-in.5883752.jp

The Yorkshire Post, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Telegraph (January 21st-23rd 1981)

http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/531/644/115751697w16/purl=&dyn=11!pdy_3_0FFO-1981-JAN21-003-F?sw_aep=corlonli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

***Content Warning***

This episode contains discussion of violence, torture, and murder. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Standing by the side of the road was a young girl, her hair was gone, and her skin was blackened and charred from fire. Somehow, against all odds, she had crawled out of the woods to find help.

The chaos that followed was something that none of the men in the van that morning would ever forget. The UK would wake up to news that there were people who lived among them, who had a main objective in life, which was to inflict pain. And the story would prove to be too much for them.

A huge Thank You to our team:

Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen

Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sources:

https://www.newspapers.com/image/912473189/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/909560806/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper https://www.newspapers.com/image/1275999766/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/909562093/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper https://www.newspapers.com/image/751595698/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/804903275/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/804903275/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper https://www.newspapers.com/image/819771054/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/260286579/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/718999408/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/914588854/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/914590083/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.newspapers.com/image/881733646/?match=1&terms=Suzanne%20Capper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVyc4GeDMuw

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Suzanne_Capper

https://confidentials.com/manchester/exclusive-20-years-on-the-suzanne-capper-case

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It was November 15, 2004, 52-year-old Peter Porco woke up like he always did: early, well before his alarm, with a few minutes to gather his thoughts in the quiet of his Delmar, New York, home. Peter was a fixture in the local legal community, serving as a state Appellate Division court clerk.

Peter got out of bed, walked to the bathroom, and stood at the sink.  He then made his way to the kitchen to pack his lunch for the day, just like any other workday. He always enjoyed the quiet mornings before the day started. He performed his morning routine like he always did. He started to load the dishwasher. He packed his lunch. He even wrote a check to pay a parking ticket. 

Peter was known as someone you could count on to be there every day, doing his job no matter what. So when Peter failed to show up to work, one of his coworkers was sent to his home to check on him. When he arrived at the Porco home, something immediately stood out. The house was eerily quiet, the blinds drawn. He tried calling the landline. No answer. He called the police. 

Officers arrived on the scene and approached the front door. He noticed something strange: a smear of blood on the doorknob, small droplets trailing down the porch.  The front door was slightly ajar. With a sense of dread, Officers opened the door. And that’s when he saw it.

Peter Porco was on the ground, his face covered in blood and his eyes wide open. Peter was dead.

Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Family Ties, Killer Lies: The Murder of Peter Porco.’

Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS

All music is by our editing team @theinkypawprint

Sources:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-porco-murder-did-a-college-student-take-an-ax-to-his-parents/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0911062/

https://www.timesunion.com/porco/

https://abcnews.com/US/LegalCenter/story?id=2179489&page=1

https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/christopher-porcos-bid-to-overturn-conviction-in-the-hands-of-schenectady-prosecutor-albany-kindlon-bethlehem-axe-murder

https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/2006/08/11/porco-guilty-ax-murder-hacking/53064979007/

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Porcos-son-indicted-578542.php

https://www.spotlightnews.com/news/2006/07/20/jurors-see-video-of-yellow-jeep-leaving-campus/

https://www.spotlightnews.com/news/2006/08/11/jury-delivers-quick-verdict-porco-mom-absent/

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/ax-murderer-Christopher-Porco-new-lawyer-17705959.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK_5DMwS20Y

https://web.archive.org/web/20070205100216/http://www.cbs6albany.com/sections/news/porco/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pc8B9PQ0To

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2012/dec/05/porco-case-grist-tv-movie-drama

https://www.spotlightnews.com/news/2006/12/12/christopher-porco-gets-maximum-sentence-convicted/

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This month's special, Cam and Jen talk with Jenny from It's Murder Up North. Her podcast covers crimes from the north of England; everything from the obscure to the infamous.

In 2023, DNA from the crime scene was tested and exonerated Sullivan as Diane's murderer. He was finally released from prison in 2025. Leaving Diane Sindall's murder unsolved and Peter Sullivan as one of the UK's longest wrongful imprisonment cases.

Jenny did want us to mention that Sullivan had been diagnosed with the mental age of a ten-year-old, but she misspoke; she was thinking of the case she is working on currently. A psychologist said that Peter is "suggestible" and has a "limited intellectual capacity."

Please make sure to subscribe to Jenny's podcast, It's Murder Up North. Her 10-part series of the White Farm House Murders is fantastic.

Editing and music by Nico & Jesse from The Inky Paw Print

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