Welcome to Our True Crime Podcast’s original “12 Nightmares Before Christmas,” where we discuss a true crime story daily for the days leading up to December 24. Make sure to like, subscribe, and tune in each day.


Today, we are going to the University of Alabama at Huntsville. It was February 12, 2010, and the day commenced like any other typical school day. The campus bustled with activity, featuring a mix of young students envisioning their future and more mature individuals returning to complete degrees they had embarked on years earlier.

On that morning at UAH, Instructor Amy Bishop conducted her science classes, and her students later described the course as uneventful and routine. Meanwhile, a meeting for the biology department was slated for Room 369 in the Shelby Center for Science and Technology, which housed both the Biology and Mathematics departments. Amy Bishop joined her colleagues at the meeting, and for approximately 40 minutes, she sat silently among them.

What would happen next would shock the academic community, leaving three families grieving and many asking why.

Join Cam and Jen of Our True Crime Podcast to discuss A Fine Line Between Genius and Insanity: Amy Bishop: Day 3: The 12 Nightmares Before Christmas.
Listener Discretion by @octoberpodVHS
Music by our EP Nico @theinkypawprint

Sources:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/02/11/a-loaded-gun

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/us/21bishop.html

https://www.al.com/news/2022/08/amy-bishops-son-seth-anderson-died-in-unintentional-shooting-huntsville-teen-indicted.html

https://www.al.com/topic/Amy%20Bishop/index.html

https://sports.yahoo.com/amy-bishops-son-seth-bishop-200037215.htm

lhttps://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/types-of-crime/school-violence/amy-bishop/

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/amy-bishop-husband-alleged-university-alabama-shooter-loving-mother-wife/story?id=9883895

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3280081/Former-Alabama-professor-shot-6-3-fatally-apologizes.html

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2010/02/amy_bishop_alleged_uah_shooter.html

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Welcome to Our True Crime Podcast’s original “12 Nightmares Before Christmas,” where we discuss a true crime story daily for the days leading up to December 24. Make sure to like, subscribe, and tune in each day.



Welcome to day 2 of The 12 Nightmares Before Christmas

Fifty-five-year-old Margarette Eby lived a rich and full life as a music professor at the University of Michigan. Margarette was well-liked by her students and coworkers and had several grown children of her own. Around 4:30 in the afternoon on November 9th, 1986, some of Margarette’s students arrived at the cottage to take her to a concert. When the students knocked on the door, they were met with silence. Finally, one of them tried the doorknob, and it was unlocked. They entered the cottage and found a grisly scene.

Margarette Eby was Flint, Michigan’s 56th homicide that year.

Five years later, in hotel room 354 in Romulus, Michigan, the wake-up calls from the front desk went unanswered. A 41-year-old flight attendant, Nancy Jean Ludwig Lud wig, from Minnetonka, Minnesota, had checked into room 354 around 9 P.M. the night before. Nancy had been a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines since 1976 and enjoyed her job quite a bit. It was about 12:50 in the afternoon when the housekeeper opened the door to a pitch-black room. The housekeeper walked over to the window and, upon opening the curtains, turned and discovered Nancy Jean Ludwig. She had been stabbed to death.

Both cases went cold until 2002 when new technology helped investigators find their killer, Jeffrey Wayne Gorton.

Join Cam and Jen as they discuss "Room 354: Jeffrey Gorton"

Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from https://www.youtube.com/c/octoberpodhomevideo
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of https://theinkypawprint.com

Sources:
https://mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2/otis2profile.aspx?mdocNumber=428571
https://murderpedia.org/male.G/g/gorton-jeffrey.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Gorton
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B017VDEE7I/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s2 (S2E8 of Your Worst Nightmare on ID “Fight or Flight”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTRvWZIpw-I It is also featured on the Forensics Files episode "Silk Stalkings." S2E25
https://thecinemaholic.com/nancy-ludwig-and-margarette-eby-murders-where-is-jeffrey-wayne-gorton-now/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/99449048/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/99449061/?terms=Eby&match=1
http://www.bernethy-eby-scribner.com/getperson.php?personID=I271987797047&tree=Eby

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Welcome to Our True Crime Podcast’s original “12 Nightmares Before Christmas,” where we discuss a true crime story daily for the days leading up to December 24. Make sure to like, subscribe, and tune in each day.



High school is brutal. To quote my dear friend Dexter from season 6, “High school, a small world unto itself, combining all the elements of a federal work camp with those of a third-world poultry farm.”

Adrianne Reynolds, a 16-year-old, had recently arrived in town in November. Originally, Adrianne had been residing in Kilgore, Texas, with her mother. However, due to difficulties in school, her parents decided to send her to live with her stepfather, hoping that a change of environment would provide her with a fresh beginning. Consequently, Adrianne relocated to East Moline, Illinois, where her father and stepmother eagerly welcomed her. It was in East Moline that Adrianne crossed paths with Sarah and Corey. Like most teenagers, all Adrianne wanted was to fit in, and she was an outgoing and talkative girl who loved to sing. Her biggest dream was to be a contestant on American Idol. Adrianne would never get the chance to audition for the popular television show. Adrianne would never get a chance to do anything ever again.

Join Jen and Cam from Our True Crime Podcast as we discuss ‘With Friends Like These: Adrianne Reynolds Day 1: The 12 Nightmares Before Christmas.’
Listener Discretion by @octoberpodVHS

Music by our EP Nico @theinkypawprint

Sources:https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15333880

https://web.archive.org/web/20150722111604/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20146836,00.html

https://www.themidwestcrimefiles.com/post/unthinkable-the-murder-of-adrianne-reynolds

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15333880https://web.archive.org/web/20150722111604/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20146836,00.html

https://qctimes.com/news/local/article_491d3fbc-0643-11df-a00e-001cc4c03286.html

https://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=296357

https://qctimes.com/news/local/accomplice-in-east-moline-teen-s-killing-dies-in-fiery/article_2d85584c-8996-11e1-a999-0019bb2963f4.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20120324123837/http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?90249-Illinois-teen-killed-and-dismembered-classmates-under-arrest

https://www.kwqc.com/2022/03/09/cory-gregory-gets-same-sentence-2005-killing-adrienne-reynolds/?outputType=amp

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We are heading to Akron, Ohio, specifically to the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood, where families are actively engaged in their lives and the upbringing of their children. This well-established neighborhood is home to a diverse group of middle-class families, ranging from elderly residents to brand-new parents. The quiet area was shocked when, on April 18, 2016, a deadly house fire killed two of the neighborhood's own citizens. Friends wonder how this could happen to such sweet and loving people. The fire was determined to be arson, but investigators could not determine who set the house on fire; the case went cold. Then the unthinkable happened. On Mother’s Day 2017, the arsonist struck again, but this time, the blaze would end up being the deadliest house fire in the city's history.

Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast as we discuss ‘Burning Anger: Stanley Ford.’

Promo by our bestie Edward OctoberpodVHS introducing his new Holiday series. @octoberpodVHS

Edward also does our listener discretion!! Check him out; you will love him as much as we do.

The music is by our EP, Nico. We love him, too. @theinkypawprint

Episode is sponsored by Hello Fresh! Go to HelloFresh. com/otcpfree and use code otcpfree for FREE breakfast for life!

Sources:

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/07/20/judge-addresses-sentencing-issue-in-stanley-fords-arson-murder-case/70439441007/

https://casetext.com/case/state-v-ford-92317

https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/10/26/stanley-ford-akron-man-who-killed-9-people-sentenced-by-judge-following-jurys-recommendation-life-prison/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XTaxvtGjQs

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/08/17/what-we-know-stanley-fords-arson-trial-9-murders-akron-start-again-lewis-hart-huggins-boggs/8164058002/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLWhNSLgFNchttps://thecinemaholic.com/who-were-stanley-fords-victims-where-is-stanley-ford-now/

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/crime/stanley-ford-sentenced-akron-fires-killed-9-people/95-a9869f03-e9b2-4747-9c11-b17e118aa28d

https://nypost.com/2021/10/27/disgruntled-ohio-neighbor-stanley-ford-who-killed-9-by-arson-gets-life-sentence/

https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/9/2023/2023-Ohio-2220.pdf

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From Wondery, and hosted by Laura Beil - The new season of Dr. Death, BAD MAGIC is a story of miraculous cures, magic, and murder.
When a charismatic young doctor announces revolutionary treatments for cancer and HIV, patients from around the world turn to him for their last chance. As medical experts praise Serhat Gumrukcu’s genius, the company he co-founded rockets in value to over half a billion dollars. But when a team of researchers makes a startling discovery, they begin to suspect the brilliant doctor is hiding a secret.

You can listen to Dr. Death: Bad Magic exclusively and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. https://wondery.app.link/DRDS4_otcp

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It was the summer of 1978 in America. The minimum wage was 2.65 an hour, the Bee Gees ruled the pop music airwaves, and Star Wars enjoyed a rerelease in select theaters nationwide. On the east side of the Mississippi River, just thirty minutes from St. Louis was the small residential town of Wood River, Illinois, where summer activities like fishing, swimming, and backyard barbecues were in full swing. Most of the residents of Wood River had lived in the town their whole lives and considered it the best of both worlds.

Karla Lou Brown, aged 22, felt the same way. When she and Mark, her boyfriend of five years, decided to move in together, there was no place that they’d rather live. They bought a home right in the center of Wood River.

Karla adored her boyfriend Mark, who was a few years older, but so far, he had been reluctant to make a long-term commitment regarding their relationship. When Mark finally suggested they buy a house together, she immediately said yes. Karla was the happiest she had ever been in her life.

That happiness lasted for one day.

Join Cam and Jen as they discuss "Picture Perfect: Karla Brown"

Promo by our friend Javier from Pretend Podcast. Be sure to check out the Stalker season.

Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from https://www.youtube.com/c/octoberpodhomevideo
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of https://theinkypawprint.com

Source:
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Man-convicted-in-high-profile-murder-case-charged-16948305.php
https://www.newspapers.com/image/140736226/terms=John%20Prante%20murder&match=1 (John Prante's arrest for murder)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/766752272/terms=John%20Prante%20murder&match=1 (neighbor's testimony and arrest for lying)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/140737121/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/140737900terms=John%20Prante%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/766752531/terms=John%20Prante%20murder&match=1https://www.newspapers.com/image/140079870/terms=John%20Prante%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/139946986/terms=John%20Prante%20murder&match=1 trial
https://www.newspapers.com/image/770488181/terms=John%20Prante%20murder&match=1

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In the summer of 1984, John Ruetten met Sherri Rasmussen, and the two immediately hit it off. Their deep bond led to their marriage in November 1985, and they were thrilled to start life as a couple. On February 24, John left for his job at an engineering company, allowing Sherri to sleep in a little longer. Typically, Sherri would have already left for work by this time, but that particular day brought a change in routine. Sherri had contemplated calling in sick because she was slated to attend a seminar and didn’t really want to deal with that. John's workday began with his arrival just before 8 a.m. A few hours into his day, he attempted to reach Sherri to check if she had gone to work. He continued trying to get her throughout the day but to no avail. Upon returning home, he noticed that the garage door was unexpectedly open, a departure from the norm, and Sherri's car was gone. As he ventured into the garage, he observed broken glass on the ground. A horrifying scene awaited John inside the residence. 29-year-old Sherri lay on the floor, her face bearing the brutal signs of violence—bloodied, with a swollen and bruised right eyelid, a vacant gaze from her open left eye, and her mouth in its final, silent gasp. In desperation, John reached out to touch her, hoping for a sign of life, but her skin was chillingly cold. At that moment, he knew that Sherri was no longer with them. John called 911.

Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘From Cop to Killer: The Murder of Sherri Rasmussen.’

Listener discretion by Edward October @octoberpodVHS

Music is by our EP Nico @theinkypawprint

Promos are by our good friends:
Emily from Mobidology Podcast https://morbidology.com/
And
Eric from True Consequences who has launched ‘Angels' Voices Silenced No More,’ an organization with a mission to empower families of victims by equipping them with the necessary resources and referrals to advocate for their missing or murdered loved ones.
https://www.angelsvoicesnm.org/

Listen to his podcast here: https://www.trueconsequences.com/


Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbenSMLueyE

https://www.westsidecurrent.com/valley/parole-board-recommends-release-for-former-lapd-detective-convicted-of-1986-murder/article_1c207ab6-850e-11ee-b4ce-a35abef146d2.html

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-16/stephanie-lazarus-as-a-cop-killed-ex-boyfriends-wife-now-recommended-for-parole

https://thecrimewire.com/true-crime/A-Dad-Knew-Who-Stalked-and-Murdered-His-Daughter-But-It-Took-23-Years-to-Make-an-Arrest-The-Sherri-Rasmussen

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-court-of-appeal/1707766.html

https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/women/stephanie_lazarus/1.html

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It's a typical situation across America, in hundreds of towns and thousands of homes. As the Thanksgiving holiday approached, a recently separated couple hashed out the details of which parent would get the kids on what day and at what times. For now, Tanya Skelton had full custody of the children she shared with John Russell Skelton. Still, Tanya felt that their three sons, Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner, should get to spend part of the holiday with their father, so she allowed them to spend Thanksgiving Day with him. The boys were to be returned to her at 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon on the following day, Black Friday, but they didn't come home.

For Tanya and the tiny town of Morenci, Michigan, Friday the 26th of November 2010 would turn out to be the blackest of all Black Fridays.

Join Cam and Jen as they discuss "Two Hours and Seventeen Minutes: The Skelton Brothers."

Thank you to Factor Meals for sponsoring this episode!

This November, skip all the daily meal prep hassle and get Factor. Enjoy eating well without the hassle. Just choose your meals; they have breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and enjoy fresh, flavor-packed dishes delivered to your door. Ready in just 2 minutes, no prep, no mess!
Head to FACTORMEALS.com/otcp50 and use code otcp50 to get 50% off.

Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from https://www.youtube.com/c/octoberpodhomevideo
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of https://theinkypawprint.com

Be sure to listen to the long-form podcast on the Skelton Brothers called
Shattered: Black Friday. It's really well done, and where we found most of the information for this episode. I think you'll really like it.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uPEBLxvL9rA2l7GEuu3kM


Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=OlSdqwP3bbw&ab_channel=ClickOnDetroit%7CLocal4%7CWDIV
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=h2bici5VYBE&t=3s&ab_channel=ClickOnDetroit%7CLocal4%7CWDIV
https://www.wkar.org/2010-11-29/mom-of-missing-mich-boys-is-on-sex-offender-list
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/remains-of-three-children-found-in-shed-not-a-match-for-missing-mich-brothers/
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna40427984
https://www.wtol.com/article/news/crime/john-skelton-missing-brothers-parole-denied-permanent/512-774b38f8-04cb-4297-acc1-1fb951db653a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjboRIc62O0&ab_channel=ClickOnDetroit%7CLocal4%7CWDIV

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Warning: This episode deals with child abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 4, 1996, 19-year-old David Barnett went to the residence of his adoptive grandparents, Clifford and Leona Barnett. His grandparents were away, attending church services at the Kirkwood Baptist Church in St Louis. David accessed their home by entering through a bedroom window, where he sat on the couch, turned on the television, and eventually drifted off to sleep. Upon waking up, he contacted his stepbrother, Scott, and enthusiastically claimed that he had recently won the lottery overnight. Clifford and Leona returned home from church around 1 p.m. Barnett was waiting for his grandparents when they returned home. A horrifying turn of events unfolded, resulting in the brutal murders of two individuals, leaving the community bewildered and seeking answers as to what happened to David.

Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘We Need to Talk About David Barnett.'

Listener Discretion by Edward October @octoberpodVHS

Music by our E.P. Nico @theinkypawprint

Sources:
Forsaken Me: A Survivor’s Life Sentence: The Baffling True Autobiography of David M. Barnett. (https://read.amazon.com/ref_=ku_ap_rw_cr_rdnw&asin=B087C65WNG)

https://www.newsweek.com/i-am-killer-david-barnett-prison-released-release-netflix-john-barnett-1489244

https://www.change.org/p/mike-parson-free-david-barnett

https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/barnett-david.htm

https://www.courts.mo.gov/SUP/index.nsf/0/0b5191e7fbb19c2286256c95005c7e15/$FILE/SC84806%20Barnett's%20brief.PDF

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/mo-supreme-court/1021446.html

https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-killer-david-barnett-now/

https://www.missourinet.com/2020/03/04/missouri-supreme-court-considers-case-that-could-impact-sentences-for-teen-murderers/

https://www.phillipsblack.org/david-barnett

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In August 2002, Michael Short, his wife, Mary, and their daughter, Jennifer, lived in a red brick ranch-style home right off Hwy 220 in Oak Level, Virginia. Michael owned a business named M.S. Mobile Home Movers, employing various people, most of whom were temporary or transient. The company was not doing well, so Michael decided to put their house up for sale and move into a mobile home until he could figure out his next move. He had even made a trip to the coast of North Carolina to see if he could find work there.

On the evening of Wednesday, August 14, 2002, the family's plans were up in the air. They may or may not sell the business, and they may or may not move to North Carolina. On that night, they had every reason to believe that whatever came their way, they'd do it together as a family.

Unfortunately, Michael and Mary would be found shot execution-style the following day, and 9-year-old Jennifer was nowhere to be found.

After an exhaustive search, Jennifer's remains were found 41 days after her parents were found murdered.

Now, 21 years later, police are no closer to finding their killer.

Join Jen and Cam as they discuss The Brown Family Murders.

If you have any information, no matter how small, please call one of the following numbers and report it.
Henry County Sheriff’s Department: 276-638-8751
Henry County Crime Stoppers: 276-632-7463
Rockingham County Sheriff's Department: 336-634-3300
Rockingham County Crime Stoppers: 336-349-9683.

Requested by Judy B

Promo by our friends Amanda and Lauren of Most Wanted

Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October fromhttps://www.youtube.com/c/octoberpodhomevideo
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of https://theinkypawprint.com

Sources:
https://www.newspapers.com/image/959768809/?terms=Angry%20landlord%20fingered%20Bowman&match=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFL2Fv9iyjU&ab_channel=UnderTheAshTree
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31RSMpP_jqw&ab_channel=DarkCuriosities
https://unresolved.me/the-short-familyhttps://www.wxii12.com/article/memorial-ride-honors-short-family-unsolved-murders/40891007
https://www.newspapers.com/image/921024090/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/921516510/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/837402518/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/837396650/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/921085015/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/921020776/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/837399732/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/837400335/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/837278775/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/837397288/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/921531331/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1 (https://www.newspapers.com/image/989300186/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/921568216/?terms=%20Oak%20Level%20Jennifer%20Short%20Virginia%20murder&match=1

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