In the early 1990s, the college town of Gainesville,Florida was paralyzed by fear. Over just three days, five students were brutally murdered in their own apartments, victims of Danny Rolling, the man the press would call The Gainesville Ripper. His crimes were savage, his methods deliberate, and the terror he left behind felt like something straight out of a horror movie.

Years later, screenwriter Kevin Williamson watched a documentary about those killings while home alone. That fear he experienced while watching that documentary became the spark for Wes Craven's Scream (1996). Set in the quiet town of Woodsboro, Scream follows a masked killer who taunts his victims with phone calls and deadly games, blurring the line between fiction and reality. What began as a true story of terror became a movie that made us all ask the same question…

“What’s your favorite scary movie?”

Sources:

World’s Most Evil Killers: S3,EP13 

https://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/psyc%20405/serial%20killers/rolling,%20danny%20-%202004.pdf

https://www.ksla.com/video/2024/03/29/archives-murders-tom-julie-sean-grissom-shreveport-la-1989/

https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/crime/2019/11/08/grissom-family-murders-shreveport-louisiana-gainesville-murders/4157607002/

https://www.aetv.com/articles/how-serial-killer-danny-rolling-inspired-scream-with-his-1990-slayings

https://people.com/serial-killer-gainesville-ripper-danny-rolling-exclusive-11763591

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

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1993/02/20/5-dead-may-have-been-stalked/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTvIh8rC4ak

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In this episode, we dive into the true story behind Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story, the Lifetime movie that shocked viewers. We recount the 2006 case of 17-year-old Ashley Reeves, a high school student from Illinois who was lured to a remote park by her former teacher and brutally attacked—strangled and left paralyzed, alone in the woods for over 30 hours. Miraculously, she survived.

We’ll examine how the film portrayed the events, explore key differences between the dramatization and reality, and discuss the psychological aftermath of the attack. This crime highlights the dangers of authority abuse and the strength it takes to reclaim one’s life after trauma.

Sources:

Left For Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbH6S4z57hE

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

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

https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/cable-tv-movie-to-chronicle-the-2006-ashley-reeves-case-from-metro-east/

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/87/68762db5-4e2b-5eda-baf6-b8d851de839b/60c0dafe96b8c.pdf.pdf

https://people.com/teacher-who-choked-17-year-old-student-left-her-woods-after-believing-she-was-dead-is-released-8639074

https://truecrimenews.com/2017/02/06/exclusive-illinois-teen-survives-older-lovers-murderous-attack-returns-to-scene-where-she-was-left-for-dead/

https://thecinemaholic.com/lifetimes-left-for-dead-everything-we-know/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-teacher-gets-20-years/

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The 1983 made-for-TV movie Adam tells the true story of six-year-old Adam Walsh, who was abducted from a Sears department store in Hollywood, Fl in July 1981. The movie follows his parents, John and Reve Walsh, as they struggle with the devastating loss of their son and the failures of the system meant to protect children.

The real-life case behind the movie had a lasting impact. John Walsh became a well-known victims' rights advocate and later hosted America's Most Wanted. The Walsh family helped establish the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Adam remains one of the most influential true crime TV movies in American history, remembered not just for its emotional storytelling but for the real change it helped create.

Sources:

Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed America by Les Standiford 

Tears of Rage by John Walsh 

https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2024/adam-more-than-a-movie

https://time.com/4437205/adam-walsh-murder/

https://justiceforadam.com/

https://curbarchive.journalism.wisc.edu/2009/12/01/are-you-there-god-its-me-jeffrey/2/index.html

https://people.com/who-killed-adam-walsh-11777914#:~:text=Before%20John%20Walsh%20was%20the,and%20my%20love%20for%20him.%22

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

We revisit the harrowing true story of Francine Hughes, the Michigan housewife whose decades-long abuse at the hands of her husband, Mickey Hughes, ended in a desperate act that would shake the nation. On a cold night in March 1977, after suffering relentless physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, Francine set fire to the bed where her husband lay sleeping.

We explore the real events behind the groundbreaking 1984 TV movie The Burning Bed, starring Farrah Fawcett, which brought national attention to domestic violence in a way the American media had rarely done before.

Sources:

The Burning Bed - By Faith McNulty 

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=f3826a3017f5c801&rlz=1CAGZLV_enUS1160&sxsrf=AE3TifNI_ytsXlwnrn18p_4EHPVMZ0jfPw:1759263288213&udm=7&fbs=AIIjpHxU7SXXniUZfeShr2fp4giZ1Y6MJ25_tmWITc7uy4KIeiAkWG4OlBE2zyCTMjPbGmMU8EWskMk2JSE__efdUJ3xRFvZ0M2vJLB0hUMk5HOE2OjlycQYRp9vQECfaBtuI77VBixuZT8Ikq7knPIraxtLcXUn-925YP4AZPohtCshEMzz_HYh-s2jy_GenEFZtSggFj5UruF1QvDnKbUPJW54S8V0hw&q=the+burning+bed&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwity_C6poGQAxUtEFkFHUAlCW4QtKgLegQIGBAB&biw=1536&bih=710&dpr=1.25#fpstate=ive&ip=1&vld=cid:65d05521,vid:ZGXeu5WCZgE,st:0

https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/farrah-fawcetts-film-role-helped-change-domestic-abuse-63176346

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmyQcq9YY8M

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/31/us/francine-hughes-wilson-dead-burning-bed-defendant.html

https://www.wkar.org/history/2017-03-30/burning-bed-murder-case-defense-attorney-looks-back

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When Susan Wilson and her family move into what they believe is their dream home in a quiet Louisiana neighborhood, everything seems perfect. But soon, Susan begins to suspect that something isn't right. Susan makes the horrifying discovery that her trusted neighbor has been spying on her family, watching their most private moments. He has secretly installed hidden cameras in her home. Even more disturbing, the law offers her no protection.

Determined to seek justice, Susan fights not just for her family, but for others too. Susan Wilson becomes an advocate for victims' rights and pushes to change the laws that failed to protect her basic privacy.

Sources:

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/dec/30/federal-law-against-video-voyeurism-hailed-by/

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

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/making-video-voyeurism-a-crime/

https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/lifetimes-tale-video-voyeur-spurs-us-law-15614/

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We dive into the true story behind the Lifetime movie Mommy Meanest. A chilling thriller where a teenage girl is tormented by a

cyberbully, only to find out that the person behind the screen is her own mother. Based on the real-life case of Kendra Licari, the Michigan mom who stalked and harassed her daughter for 2 years.

Sources:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1212649/kendra-licari-updates-unknown-number-texter-today-daughter-relationship/

https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a66035450/unknown-number-viewers-agree-that-a-key-detail-about-kendra-was-left-out-of-the-documentary/

https://bigrapidsdailynews.com/breaking-news/686462

https://people.com/unknown-number-mom-explains-why-sent-anonymous-texts-11803391

Netflix: Unknown Number - The High School Catfish 

Lifetime: Mommy Meanest 

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a66037600/unknown-number-high-school-catfish-shawn-now-kendra-divorce/

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Laurie Show was a 16-year-old high school student from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, whose life was tragically cut short in 1991 in a brutal act of jealousy and revenge. She had briefly dated an older teen, Lawrence  Yunkin, who was in a volatile relationship with another teenager, Michelle Lambert. Lambert became increasingly obsessed with harassing and threatening Laurie. On the morning of December 20, 1991, Laurie was attacked and murdered in her home by Lambert and her friend Tabitha Buck. 

The horrifying case gained national attention and led to lengthy trials, appeals, and changes in Pennsylvania’s anti-stalking laws, largely due to the advocacy of Laurie’s mother, Hazel Show. In 2000, Lifetime adapted the story into a made-for-TV film titled The Stalking of Laurie Show, dramatizing the events leading up to Laurie’s death. 

Sources:

Overkill by Lyn Riddle 

The Stalking of Laurie Show 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCwRY0qffDI

https://lancastercountypa.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1008&ARC=1439

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItVOg2lzq4E

https://co.lancaster.pa.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1008&ARC=1438

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/12/28-years-after-killing-laurie-show-teen-murderer-tabitha-buck-is-bound-for-freedom.html

https://www.wgal.com/article/wgal-becomes-courtroom-for-appeal-by-convicted-killer-lisa-michelle-lambert/60178594

*This podcast is independently produced using publicly available information and personal research. I approach each story with care and respect, though I recognize that I may not always have access to every voice or perspective involved. If you’re connected to the story and would like to share your experience, I truly welcome the opportunity to include your insights in a future update.

Email Residue: [email protected]

Find RESIDUE online:
Instagram: @residuepodcast
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Facebook: Residue:A True Crime Podcast

Credits: RESIDUE is Hosted/Produced/Researched/Edited by Chrissy Champagne

THEME SONG: "Dance Of Death" by Purple Planet Music collection written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound.

Residue logo designed by Tricia Cappelli

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The Marla Hanson Story is a dramatic retelling of a real-life tragedy. The film follows Marla Hanson, a young and ambitious model who moves to New York City to pursue her career. She rents an apartment from Steve Roth, a makeup artist with whom she initially forms a friendship. However, when Marla rebuffs his unwanted romantic advances, Roth's interest turns dark and obsessive.

Consumed by rejection and jealousy, Roth arranges for two men to attack Marla. An ambush that leaves her face slashed with a razor permanently scarring her physically and emotionally. The film depicts her traumatic recovery, her courageous testimony in court, and the emotional toll of being re-victimized during a brutal cross-examination. Despite this, Marla finds strength in her fight for justice.

Sources:

https://screenrant.com/skin-decision-marla-hanson-modeling-looks-great/

https://www.netflix.com/watch/81061920?trackId=268410292&tctx=0%2C0%2C8dc5c6de-f096-40b6-bf9d-a60c1eeb163e-108363382%2C8dc5c6de-f096-40b6-bf9d-a60c1eeb163e-108363382%7C2%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C81038987%2CVideo%3A81061920%2CdetailsPageEpisodePlayButton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZISGsdcAj4

https://medium.com/@brandontbrasson/model-to-survivor-the-razor-attack-that-sparked-reform-344e11f6a76b

https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/scarred/

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/03/nyregion/model-gives-grim-account-of-night-she-was-slashed.html

*This podcast is independently produced using publicly available information and personal research. I approach each story with care and respect, though I recognize that I may not always have access to every voice or perspective involved. If you’re connected to the story and would like to share your experience, I truly welcome the opportunity to include your insights in a future update.

Email Residue: [email protected]

Find RESIDUE online:
Instagram: @residuepodcast
Tik Tok: @residuepodcast
Facebook: Residue:A True Crime Podcast

Credits: RESIDUE is Hosted/Produced/Researched/Edited by Chrissy Champagne

THEME SONG: "Dance Of Death" by Purple Planet Music collection written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound.

Residue logo designed by Tricia Cappelli

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In 1991, Wanda Holloway, a mother from Channelview, Texas, became the center of national outrage when she attempted to hire a hitman to kill the mother of her daughter’s cheerleading rival. Holloway believed that eliminating the rival’s mother would emotionally destabilize the girl freeing up a coveted spot on the high school cheerleading squad for her own daughter.

Her plan unraveled when the man she approached for help, her ex-brother-in-law, went to the police and recorded her murder-for-hire plot. Holloway was arrested, tried, and convicted, sparking headlines across the country and prompting conversations about obsession, parenting pressure, and small-town competition taken to extremes.

HBO turned the bizarre true story into a dark comedy in 1993 with The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. The film starred Holly Hunter as Wanda Holloway, delivering a chilling performance that earned her an Emmy. The movie uses biting humor and courtroom dramatization to highlight the absurdity of the crime, the media circus surrounding it, and the warped values that can emerge in the pursuit of perfection and popularity.

Sources:

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

The Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot 

https://people.com/texas-cheerleader-murder-plot-id-documentary-8761454

*This podcast is independently produced using publicly available information and personal research. I approach each story with care and respect, though I recognize that I may not always have access to every voice or perspective involved. If you’re connected to the story and would like to share your experience, I truly welcome the opportunity to include your insights in a future update.

Email Residue: [email protected]

Find RESIDUE online:
Instagram: @residuepodcast
Tik Tok: @residuepodcast
Facebook: Residue:A True Crime Podcast

Credits: RESIDUE is Hosted/Produced/Researched/Edited by Chrissy Champagne

THEME SONG: "Dance Of Death" by Purple Planet Music collection written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound.

Residue logo designed by Tricia Cappelli

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

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PART 2 .... In 1983, Diane Downs drove her three children to an Oregon hospital — one dead, two critically injured — claiming a stranger had attacked them. But investigators quickly uncovered a much darker truth. In this PART TWO episode, we look at the shocking real-life crime committed by Downs and how it was brought to the screen in the 1989 TV movie Small Sacrifices, starring Farrah Fawcett. We explore the case, Diane's past, and how the film captured one of the most cold-blooded crimes in modern history.

Sources:

Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R59i2p7i30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsMXTsU4eq

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObFpAYinB8E

https://vocal.media/criminal/like-the-wolf

https://abcnews.go.com/2020/diane-downs-mother-shoots-children/story?id=10615736

https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/diane-downs-escapes-maximum-security-prison-part-61880673

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/06/12/the-mother-38/13b24fdf-7294-4623-ad2d-0665435ceed4/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-finding-peace-learning-mother-child-killer-diane/story?id=61692453

https://entertainmentnow.com/news/diane-downs-children-kids-now-today/

https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/diane-downs-biological-daughter-finds-truth-birth-mom-61880672

https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/courts/2024/11/25/elizabeth-diane-downs-declares-mistrial-in-child-murder-case/76139803007/

https://delanirbartlette.medium.com/diane-downs-hungry-like-the-wolf-22905cecdd97

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW0wgwoKp74

*This podcast is independently produced using publicly available information and personal research. I approach each story with care and respect, though I recognize that I may not always have access to every voice or perspective involved. If you’re connected to the story and would like to share your experience, I truly welcome the opportunity to include your insights in a future update.

Email Residue: [email protected]

Find RESIDUE online:
Instagram: @residuepodcast
Tik Tok: @residuepodcast
Facebook: Residue:A True Crime Podcast

Credits: RESIDUE is Hosted/Produced/Researched/Edited by Chrissy Champagne

THEME SONG: "Dance Of Death" by Purple Planet Music collection written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound.

Residue logo designed by Tricia Cappelli

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