Small Town Mysteries

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Kate talks about a case that was only recently solved using DNA evidence. The Grim Sleeper was identified after having committed at least 10 murders (that he was convicted of) and at least 4 others he was suspected of carrying out. His crimes spanned decades, and he targeted sex workers who were black women. Would he have been found out sooner if he had targeted wealthy, white women? Would Lonnie Franklin Jr. be a household name if this was the case?
The answer to both questions:
Probably.

Sources:
1) https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-29/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-lonnie-franklin-dies-death-row-san-quentin
2) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/grim-sleeper-guilty-killings_n_572bb5e3e4b016f37895382f
3) https://web.archive.org/web/20141223085642/http://www.laweekly.com/2008-08-28/news/grim-sleeper/
4)https://web.archive.org/web/20160610190831/http://news.sky.com/story/631629/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-hunted
5) https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38133825
6) https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-grim-sleeper-death-verdict-20160606-snap-story.html
7) https://people.com/crime/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-lonnie-franklin-once-gang-raped-a-german-teen/
8) https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/familys-dna-led-police-grim-sleeper-serial-killer/story?id=11116381&page=2
9) https://www.ebony.com/grim-sleeper-case/
10) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-may-have-left-photos-of-more-victims-in-refrigerator-says-lapd/
11) https://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-grim-sleeper-victims-20160508-story.html
12) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jul-16-la-me-0716-grim-sleeper-search-20100716-story.html
13) https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2011-oct-29-la-me-grim-sleeper-20111029-story.html
Doe Network for information on victims
14) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grim_Sleeper 

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Bison Dele, an ex-NBA player who walked away from it all at the prime of his career, his girlfriend, and the captain of his catamaran are all missing when Bison's brother docks their boat. What does his brother know about what happened to them all? 

Sources: 
1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison_Dele#:~:text=Dele%20won%20a%20championship%20with,have%20been%20killed%20by%20Dabord.
2) https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mystery-nz-woman-link-to-mid-sea-triple-killing/6J7QWIE3B5FUCS4X6NOBRV5DVI/
3) https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-what-happened-bison-dele-cause-death-late-nba-player-explored
4) https://www.sportscasting.com/news/the-mysterious-life-and-murder-at-sea-of-nba-champion-bison-dele-aka-brian-williams/
5) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-believe-ex-nba-player-was-slain/
6) https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123837&page=1

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Rachael talks about the brutal, horrific murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer in Madison, Indiana, which involved several other young girls. 
This will leave you shaking your head and wondering how individuals this young can commit such horrible acts of violence.

Sources:
1) https://allthatsinteresting.com/shanda-sharer
2) https://www.talesfromtheunderworld.com/p/lured-to-her-death-the-heartbreaking
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shanda_Sharer
4) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-31-mn-1053-story.html
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison,_Indiana

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The decades-old case of the multi-homicide of the Short Family is ongoing and with few reliable leads. 
Twenty-two years later, the Short family is still searching for justice - but an inadequate initial investigation might make that impossible.

Sources:
1) https://unresolved.me/the-short-family (very detailed!)
2) https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/southside-virginia-news/after-20-years-are-we-any-closer-to-answers-in-short-family-murders-in-henry-co/
3) https://myfox8.com/who-killed-jennifer-short/
4) https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/short-family-triple-homicide-haunts-virginia-20-years-later
5) https://martinsvillebulletin.com/news/local/crime/house-near-martinsville-where-jennifer-shorts-parents-were-murdered-is-now-in-ashes/article_27c7db1c-3544-11e9-8c64-4b79d4325a42.html#:~:text=Nearly%2017%20years%20after%20the,destroyed%20by%20fire%20Wednesday%20morning.
6) https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/va-michael-50-mary-36-jennifer-short-9-bassett-15-aug-2002.11660/
7) https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/three-indicted-for-charges-related-to-the-short-family-murder-case/83-403875927

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Julie Ann Gonzalez was only 21-years-old when she went missing, leaving her young daughter, Layla, and a large group of family and friends who cared for her. They immediately knew that something was wrong - Julie would never disappear of her own volition. 
Find out how there was a murder conviction with no body found.

Sources:
1) https://www.oxygen.com/killer-relationship-with-faith-jenkins/crime-news/george-delacruz-convicted-killing-wife-julia-gonzalez
2) https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2016/10/06/george-de-la-cruz-found-guilty-of-killing-julie-ann-gonzalez/986801007/
3) https://www.tdcaa.com/journal/a-murder-case-with-no-body/

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Gerald Bloom is found buried underneath a trailer in 2010.  The story that unfolds when police talk to Bloom's neighbors and roommates is terrifying and sad.

Sources:
1) https://law.justia.com/cases/wyoming/supreme-court/2012/s-11-0281.html
2) https://www.championfh.com/obituaries/gerald-bloom
3)https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/09/809d0bc4-05db-11df-afbd-001cc4c002e0/809d0bc4-05db-11df-afbd-001cc4c002e0.pdf.pdf
4) http://wdoc-loc.wyo.gov/Home/Detail/?id=27637&dbType=WCIS
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheridan,_Wyoming

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The Axeman of New Orleans terrorized the city in the 1910s, while the world was in the midst of both war and pandemic. Hear about several theories regarding who the Axeman was - are any of them convincing? 

Sources: 
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axeman_of_New_Orleans
3) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/axeman-new-orleans-preyed-italian-immigrants-180968037/
4) https://www.legendsofamerica.com/la-axeman/
5) https://www.lsureveille.com/entertainment/louisiana-true-crime-the-new-orleans-axeman-who-murdered-italian-grocers-unfond-of-jazz/article_0a263482-8744-11ec-85de-7b60c0b7252f.html

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The Moore family was an affluent family located in the town of Villisca, Iowa. They were well-known and well-liked in town. So when all 6 of them, along with 2 young guests, were found bludgeoned in their own home one morning in 1912, people had no idea who would have committed such a crime. Was this heinous crime committed for some financial motive, or could it have been a serial-killer going on a murder spree through the town? 

Sources: 
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villisca_axe_murders 
2) https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2022/06/09/1912-villisca-ax-murders-what-to-know-iowa-cold-case/7567590001/
3) https://www.traveliowa.com/places/villisca-axe-murder-house/201/#:~:text=Curated%20guided%20tours%20are%20available,restoration%2C%20plus%20see%20authentic%20mementos.

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In this episode, Rachael covers a 1800s case in which a woman by the name of Cordelia Botkin is jealous of her lover's wife, Mary, causing her to go to great lengths to have Mary killed.

Sources:
1) https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/death-by-chocolate-ab1f379e705c
2) https://billypenn.com/2023/09/17/botkin-dunning-case-murder-by-chocolate-delaware-valley/
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordelia_Botkin
4) https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/botkin-cordelia.htm
5) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65486684/flower
6) https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/candy-from-a-stranger-the-cordelia-botkin-case-of-1898/
7) https://www.measuringworth.com/dollarvaluetoday/result.php?year=1898&amount=4000&transaction_type=PURCHASE

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At first, when Stacey Castor's husband unexpectedly passes away, no one thinks anything of it, and his death is ruled a suicide. But when police dig deeper and search the Castor's home, what they find shocks them. And as they delve into Stacey's past with her previous husband, they begin to uncover a sinister web of lies...

Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Castor
2) https://abcnews.go.com/US/timeline-black-widow-stacey-castors-shocking-crimes/story?id=60860538
3) https://abcnews.go.com/US/detectives-caught-black-widow-deadly-web-lies/story?id=60854018
4) https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a30715508/stacey-castor-true-story-facts-poisoned-love-lifetime/
5) https://www.oxygen.com/exhumed/crime-news/black-widow-stacey-castor-convicted-for-murder-after-exhumation
6) https://cnycentral.com/news/local/did-stacey-castor-murder-her-own-father

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