In our new series, “StepMonsters,” I’ll share stories of bad stepparents whose actions became true crime news.  In this first episode I'll share the story of a young boy who went missing and was found in a very unlikely place.

S4 Ep164: StepMonsters: The Disappearance of Charlie Bothuell

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, host Esther Ludlow digs into the details of each case to bring listeners the facts and information they won’t hear anywhere else.

Esther calls on her background in criminal psychology and includes biographical details of both victims and perpetrators to fully explore the circumstances and motivations behind the most heinous crimes.

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In the final series for season eight of Once Upon A Crime, we provide a retrospective look at the most compelling episodes from the show's archive, particularly highlighting those that newer listeners might have missed. 



This episode revisits the story of Betty Broderick from Season 1, part of the 'A Woman Scorned' series, which delves into crimes committed by women against their romantic partners. 



Betty Broderick's tumultuous marriage, marked by jealousy, arguments, and ultimately, her husband's infidelity with his younger secretary, spirals out of control, leading to tragic consequences. 





This is one of our most downloaded episodes about a female killer and the most viewed on Once Upon a Crime’s YouTube channel.



You can listen to the other episodes of “A Woman Scorned,” which feature notable cases such as Jodi Arias and Clara Harris. Links are provided below. 





To listen to the entire episode, click on this link. - https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s1-ep42-a-woman-scorned-betty-broderick/



A Woman Scorned - Jodi Arias - Part 1 and 2:

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s1-ep43-a-woman-scorned-jodi-arias-part-1/

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s1-ep43-a-woman-scorned-jodi-arias-part-1/







A Woman Scorned - Clara Harris:

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s1-ep45-a-woman-scorned-murder-by-mercedes/



Links:

Thrive Market—thrivemarket.com/once—When you become a member, you can get 30% off your first order PLUS a free gift up to $60!



Patreon - patreon.com/onceuponacrime 



Trova Trip - Take our travel survey and get ready to travel with me! 

https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/esther--fr746










S8: Best of Once Upon a Crime: Betty Broderick

We’re wrapping up Season 8 on the way to Once Upon a Crime’s 9th birthday! We’re sharing six of our “Best Of” Episodes from the archives to celebrate eight years of true crime podcasting. 



First up, you’ll hear a clip from one of our most popular episodes released as discussions with everyone’s favorite co-host, my sister, Yolanda.  We’ll break down the O.J. Simpson case with details you may not have heard before.  



Links: 

Season 6: Episode 225: Breaking Down the O.J. Simpson Case with Yolanda - https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s6-ep225-breaking-down-the-oj-simpson-case-with-yolanda/



Season 3: Episode 115: The Darlie Routier Case w/Yolanda - https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s3-ep115-the-darlie-routier-case-with-guest-co-host-yolanda-from-not-perfect-or-functional-podcast/



Season 2: Episodes 71 and 72: The 12 Crimes of Christmas - Laci Peterson, Parts 1 and 2 - https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s2-ep71-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-1/



https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s2-ep71-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-1/



Sponsors: 



Lume - www.lumedeodorant.com - Use code ONCE for 15% off your first purchase. 



Crimecon - https://www.crimecon.com/ - Use code ONCE for 10% your ticket. 



Patreon - Become an OUAC super fan. Starting at $2 a month. https://www.patreon.com/OnceUponACrime


S8: Best of Once Upon a Crime: O.J. Simpson


In the last chapter of the series “Manipulated to Murder,” I’ll share a story about a predator who hid behind a false identity to manipulate young and impressionable teens into committing the senseless murder of a vulnerable young woman. 







Sources: 

https://law.alaska.gov/press/releases/2024/011124-Schilmiller.html 



https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6154251/Schilmiller-Court-Docs-061419.pdf



https://lawandcrime.com/crime/catfished-killer-takes-plea-deal-in-2019-death-of-best-friend-murdered-in-exchange-for-9m-from-fake-millionaire/ 



https://law.alaska.gov/press/releases/2024/021224-Brehmer.html 



https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/content/news/Who-is-accused-killer-Darin-Schilmiller-Cynthia-Hoffman-murder-suspect-511444111.html



https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2023/07/13/indiana-man-pleads-guilty-to-child-porn-charge-linked-to-anchorage-teens-killing-in-catfishing-scheme/ 



https://medium.com/the-legal-beagle/astonishing-case-in-the-unusual-murder-by-denali-brehmer-of-best-friend-beginning-with-social-media-b6ad8c827830



https://www.the-sun.com/news/10406051/cynthia-hoffman-murder-hire-plot-denali-brehmer-sentenced/









Links: 

Our Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com



Travel with me! Click on the link to take a 2-minute survey to help me plan our first adventure! https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/esther--fr746



www.crimecon.com  - Get your tickets for CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville happening May 31 to June 2. Use my discount code ONCE for 10% off your registration! 



Dr. Phil interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCBOXtwHVg4&ab;_channel=Dr.Phil 






S8 Ep320: Manipulated to Murder: Darin Schilmiller


Pamela Smart became a household name - not for being the next Barbara Walters as she’d hoped but for orchestrating the cold-blooded murder of her husband - using her teenage lover as the trigger man. The case became a media sensation when it hit the news cycle in 1990.  It was such a high-profile case that millions watched the trial unfold live on television.  It was the very first time a murder trial in the U.S. received “gavel-to-gavel” coverage on a newly launched cable television channel dedicated to true crime content - Court TV. 





Sources: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20150215233410/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/smart/1.html



https://www.nhmagazine.com/breaking-silence-cecelia-pierce-speaks/



“Do you remember Pamela Smart? She got four boys to kill her husband 29 years ago. Now, they’re free. She isn’t,” Manuel Roig-Franzi for The Washington Post, Jan 15, 2019.







Links:

Travel with me! Click on the link to take a 2-minute survey to help me plan our first adventure! https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/esther--fr746



www.crimecon.com  - Get your tickets for CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville happening May 31 to June 2. Use my discount code ONCE for 10% off your registration! 










S8 Ep319: Manipulated to Murder: Pamela Smart

In this month’s series, we’ll look at people who were manipulated into committing murder.  First up, we’ll take a look at a case where a mother pressures her child to kill his father.  That fact alone would make this story truly horrible but it was not the last murder Marie Witte orchestrated.  The next one would be as cold-hearted as it was gruesome.





Sources: 



https://murderpedia.org/female.W/w/witte-hilma.htm 



https://thecinemaholic.com/how-did-paul-witte-die-where-are-eric-witte-and-hilma-marie-witte-now/ 



Snapped: Hilma Marie Witte, Season 31, Episode 19, Oxygen TV, 2022. 

https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/hilma-marie-witte-convinced-sons-to-kill-husband-grandmother 



Evil Lives Here: She Made Me Do It, Season 2, Episode 2, HBO MAX,  2017. 

S4 Ep164: StepMonsters: The Disappearance of Charlie Bothuell

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