Stranger In The House

Today's episode is from a friend of the podcast, Kim Toller with A Million Other Choices. 

It’s been over 100 years since 8 eight people were mysteriously murdered in Villisca, Iowa. In this episode, we go through the terrifying crime scene and discuss who could have done such a horrible thing, and how they got away with it for so long.

Sources:

Dash, Mike. “The Ax Murderer Who Got Away.” Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Oct. 2022, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-ax-murderer-who-got-away-117037374.

Grey, Orrin. “Serial Suspects: Who Committed the Villisca Axe Murders?” The Lineup, 3 May 2016, the-line-up.com/villisca-axe-murders-suspects.

Villisca Historical Society, Inc. - Preserving the Unique History of the Community of Villisca, Iowa. www.villiscahistory.org.

Serena, Katie. “The Gruesome Story of the Unsolved Villisca Axe Murders.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, Feb. 2018, allthatsinteresting.com/villisca-axe-murders.

Turner, Joe. “Unsolved Villisca Axe Murders of 1912.” Historic Mysteries, 4 Jan. 2021, www.historicmysteries.com/major-crimes/villisca-axe-murders/20491/.

“Villisca Murder House Tour.” Villisca Axe Murder House, 12 July 2024, murderhouse.com/visit/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.‌

“From the Archives: Inside the Villisca Ax Murder House.” Www.desmoinesregister.com, www.desmoinesregister.com/picture-gallery/life/2013/12/06/photos-inside-the-villisca-ax-murder-house/3898221/.

Register, Des Moines. “The Stories behind 19 Odd Iowa Town Names.” The Des Moines Register, www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/2019/09/11/strange-iowa-town-names-villisca-des-moines-waukee-odd-stories-tales-what-cheer-midwest-history/2208204001/.

When a 68 year-old woman is found murdered in her own home, her family quickly turns on each other and points fingers at one of her sons, Jason Carter.

If you have any information about Shirley’s murder, please contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at (641) 828-2220 or file a report anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at (515) 223-1400.

Sources:

Iowa Cold Cases, Inc. “Shirley Carter | Iowa Cold Cases.” Iowa Cold Cases, 27 Apr. 2022, iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/shirley-carter.

Jacob, Richy Maria. “Shelly Carter: Where Is Jason Carter’s Wife Now?” The Cinemaholic, 13 July 2024, thecinemaholic.com/jason-carters-wife-now.

Jacob, Richy Maria. “Where Is Jason Carter Today?” The Cinemaholic, 10 Aug. 2021, thecinemaholic.com/where-is-jason-carter-now.

Rossi, M. (2019, December 13). Jason Carter files federal lawsuit against his father and Marion County investigators. weareiowa.com. https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/jason-carter-files-federal-lawsuit-against-bill-carter-marion-county-investigators-shirley-carter-death/524-08e839dc-c133-4216-abae-a6f59623947b 

Rossi, M. (2018, May 31). Attorneys: New evidence proves Jason Carter didn’t kill mother. weareiowa.com. https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/attorneys-new-evidence-proves-jason-carter-didnt-kill-mother/524-239f1ac0-dfe8-47b4-a8f5-9ca8ce4e91c7 

Morris, W. (2021, July 21). Federal appeals court revives Jason Carter’s lawsuit against father, Iowa investigators over his mother’s killing. The Des Moines Register. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2021/07/21/jason-carter-lawsuit-against-investigators-revived-appeals-court-murder-shirley-carter/8044655002/ 

Magel, T. (2017, December 8). Carter vs. Carter: Affair comes out in civil murder trial. KCCI. https://www.kcci.com/article/carter-vs-carter-affair-comes-out-in-civil-murder-trial/14384453 

Basu, R. (2018, February 2). Basu: Mother’s slaying divides father, son. The Des Moines Register. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/rekha-basu/2016/06/17/basu-mothers-slaying-divides-father-son/86036754/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin= 

Law and Crime. Murder of Farmer's Wife Turns Cold When Son Goes Free (Killer Cases) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuxKuuqWl7w&t=881s 

Buckle up for one of the most gruesome stories we have ever told on this podcast.

When a string of horrifying murders happen in the quiet suburbs of Sacramento, police begin to suspect they are dealing with a serial killer who is more monster than man. 

Sources:

SN&R Staff. “Revisiting “the Vampire of Sacramento” • Sacramento News & Review.” Sacramento News & Review, 13 Aug. 2021, sacramento.newsreview.com/2021/08/13/revisiting-the-vampire-of-sacramento/ 

Cipriano, Andrea. “Macdonald Triad: Can 3 Behaviors Predict Who Will Be a Killer?” The Crime Sheet, 27 July 2020, www.thecrimesheet.com/post/macdonald-triad-can-3-behaviors-predict-who-will-be-a-killer.

Parfitt, Charlotte Hannah, and Emma Alleyne. “Not the Sum of Its Parts: A Critical Review of the MacDonald Triad.” Trauma, violence & abuse vol. 21,2 (2020): 300-310

Richard Chase’s Apartment.” Oddstops.com, oddstops.com/location.php?id=342.

“Evelyn Miroth’s House.” Oddstops.com, 2023, oddstops.com/location.php?id=344. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Richard Chase.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Dec. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Chase.

161385360554578. “I Found My Pregnant Wife’s Body after “Vampire” Killer Drank Her Blood.” The US Sun, 30 Jan. 2022, www.the-sun.com/news/4563217/vampire-sacramento-killer-victim-speaks-pregnant-wife-murder/.

Milakovic, Hrvoje. “Why Do Vampires Have to Be Invited In?” FICTION HORIZON, 22 Mar. 2021, fictionhorizon.com/why-do-vampires-have-to-be-invited-in/. 

Juan Ignacio Blanco. “Richard Chase | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers.” Murderpedia.org, 2019, murderpedia.org/male.C/c/chase-richard.htm.

When a teenager throws the party of the year, no one expects the host to be arrested for murder. And they definitely didn't expect to find out they were partying at the scene of a double homicide. 

Sources:

Rich, Nathaniel. “Tyler Hadley’S Killer Party.” Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2024, www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/tyler-hadleys-killer-party-54270.

Carlton, Genevieve. “Tyler Hadley Killed His Parents — Then Threw a House Party.” All That’s Interesting, 27 Jan. 2022, allthatsinteresting.com/tyler-hadley.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Blake_and_Mary-Jo_Hadley

ABC News. “Best Friend ‘Ruined My Life’ When He Killed His Own Parents.” ABC News, 7 Apr. 2014, abcnews.go.com/US/best-friend-ruined-life-killed-parents/story?id=23189582.

WPTV News - FL Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast. “Family Reacts to Tyler Hadley Apology.” YouTube, 8 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=baHlk1hinGA.

 “Tyler Hadley’s Friend Speaks Out, Witnessed Bodies at Party.” YouTube, 19 July 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS7hjxjIH7s.

In this episode, we investigate the two questions that we were left with in Part 1: Did Tina Resch possess supernatural powers? And did she kill her three-year-old daughter?

Sources:

“Christina Boyer.” Christina Boyer, www.christinaboyer.org.

ABC News. “Story of Christina Boyer, ‘poltergeist Girl,’ Chronicled in ‘Demons and Saviors.’” YouTube, 5 Aug. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLGbPq0dWEU.

Georgetown Prisons and Justice Initiative. “Making an Exoneree 2019 - the Story of Christina Boyer (First Released on July 1, 2020).” YouTube, 1 July 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Es96oO-9Y.

“James Randi, Magician Who Debunked Paranormal Claims, Dies at 92.” New York Times, 21 Oct. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/obituaries/james-randi-dead.html.

Skeptic » Podcasts » MonsterTalk » Transcript for the Columbus Poltergeist  (Featuring James Randi). www.skeptic.com/podcasts/monstertalk/10/07/21/transcript.

https://www.change.org/p/free-christina-boyer?utm_medium=custom_url&utm_source=share_petition&recruited_by_id=7b3426c0-2ca7-11ee-9aff-cd2e4a76a99f 

From 'poltergeist girl' to 'murderer,' Tina Resch has been called a lot of things in her life.

So how does one girl go from being a supernatural media sensation to the most hated woman in America? Listen to Part 1 to find out.

Sources:

Roll, William, and Valerie Storey. Unleashed: Of Poltergeists and Murder: The Curious Story of Tina Resch. Gallery Books, 2004.

“Christina Boyer.” Christina Boyer, www.christinaboyer.org.

Wikipedia contributors. “Tina Resch.” Wikipedia, 6 June 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Resch.

Wikipedia contributors. “Poltergeist (1982 Film).” Wikipedia, 10 Sept. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist_(1982_film).

Wiki, Contributors to Unsolved Mysteries. “Tina Resch.” Unsolved Mysteries Wiki, unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Tina_Resch.

LP_B129_F16_08a; LP_B129_F16_08a.tif. digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/dispatch/id/6422.

Randi, James. The Columbus Poltergeist Case: Part I: Flying Phones, Photos, and Fakery. season-01 1984, cdn.centerforinquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/1985/04/22165340/p31.pdf.

Monthly, Staff Writer Columbus. “Classic Columbus Ghost Stories: The Columbus Poltergeist.” Columbus Monthly, 19 Oct. 2015, www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/2015/09/29/classic-columbus-ghost-stories-columbus/22773872007.

When two different pairs of mothers and daughters are murdered in a quiet suburban town, the neighborhood fears a serial killer is on the loose. With the two cases almost identical, why does an FBI profiler think the crimes are unrelated? 

Support us on Patreon!

Sources:

Opening arguments made in jason scott murder trial - The Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/opening-arguments-made-in-jason-scott-murder-trial/2013/02/19/15a694d4-7aae-11e2-82e8-61a46c2cde3d_story.html 

Case of pr. George’s man suspected of serial killings leaves police and families unsatisfied - The Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/case-of-pr-georges-man-suspected-of-serial-killings-leaves-police-and-families-unsatisfied/2013/12/29/f0802c72-6753-11e3-8b5b-a77187b716a3_story.html 

Mitra, S. (2024) Jason Thomas Scott: Who were his victims? where is he now?, The Cinemaholic. Available at: https://thecinemaholic.com/who-were-jason-thomas-scotts-victims-where-is-he-now/

Hermann, P. (2019) Man sentenced to 100 years in prison also suspect in killings, Baltimore Sun. Available at: https://www.baltimoresun.com/2012/01/11/man-sentenced-to-100-years-in-prison-also-suspect-in-killings/

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/jason-thomas-scott-suspected-maryland-serial-killer-evil/story?id=11266673 

https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/scott-jason-interview.htm

Hi Strangers... We're back. Season 2 of Stranger in the House premieres next week on Thursday, September 5th- just in time for the spooky season.

Follow us on Instagram @_strangerinthehouse and on Tiktok @_strangerinthehousepod

Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast, and (if you are feeling generous) please rate us on apple podcasts. 

See you soon.

In this episode, we dive deep into the two prevalent theories regarding the murder of 6-year-old JonBenét: The Family Member Theory and The Intruder Theory. 

SUPPORT US ON PATREON! patreon.com/StrangerInTheHousePodcast

Sources: 

Layton, Julia. “How Handwriting Analysis Works.” HowStuffWorks, 23 Oct. 2023, science.howstuffworks.com/handwriting-analysis.htm#:~:text=Handwriting%20analysis%20is%20a%20tedious%20and%20methodical%20process,heavy%20pressure%2C%20large%20letters%2C%20narrow%20spacing%20and%20more. 

Giacomazzo, Bernadette. “John Mark Karr, the Pedophile Who Claimed to Kill JonBenét Ramsey.” All That’s Interesting, 21 Feb. 2024, allthatsinteresting.com/john-mark-karr 

Stockton, Chrissy. “The Best Arguments for the ‘Intruder’ Theory in the JonBenét Ramsey Case.” Thought Catalog, 16 Jan. 2024, thoughtcatalog.com/christine-stockton/2020/11/the-best-arguments-for-the-intruder-theory-in-the-jonbenet-ramsey-case.

Casarez, J. (2016, December 13). The death of JonBenet: A case that’s captivated the country for 20 years. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/13/us/jonbenet-ramsey-case/index.html

CNN, J. C. (2021, December 26). 25 years after JonBenet Ramsey killing, investigators have tested almost 1,000 DNA samples. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/26/us/jonbenet-ramsey-25th-anniversary-dna/index.html

Chang, R. (2020, November 17). JonBenét Ramsey’s Murder: Timeline of the Child Pageant Star’s Death and Investigation. Biography. https://www.biography.com/crime/jonbenet-ramsey-murder-investigation-timeline 

Crime Museum. (2019). JonBenét Ramsey - Crime Museum. Crime Museum; Crime Museum. https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/cold-cases/jonbenet-ramsey/ 

Sylte, A. (2016, October 24). Read the JonBenet Ramsey ransom note. KUSA. https://www.9news.com/article/news/investigations/jonbenet-ramsey/read-the-jonbenet-ramsey-ransom-note/73-339934405

Trapasso, C. (2024, March 22). The Owners of the JonBenet Ramsey Murder House Fail To Find a Buyer Despite Price Cuts. Real Estate News & Insights | Realtor.com®. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/jonbenet-ramsey-house-cant-find-a-buyer/ 

Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, November 12). Killing of JonBenét Ramsey. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_JonBen%C3%A9t_Ramsey 

Worthen, M. (2020, November 17). JonBenét Ramsey - Brother, Parents & House. Biography. https://www.biography.com/crime/jonbenet-ramsey

Waxman, O. B. (2021, December 23). 25 Years Later, the Murder of JonBenét Ramsey Remains Unsolved—and Issues It Highlighted Persist. Time. https://time.com/6130287/jonbenet-ramsey-murder-true-crime/