This week on Dee-Brief, Dee dives into one of the most extraordinary courtroom dramas of Victorian England — the case of The Tichborne Claimant.

When Sir Roger Tichborne vanished at sea, his grieving mother refused to believe he was gone. Over a decade later, a butcher from Australia stepped forward, claiming to be the missing heir — sparking one of the longest and most sensational trials in British history.

Was he a conman, a delusional dreamer, or a symbol of class rebellion? This is the story of Arthur Orton — or Sir Roger, depending on who you asked — and the bizarre, heartbreaking, and utterly human saga that captivated a nation.

Part scandal, part tragedy, part early celebrity circus — the Tichborne case is proof that truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction.

Sources:

• Rohan McWilliam, The Tichborne Claimant: A Victorian Sensation (Continuum, 2007)

• Christopher Hilliard, The Claimant: A True Story of a Man Who Would Be King (Penguin, 2024)

• The Times archives (London, 1871–1874)

• British Library: Tichborne Trials Collection

• BBC History Magazine, “The Butcher Who Claimed to Be an Aristocrat” (2015)

• The National Archives, UK: CRIM 1/51, R v. Castro (The Tichborne Case)
  

💀 About Dee-Brief:Dee-Brief is a mini-episode series from Switchblade Sisters Social Club — bite-sized true crime stories to keep you entertained while the main show’s on a season break. Smaller cases, same creepy-cute energy.

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#SwitchbladeSistersSocialClub #DeeBrief #TrueCrimePodcast #VictorianCrime #TheTichborneClaimant #IdentityTheft #Conman #VictorianScandal #TrueCrimeCommunity #PodcastShowNotes #DarkHistory #CreepyCute #WomenInPodcasting

Dee and Isla dive into one of the wildest intersections of crime and literature ever recorded: the case of Krystian Bala, the Polish writer whose debut novel Amok appeared to confess - in shocking detail - to a real murder.

This is a story that combines postmodern philosophy, pathological narcissism, a jealous ex-husband, police detective brilliance, and one extremely unpleasant book we have absolutely no desire to read. Think Marquis de Sade meets Reddit, but with actual bodies.

In December 2000, fishermen discovered the body of Dariusz Janiszewski, a respected advertising executive, in the River Odra near Wrocław. He’d been missing for a month. With no clear suspects and almost no evidence, the case went cold. For years, it looked like the killer had pulled off the perfect crime.

Investigators discovered Bala had published a novel in 2003 titled Amok - a grotesque, violent book filled with sadism, misogyny, and philosophical ramblings. Buried in the filth was a murder that matched Janiszewski’s killing in disturbing detail.

This was either: A) the worst coincidence in crime history or B) the most arrogant confession ever written.

• Elizabeth Day, “Stranger Than Fiction,” The Guardian (2007).
  

• David Grann, “A Postmodern Murder Mystery,” The New Yorker (2008).
  

• Andrew Purvis, “Polish Murder Stranger Than Fiction,” TIME (2007).
  

• Reuters, “Truth Stranger Than Fiction as Polish Author Jailed” (2007).
  

• Katherine Ramsland, “Murder, They Wrote,” Psychology Today (2018).
  

• Conchology.be: “Krystian Bala.”
  

Sources

In this week’s episode of Switchblade Sisters Social Club, Dee and Isla dive into one of the most disturbing true stories ever published in The New Yorker - the tale of a motel owner who turned his business into a real-life panopticon.

Meet Gerald Foos, the man who secretly watched his guests through hidden vents in his Colorado motel attic, meticulously documenting their most private moments for decades - all under the guise of “research.” And meet Gay Talese, the celebrated journalist who took Foos’s confession and turned it into The Voyeur’s Motel, a story that would later blow up into one of journalism’s biggest ethical scandals.

From voyeurism and obsession to journalistic complicity and moral failure, this episode explores the tangled relationship between watcher and storyteller - and asks the question: how far is too far in the pursuit of truth?

Dee and Isla unpack Foos’s twisted “experiments,” the murder he claimed to witness, the media circus that followed, and the fact-checking fiasco that exposed the cracks in Talese’s decades-long reporting. Along the way, they also spotlight real-life cases of hidden cameras and privacy violations in hotels and Airbnbs that make you think twice before hanging your Do Not Disturb sign.

AKA the episode that will make you never stay in a hotel again.

This episode includes discussions of voyeurism, sexual assault, and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

• Gay Talese, The Voyeur’s Motel (The New Yorker, April 2016)
  

• The Guardian reviews and features on The Voyeur’s Motel
  

• Vox: “Why Gay Talese disavowed (and then reavowed) his book”
  

• University of Florida: “The Murky Ethics of Gay Talese’s The Voyeur’s Motel”
  

• Westword: “Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes Bail on Movie About The Voyeur’s Motel”
  

Available wherever you get your podcasts - just search Switchblade Sisters Social Club. 🔗 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your episodes.

#TrueCrimePodcast #SwitchbladeSistersSocialClub #TheVoyeursMotel #GayTalese #JournalismEthics #CreepyCuteCarnival #TrueCrimeStories #Voyeurism #PrivacyScandal #HotelHorror

Content Warning
Sources
Listen Now

This week, Dee and Isla take on a story that truly crosses borders - from the assassination of Sweden’s Prime Minister to a double murder in small-town North Carolina.

When 40-year-old Swede Victor Gunnarsson moved to the US in search of a fresh start, he had no idea his past as a one-time suspect in the killing of Prime Minister Olof Palme would follow him. But in 1993, he was found shot dead in the Blue Ridge Mountains - and the investigation would expose a tangle of jealousy, obsession, and revenge involving a North Carolina police officer.

Join us for a wild, twist-filled case that links Cold War politics, true-crime passion, and one of the strangest coincidences in criminal history.

🎧 Available now on all platforms - just search Switchblade Sisters Social Club.

Sources:

• OXYGEN True Crime - Buried in the Backyard, Season 6 Episode 1: "The Swedish Connection" (Jax Miller, July 2025)

• Associated Press (Winston-Salem Journal) - “Ex-officer convicted in 1993 slaying of Swedish man dies” (Dec 28, 2018)

• Salisbury Post / Catawba College News - “A Case About Death Comes Back to Life: The Swedish Connection” (Aug 2025)

• Court records: North Carolina v. Underwood (Court of Appeals, 1999 & 2011 rulings)

Oxygen.com - “Former Accused ‘Swedish Hitman’ ... ‘Had to Be Destroyed’” (Crime News article, Jul 2025)

This week on Switchblade Sisters Social Club, Dee and Isla saddle up for a story straight out of a movie – but this one’s all true.

Meet Peggy Jo Tallas: devoted daughter, quiet cashier… and the cross-dressing Texan bank robber who outsmarted the FBI. For years, they hunted the mysterious 'Cowboy Bob' - a calm, silent, and oddly polite bandit in a Stetson. What they didn’t know was that behind the fake beard and oversized boots was a 46-year-old woman caring for her sick mother.

From her first heist in 1991 to her tragic final showdown in 2005, Peggy Jo’s story is part Thelma & Louise, part Robin Hood, and all heartbreak.

Dee and Isla unpack the loneliness, the thrill, and the quiet rebellion of a woman pushed to extremes by circumstance - and why her story still fascinates writers, filmmakers, and feminists today.

💋 No guns, no gangs, no fear - just a towel, a cowboy hat, and a whole lot of guts.

• Skip Hollandsworth, The Last Ride of Cowboy Bob, Texas Monthly

• Skip Hollandsworth, She Kills: The True Stories of Women Who Kill (2024)

• Associated Press and Dallas Morning News archives, 2005

• FBI case records on 'Cowboy Bob,' Irving TX

• Court transcripts via Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  

🎧 Find Switchblade Sisters Social Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen. 🛍️ Shop our creepy-cute merch on RedBubble.

#SwitchbladeSistersSocialClub #DeeBrief #TrueCrimePodcast #CowboyBob #PeggyJoTallas #TexasCrime #WomenInCrime #TrueCrimeStories #OutlawWomen #FBI #TrueCrimeCommunity #FemaleOutlaw #CrimePodcast #CreepyCute #ThelmaAndLouiseEnergy #TrueCrimeHistory #PodcastAddict #WomenWhoKill #AmericanTrueCrime #TrueCrimeObsessed

📚 Sources

fter last week’s heavy case, Dee takes us out to sea - and straight into one of the eeriest unsolved crimes in maritime history.

In August 1993, the German cargo ship Bärbel was found drifting off the Danish coast: bloodstains across its decks, signs of fire, the crew missing - except for one man. When 28-year-old Russian sailor Andrei Lapa was rescued in a lifeboat nearby, carrying 60,000 Deutsche Marks in cash, investigators immediately suspected foul play.

Was this a mutiny turned massacre? A lone killer’s rampage? Or something far stranger on the North Sea? Dee and Isla unpack the bizarre twists of this “ghost ship” mystery - from conflicting stories and courtroom drama to the chilling reality that no one was ever convicted of the murders.

It’s part nautical thriller, part true-crime enigma, and 100% Switchblade style. Buckle up - or rather, batten down the hatches.

Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on our website - just search Switchblade Sisters Social Club.

SOURCES: 

Russian sailor 'not guilty' of murder, TradeWinds, 1995 

jenshenrikjensen.com

[Unresolved Disappearance] A ship is found adrift in the North Sea, covered in blood, partially burnt out and with no sign of its crew. A lone survivor is found in a life raft with suitcases of cash and keeps changing his story. What happened on the Bärbel? (North Sea, 1993) : r/UnresolvedMysteries

jenshenrikjensen.de

Sailor in empty ship charged with murdering rest of crew | The Independent | The Independent, 1993

The Russian sailor and the axe-killings - Crime Writer Jens Henrik Jensen

🎧 Listen Now

S5E17 Remembering Rachel Corrie 

Dee and Isla take on one of the most moving and painful cases we’ve ever covered: the story of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old American activist who was killed in Gaza in 2003.

We explore Rachel’s life, her activism with the International Solidarity Movement, and the legacy she left behind in Palestine and beyond. From her haunting diary entries to the international reaction - and the lack of justice for her death - we trace how her name became a symbol of solidarity and resistance.

This episode is heavy. It’s about loss, injustice, and the fight for dignity. But it’s also about courage, solidarity, and refusing to stay silent in the face of oppression.

And as always, an Ink-Quisition submission, this time from a fellow true crime podcast host. Who could it be?!

🎧 Available now on YouTube, all podcast platforms, and on our website. Just search Switchblade Sisters Social Club.

#TrueCrimePodcast

#RachelCorrie

Sources:

Explainer: The First Intifada, The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU): https://imeu.org/resources/resources/explainer-the-first-intifada/240

Israel may expel foreign peace activists, News | Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2003/5/2/israel-may-expel-foreign-peace-activists

Rachel Corrie - Americans Who Tell The Truth: https://americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/rachel-corrie/

23-year-old peace activist Rachel Corrie is crushed to death by Israeli bulldozer, March 16, 2003, HISTORY: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-16/rachel-corrie-activist-crushed-israel-bulldozer

FACTBOX - 15 most prominent foreign activists killed by Israel over last 2 decades: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/factbox-15-most-prominent-foreign-activists-killed-by-israel-over-last-2-decades/3323455

21 years after her death in Gaza, Palestinians remember U.S. activist Rachel Corrie, WUNC: https://www.wunc.org/2024-03-30/21-years-after-her-death-in-gaza-palestinians-remember-u-s-activist-rachel-corrie

Photostory: Israeli bulldozer driver murders American peace activist, The Electronic Intifada: https://electronicintifada.net/content/photostory-israeli-bulldozer-driver-murders-american-peace-activist/4449

Al Jazeera: https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/Gazaunderattack/index.html

Fact Sheet: Israel’s “Operation Cast Lead” (2008-09), The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU): https://imeu.org/resources/resources/fact-sheet-israels-operation-cast-lead-2008-09/411

Human Rights Violations during Operation Pillar of Defense, BtSelem: https://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20130509_pillar_of_defense_report

Key figures on the 2014 hostilities, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Occupied Palestinian Territory: https://www.ochaopt.org/content/key-figures-2014-hostilities

Israeli air raid on al-Ahli Arab Hospital kills 500, Gaza officials say, Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/10/17/photos-an-israeli-air-raid-on-al-ahli-arab-hospital-kills-an-estimated-500

Israel-Gaza war: A timeline of key events, Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/major-moments-israel-gaza-war-2025-01-15/

Protesters march in major cities to demand Gaza ceasefire, Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/pro-palestinian-protesters-demand-gaza-ceasefire-european-marches-2023-11-04/

Gaza: World Court Orders Israel to Prevent Genocide, Human Rights Watch

Gaza experiencing 'what international law defines as genocide’: Slovenian foreign minister: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/gaza-experiencing-what-international-law-defines-as-genocide-slovenian-foreign-minister/3695639

1 Million March for Palestine, London's Largest Ever, Palestine Studies: https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/1654765

Shooting of British cameraman by Israeli soldier cold-blooded murder, inquest told, The Guardian

American, 19, Among Gaza Flotilla Dead, ABC News

My Name is Rachel Corrie by Rachel Corrie, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner 

After weeks of heavy, murder-laden cases, Isla takes us in a different, yet still crime-ridden, direction: the audacious world of rare book forgery.

We look at the incredible true story of Thomas James Wise, the celebrated 19th-century bibliophile who fooled collectors, museums, and even the British Museum itself. For decades, Wise posed as a gentleman scholar, building a reputation as England’s foremost rare book expert - while secretly forging first editions, inventing non-existent pamphlets, and even tearing pages out of priceless library books to perfect his scams.

Plus: Dee and Isla take a detour into book-world quirks (yes, vellum, watermarks, and antique quiz questions all make an appearance), and wrap up with a themed Ink-quisition featuring author Claire Wilson’s Stephen King tattoo tribute.

This one proves that true crime doesn’t always need murder to shock and intrigue.

👉 Listen now on all podcast platforms, YouTube, or via our website.SOURCES:

• The Book Forger by Joseph Hone 

• Wikipedia

• University of Oregon Book Blogs

Happy recognition of the State of Palestine! 

So now that most of us have some of our inalienable rights, let’s get on with the case. 

In Part 1, we recounted the devastating events of the Port Arthur Massacre in Tasmania on 28 April 1996, when Martin Bryant murdered 35 people and wounded dozens more. In this follow-up episode, Dee and Isla explore what came next: the grief of survivors, the trial of Bryant, and how this tragedy sparked one of the most sweeping gun reforms anywhere in the world.

We also look at how Prime Minister John Howard’s government moved within 12 days to introduce the National Firearms Agreement, as well as comparisons with the UK’s reforms after the Hungerford and Dunblane massacres - and why the United States has not followed suit despite daily mass shootings

This episode is heavy, but it’s also about change, resilience, and the possibility of saying never again and meaning it.

Plus, we end with a lighter palate cleanser: an Ink-quisition story about henna tattoos, melonball cocktails, and a punk rock holiday.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms, watch on YouTube, or on our website. Just search for Switchblade Sisters Social Club.

SOURCES: 

Report of the Port Arthur Implementation Advisory Committee (Tasmanian Government, 1996)

Carcach, Carlos & Mukherjee, Satyanshu. Suicide and Firearm Mortality in Australia (Australian Institute of Criminology, 1996).

Chapman, Simon, et al. Australia’s 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings (Injury Prevention, BMJ Journals, 2006).

R v. Martin Bryant [1996] – trial documentation and legal proceedings.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age coverage of the massacre and trial.

ABC News Australia (archival reporting and retrospectives on anniversaries).

BBC News and The Guardian (international perspective on the massacre and reforms).

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – firearm death and crime statistics.

GunPolicy.org (University of Sydney, hosted by the Sydney School of Public Health).

60 Minutes Australia episodes reflecting on the massacre and reforms.

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses gun violence and includes details of mass shootings and child victims.

In April 1996, the peaceful historic site of Port Arthur, Tasmania, became the scene of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern history. Thirty-five people were killed and 23 injured when Martin Bryant opened fire, shocking Australia and the world.

In this first part of our two-part deep dive, Dee and Isla take you through the background to the massacre: the life of Martin Bryant, the social and political context in Tasmania, and the events that led up to that fateful day.

Along the way, they untangle the myths and misinformation, explore Bryant’s disturbing early behaviour, and set the stage for how a quiet tourist site turned into a crime scene that would change Australian society forever.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we cover the massacre itself, the trial, and the extraordinary political response that reshaped gun laws in Australia.

🔪 Listen now on all podcast platforms, watch on YouTube, or find us at www.switchbladesisterssocialclub.com

The following is a list of those killed in the Port Arthur massacre.

• Winifred Joyce Aplin, 58

• Walter John Bennett, 66

• Nicole Louise Burgess, 17

• Sou Leng Chung, 32

• Elva Rhonda Gaylard, 48

• Zoe Anne Hall, 28

• Elizabeth Jayne Howard, 26

• Mary Elizabeth Howard, 57

• Mervyn John Howard, 55

• Ronald Noel Jary, 71

• Tony Vadivelu Kistan, 51

• Leslie Dennis Lever, 53

• Sarah Kate Loughton, 15

• David Martin, 72

• Noelene "Sally" Joyce Martin, 69

• Pauline Virjeana Masters, 49

• Alannah Louise Mikac, 6

• Madeline Grace Mikac, 3

• Nanette Patricia Mikac, 36

• Andrew Bruce Mills, 39

• Peter Brenton Nash, 32

• Gwenda Joan Neander, 67

• William Xeeng Ng, 48

• Anthony Nightingale, 44

• Mary Rose Nixon, 60

• Glenn Roy Pears, 35

• Russell James Pollard, 72

• Janette Kathleen Quin, 50

• Helene Maria Salzmann, 50

• Robert Graham Salzmann, 57

• Kate Elizabeth Scott, 21

• Kevin Vincent Sharp, 68

• Raymond John Sharp, 67

• Royce William Thompson, 59

• Jason Bernard Winter, 29

Sources:

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News – Coverage of Port Arthur massacre and aftermath (2016 retrospective articles and interviews with survivors and officials).

• CBS News, Sunday Morning – “What can Australia teach us about guns?” (Interview with Port Arthur survivor Carolyn Loughton and former PM John Howard, broadcast May 29, 2022).

• Council on Foreign Relations – “U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons” (Backgrounder updated June 10, 2022, by Jonathan Masters).

• ABC News (Apr 2024) – Interview with Walter Mikac on gun reform advocacy and reflections 28 years later.

• ABC News – Survivor accounts (Australian Story/7.30 reports, e.g. Pauline & Peter Grenfell interview, Lynne Beavis interview).