From the shores of Lake Erie to the rolling Appalachian foothills, Ohio's seen its share of darkness. This week, we dig into a Buckeye State case that'll make you say, 'Only in Ohio...' A special thank you to this week's guest, Caitlin Escobedo! You can learn more about her and Esco Birth and Family here!

You can check the Book vs. Movie Podcast here!

Research links below!


The Dead History - "James Ruppert: The Easter Sunday Massacre"
UPI - "James Ruppert, 48, described as a paranoid psychotic who..."
AP - "Man who killed 11 relatives in Easter shooting dies at 88"
Daily News - "The 1975 Easter massacre: Uncle Jimmy Ruppert kills his family"
WCPO Cincinnati - "Living in a murder house: Hamilton mom copes with her home's dark past"
American Hauntings - "The 'Easter Sunday Massacre': Horror and Hauntings of a Holiday Nightmare"
The New York Times - "A Motive Is Sought in Slaying of 11 in a Family in Ohio"
The New York Times - "Killer of 11 Is Given 11 Life Sentences"
Journal-News - "No parole for James Ruppert in Easter mass murder"

Explore With Us - "The Disturbing Case of the House of Horrors Killer | Documentary" (YouTube)
Court News Ohio - "Death Penalty Upheld for Man Who Killed Two Women in Ashland"
abc News - "A killer confession: Detective details 33-hour interrogation to get Ohio murderer to tell all"
A&E - "The Detective Who Got Serial Killer Shawn Grate to Confess on Life After The Biggest Interrogation of Her Career"
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction - "Shawn M Grate"
All That's Interesting - "Shawn Grate, The 'House Of Horrors' Killer Who Terrorized Ohio"
TIME - "Man Linked to at Least 5 Women's Deaths Is 'Obviously a Serial Killer,' Sheriff Says"

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned... and so have they. Join Rachel and Vicky as they uncover the shocking true crimes committed by those sworn to righteousness.

You can check out the We're All Just Pretending Podcast here!

Research links below!

The New York Times - "Gerald Robinson, Priest Convicted of Killing Ohio Nun, Dies at 76"
Cleveland.com - "Ohio priest Gerald Robinson, convicted of strangling nun and stabbing her 31 times, dies in prison"
Bishop Accountability - "A Family Remembers Its Sister"
The Blade - "Slain nun's piety obscured in details of bizarre death"
Getty Images - "Margaret Ann Pahl"

Daily News - "'Holy-crazy' priest who dumped body parts in Hudson is only chaplain to get the chair in U.S."
Digital Collections - "People of the State of New York v Hans Schmidt [Trial #3228]"
Ephemeral New York - "A Priest, a maid, and a Second Avenue murder"
All That's Interesting - "The Gruesome Crimes Of Hans Schmidt, The Only Catholic Priest Ever Executed In US History"
The Evening World - "Hans Schmidt, Slayer of Anna Aumueller, Faces Death Chair"
The Sun - "Schmidt Tells Tale of Shielding Muret"

When your world shrinks to a single room, and your life is in someone else's hands. We delve into the harrowing true stories of individuals who have been caught in the ultimate nightmare: being a hostage.

You can check out the Vocal Fries Podcast here!

Research links below!

Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma - "The Joseph Palczynski Story"
Boston University - "Joe Palczynski: One Failure of the Mental Health System"
The Sun - "Hostages safe; fugitive killed"
The Washington Post - "Surrender Fell Through, Lawyer Says"
Los Angeles Times - "Woman Accused of Buying Guns Used in 4 Killings"
The Baltimore Sun - "The tale of Joseph Palczynski's victims"

AL.com - "Photos from the Midland City Hostage crisis in February 2013"
CBS News - "Saving Ethan: The FBI's race against the clock to rescue kidnapped Alabama boy"
CBS 42 - "In 2013, the eyes of the world were on Alabama's 'Boy in the Bunker'"
WDHN - "9-years-later: 'Boy in the Bunker' incident"
WSJ - "A Stolen Boy, an Angry Loner, an Underground Bunker"
CBS News - "Inside the FBI's real-life mission to save a young boy kidnapped and held hostage by a gunman"
AL.com - "Man behind Alabama hostage standoff, Jimmy Lee Dykes: Paranoid, poor and particular"

Who needs a femme fatale when reality is this twisted? Join us as we uncover the true stories of women who proved that sometimes, the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets.

You can check out the High Expectations podcast here!

Research links below!

Getty Images - "Sara Maria Aldrete Villareal, the so-called witch of a cult, discusses her role in the murder and death of the U.S. student, Mark Kilroy."
SF Gate -"Woman called priestess of satanic cult says she's changed: Inmate has served 15 years in prison in Mexico for ritual sacrifices of 13"
Deseret News - "'Perfect' Student Sought in Cult Slayings"
Oxygen - "Deadly Narcosatanist Cult Performed Human Sacrifices For Drug Cartels"
Time - "Cult of The Red-Haired Devil"
Unknown Gender History - "Sara Maria Aldrete, Mexican Cult Serial Killer - 1989"

Time - "CRIME: Louise"
Murderpedia - "Louise Peete"
The Spokesman-Review - "'Carbon Copy' Killer to Die"
Palisadian-Post - "The Bizarre Tale of Murder Louise Peete In 1944, Her Crime on Hampden Place Led to the Gas Chamber"
Los Angeles Magazine - "The Life and Lies of L.A. Man Killer Louise Peete"
Deranged LA Crimes - "Aggie and the City of Forgotten Women: Part 1"
Deranged LA Crimes - "Dead Woman Walking: Louise Peete, Part 3"
Deranged LA Crimes - "Dead Woman Walking: Louise Peete, Part 4"

From arsenic to antifreeze, we're diving deep into the dark world of deadly doses. Get ready for tales of twisted intentions and silent killers. This episode is toxic!

You can check out Murder and Such here!

Research links below!

The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law - "Arsenic, Familicide, and Female Physiology in Nineteenth-Century America"
Alexandria Gazette - "A Terrible Confession"
Morning Journal and Courier - "A Modern Borgia's Deeds"
The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer - "A Woman Executed"
"Periodic Insanity as Illustrated in the Case of Sarah J. Whiteling, and Others" by Alice Bennett, MD
Murderpedia - "Sarah Jane Whiteling"
Medium - "Sarah Jane Whiteling: The Wholesale Poisoner"

BBC News - "Patricia Dagorn: France's 'Black Widow' jailed for poisonings"
The Guardian - "France's 'black widow' jailed for 22 years after killing two elderly men"
Pulse - "France's 'Black Widow' has prison term cut on appeal"
South China Morning Post - "'Perverse' woman who seduced and murdered old men is jailed for 22 years in France"
The Guardian - "France's 'black widow' on trial for killing two old men for their money"
Getty Images - "Files in the case of Patricia Dagorn"
New York Post - "How 'black widow' became the femme fatale of the French Riviera"
The Times - "Black Widow of Côte d’Azur robbed and poisoned lonely men"
RFI - "'Black Widow' gets 22-year jail term for poisoning wealthy old men"

This is part 2 of our 200th episode extravaganza!

Two hundred episodes! We've journeyed through countless cases of darkness, mystery, and the truly unbelievable. To celebrate this milestone, join us as we return to the countdown you've all been waiting for: our definitive Top Ten crimes of all time. These cases have stuck with us, the ones that burrowed under our skin and continue to fascinate and disturb in equal measure. From shocking betrayals to baffling disappearances and the pure embodiment of evil, we'll revisit the details, the impact, and why these ten cases have earned a permanent spot in our true crime consciousness. Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions as we delve into the crimes that have defined our last 200 episodes – and perhaps, the genre itself. You might think you know our tastes, but are you ready for the ultimate reveal? Tune in and find out! A special thank you to this week's guest, Michael Wanfalt!

Two hundred episodes! We've journeyed through countless cases of darkness, mystery, and the truly unbelievable. To celebrate this milestone, join us as we return to the countdown you've all been waiting for: our definitive Top Ten crimes of all time. These cases have stuck with us, the ones that burrowed under our skin and continue to fascinate and disturb in equal measure. From shocking betrayals to baffling disappearances and the pure embodiment of evil, we'll revisit the details, the impact, and why these ten cases have earned a permanent spot in our true crime consciousness. Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions as we delve into the crimes that have defined our last 200 episodes – and perhaps, the genre itself. You might think you know our tastes, but are you ready for the ultimate reveal? Tune in and find out!

Walls can't hold 'em! From daring daylight dashes to tunnels that'd make a mole jealous, we're diving deep into two of the craziest prison escapes ever. Lock your doors, folks, because these stories are wild!

You can check out the Not Fade Away podcast here!

Research links below!


Prison History - "Alfred George Hinds - Escape from prison"
TIME - "Great Britain: Alfie the Elusive"
Topfoto
UK Parliament - "Alfred George Hinds"
Greensboro - "Frequent Prison Escapee Alfred Hinds Dies a Free Man"

The Burlington Free Press - "Escapee Murders Way Across Country"
Jackson Sun - "Life, not death, for mentally ill"
The Herald-Palladium - "Police Say Ypsi Center Worker Admits He Aided Man's Escape"
Detroit Free Press - "Escape"
Detroit Free Press - "Ex-state employe pleads no contest in Day's escape"
Murderpedia - "William Scott Day"
Detroit Free Press - "What was staffer running from when he aided escape?"
The Tennessean - "Volunteer awards preserve legacy of slain activist"
Detroit Free Press - "Michigan hospital escapee confesses 6 killings to sheriff"

From ghostly apparitions to missing persons, Unsolved Mysteries terrified and intrigued us. In this episode of the BTC, we revisit some classic cases and ask: What happened next?

You can check out the Murder Road Trip podcast here!

Research links below!

Screen Rant - "15 Biggest Unsolved Mysteries Cases That Were Finally Solved"
Houston Public Media - "'People Were Afraid Of Him' - Killer's Death Leaves Hope For New Information"
Houston Chronicle - "Confessions of a cold-blooded killer"
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal - "Student Charged With Exposure"
The Waco Citizen - "Texas Most Wanted Fugitive #1"
The Paris News - "Murder suspect arrested"
IRE - "Suspected Texas serial killer confesses nearly 40 years later"
Unsolved Mysteries - "Edward Harold Bell"
Houston Public Media - "Texas Prisoner Responds To Theory That He's Responsible For Galveston Serial Murders"
The Daily News-Journal - "Flasher convicted in 1978 slaying"
Houston Matters - "Edward Harold Bell Claims He's At The Center Of A Vast Government Conspiracy"
Mental Floss - "A Brief History of Unsolved Mysteries"

Unsolved Mysteries - "Black Hope Curse"
Unsolved Mysteries Wiki - "Black Hope"
Terri Reid - "Black Hope Cemetery"
Austin Ghosts - "Black Hope Cemetery"
Anom Alien - "The Mysterious Case Of Black Hope Cemetery"

Cults: Power, control, and stories that will make your skin crawl. This week on the BTC, we're breaking down the two sketchy groups and what makes them tick.

You can check out 600 Second Saga here!


Research links below!

ResearchGate - "Cults: Angel's Landing"
Springer Nature Link - "Cults: Angel's Landing"
A-Z of Cults - "A is for Angel's Landing"
Oxygen - "Deadly Cults: Angel's Landing"
E! News - "Oxygen's Deadly Cults Sneak Peek: Daniel Perezs Former Follower Recalls Mother's Untimely Death"
The Witchita Eagle -"Case of Kansas cult killer and rapist Daniel Perez, AKA Lour Castro, Featured on TV"
Oxygen - "Lou Castro Told His Followers He Was A 1,000-Year-Old Angel"
Times Now World - "Who is Daniel Perez and Where is the Leader of Angel's Landing Now?"

The New Yorker - "The Cult in the Forest"
PBS News - "Kenyan authorities find 39 bodies during investigation of religious cult leader"
BBC - "Kenya cult: Children targeted to die first, pastor says"
Aljazeera - "Kenya cult leader Paul Mackenzie on trial for manslaughter"
Mpasho - "11 Things you didn't know about Shakahola Pastor Mackenzie"
CBS News - "Kenya starvation cult death toll hits 90 as morgues fill up: 'Nothing prepares you for shallow mass graves of children'"
The Guardian - "Kenyan cult leader accused of inciting children to starve to death"
Nation - "'I started a church with Mackenzie, then he ruined our lives': Tale of fight for church and the rise of a cult leader"
The Standard - "Stalled case of pastor in cult-like deaths exposes cracks in justice system"
Good News International Ministries
Tuko - "The Making of a Cult: Rise of Pastor Paul MacKenzie's Good News International Empire"
Nation - "Why court advised DPP to reduce murder charges against Shakahola suspects"