The First Degree

At 2:00 am on June 17th, 2019, 23-year-old Mackenzie Lueck got off a plane in Salt Lake City, took a Lyft to a suburban park, and then vanished. Police followed the digital breadcrumbs left by Mackenzie to a house where a slew of nightmarish clues were discovered—clues that told the story of Mackenzie's fate and lead to the arrest of a suspect. On episode 49, Jac, Alexis and Billy speak with a first degree connection—a woman who encountered the suspect on a dating app and actually met him for a date. They detail his chilling characteristics, his reported need to build a sound-proof dungeon in his home, and explore the complex dichotomy of straddling dating and safety in an ever-evolving world of technology.

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A 10-year-old girl goes missing from an indoor amusement park in Smithtown, New York. The family friend caring for her calls the police and dozens of officers begin searching for little Katie Beers. In the first two weeks, they don’t find her, but they do uncover stories of abuse amidst the disturbing cast of characters entrusted with her care. On episode 48, Jac, Alexis & Billy tell the tale of the race to find Katie, the chilling details of her captivity, and explore how the system left a little girl so vulnerable to a series of dangerous predators.

Episode Research Sources & Credits:

'The Katie Beers Case; Mystery Surrounds Suspect and Underground Chamber', Ralph Blumenthal

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On Episode 47, Jac, Alexis and Billy conclude with part two of the story of Joel Rifkin. In 1993, the discovery that a serial killer had been operating in the shadows of New York dominated the headlines. Rifken’s gruesome confessions—recounting his sexual perversion and utter disregard for human life—tore at the fabric of the quaint suburbs of Long Island, shattering the sense of security that the people in the suburbs were supposed to represent. New York’s most prolific serial killer was one of their own.

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The police chase that began in that late evening in June revealed the body of a murdered woman in the bed of a pickup truck driven by Joel David Rifkin. At the start of his interrogation, there was one murder victim. By the end, there were 17, all buried throughout the Tri-State area, all killed by the hands of Rifkin. On episode 46, Jac, Alexis & Billy recount the bizarre life, disturbances, and horrors the most prolific serial killer in the history of New York.

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On May 5th of 2019, police were called to an apartment in the Dallas suburb of Denton. The door was ajar, and the scene inside was straight out of a horror movie. But the most ominous thing at the scene was ironically not what they could observe, rather… what was missing—which was the head of the victim. On episode 46, Jac, Alexis & Billy explore an active case that's still unfolding with a first degree connection who is still reeling from the recent events. They examine the timeline of inexplicable behaviors and a decent into mental illness exhibited by the suspect that ultimately culminated in one of the most heinous acts imaginable.

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There's a moment in every child's life when they discover what death is, whether it's through losing a grandparent or flushing a pet fish down the toilet...” In episode 44, Jac, Alexis and Billy speak with special First Degree guest Jared Monaco (lead guitarist for Emo band The Maine). Jared takes us back to when he was force fed the concept of mortality at the age of 9-years-old—when the life of his boyhood friend Kenny Thomas Jr. was stolen under horrific circumstances. They'll delve into the details of the case and investigation, the concept of insanity, and the loss of childhood innocence in the wake of tragedy.

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It’s a case nightmares are made of. As Kaitlyn mentioned this week, we’ve got your sneak peek into the new true-crime series, 22 Hours: An American Nightmare. It's the frightening story of a D.C. power couple, their 10-year-old son, and housekeeper who were held hostage, tortured, and brutally murdered inside their burning D.C. mansion. You won’t believe what happened during those last 22 hours alive, and the shocking trail of evidence that led police to the killer! Did he have help? Hear from key witnesses who reveal never-before heard details. Will this investigation lead to the release of discovered confidential audio recordings, so the public can hear the trial for the first time ever? Listen to the first episode now: http://bit.ly/2Mzf5Ks

New episodes from this 10-part series will be available every Monday on PodcastOne.com and Apple Podcasts.

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review.

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A 19-year-old student at Kansas State University home for the summer, was found by her father murdered in a pump room at a community pool in Leawood, Kansas. In episode 43, Jac, Alexis & Billy discuss the harrowing details of the case, the innovative methods implemented during the investigation, and one father's relentless pursuit to catch his daughter's killer.

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On August 20th, 2016, Terra Newell was attacked on the roof of her apartment building by her mother’s estranged husband, John Meehan. Against all odds, Terra was able to fight him off, fatally wounding him in the process. Her story is the focus of the popular podcast and series of the same name, Dirty John. In Episode 43, Jac, Alexis and Billy are joined by Terra in the studio to discuss her heroism, her trauma, and the life that she built on the other side of a nightmare.

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On episode 42, Jac, Alexis & Billy examine the bizarre 2009 disappearance of 54-year-old Gloria Marmolejo, who vanished mysteriously from her El Paso home after a months-long vacation in Phoenix. The investigation into her disappearance was puzzling, and would come to expose the sadistic serial offender who was responsible, as well as a dark family secret.

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