The Wicked Ones Podcast

In this episode of The Wicked Ones Podcast… Tara kicks of spooky season by diving into the haunted past of The Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago. Not that we’re surprised, but it’s been named the #1 most haunted place in all of Illinois.

Tara covers the hotel’s architectural history as well as the most notorious stories that have been passed down for decades by the staff & the guests who have experienced the ghosts that continue to haunt the massive structure to this day.

Stick around until the end…because as guests of this hotel with their families back in 2019, Jen & Tara have their own terrifying story to share from their weekend stay…and it’s just as noteworthy as the ones that have been documented!

The Wicked Ones Podcast host, Jen, covers the heart breaking hazing death of Timothy Piazza. Tim was a sophomore at Penn State when he pledged Beta Theta Pi, a fraternity that was supposed to be alcohol free since its suspension in 2009. The pledges showed up for their initiation obstacle course called, “The Gauntlet.” Yes, it’s as awful as it sounds and we’re honestly not sure how anyone could survive.

82 Minutes. 18 alcoholic drinks. Multiple Falls. Fractured Skull. Lacerated spleen. Internal bleeding.

12 hours before a fraternity “brother” would call 911, still not revealing the truth behind Piazza’s condition.

Listen in this week as we bring awareness to end hazing and the abuse suffered by students as they search for belonging and acceptance among their peers.

RIP Timothy Piazza

In this episode…The Wicked Ones Podcast host Tara, deep dives into rush week…but what started out as a search for sorority and greek life stories to share as a warning & possibly a helpful safety tip or two to keep your back pocket for all the shiny new pledges out there, ended up becoming a conversation about domestic terrorism. Did NOT see that one coming.

We also learned a term many of you will also be hearing for the first time: INCELISM. An INCEL is a person who identifies as being involuntarily celibate. Well…ok, sure! We all know there are people out there that have zero game and a relatively tough time talking to members of the opposite sex…but why should this pose as a threat?

Tara follows several different stories, connecting the dots from an internet sub-culture of sexually frustrated men to an entire ideology that promotes hatred toward not only women, but also toward men & women who appear to have active sex lives. You may be just as surprised to learn that several heart-breaking stories in the news of active shooters, a vehicular ramming attack, and a few other recent cases were all carried out by men who called themselves INCELS. They didn’t even know their victims.

Elliot Roger went on a rampage back in 2014 in his college town of Isla Vista. It was his so-called “Day of Retribution” against all the beautiful women who rejected him. With the plethora of information left behind…including YouTube videos, a diary, and a 137 page manifesto, this killer left society with so much to unpack…but still, more questions than answers.

Jen & Tara are back with more true crime stories for you as they kick-off their 2nd season of The Wicked Ones Podcast!

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XO - T&J

The Wicked Ones Podcast host Jen, once again, takes us back to the 80’s and reminds us of a scandal that rocked the music industry back when we were just kids.

Interestingly enough, she also manages to bring us full circle to present day, as we’ve discovered that some of those 80’s fashion trends we thought were dead & gone have made a fierce comeback. Let’s just say…not everyone’s excited about it, okay?

Like many of you, we remembered Milli Vanilli for their rise to fame, the hit singles that topped the charts, the MTV videos with their enviable dance moves, and sadly, the scandal that would be the end of the group’s musical career. What we couldn’t tell you back then, was how it all went down and why.

Rob and Fab stole many hearts with “Girl you know it’s true” and “Blame it on the Rain” to name a few of their hit songs, but once their secret became public, they were immediately canceled. No-one seemed to care about their story. The music industry, the fans…everyone turned their back on the famous duo.

This week, we may not be talking about murder, but as Jen examines the scandal surrounding Milli Vanilli and helps us take a closer look at the back stories of these two very talented young men, it might just be a well-timed reminder that #cancelculture can have a serious impact on people’s lives and shouldn’t be doled out so callously…or casually.

The Wicked Ones Podcast host, Tara, goes rogue again and decides to put a twist on the musician theme for the month and tells us a few stories of would-be-murders that fortunately, never came to fruition.

This week, the girls discuss the insane story behind the foiled attempt on not only Justin Bieber’s life…but the pop star’s family jewels! We’re still cringing!!

Victoria Beckham, AKA, Posh Spice, had her fair share of run-ins as well with death threats towards her and her family and managed to endure a possible attempt on her life during a high profile performance.

George Harrison, well-known guitarist for The Beatles, had a terrifying experience as well that not only involved a garden statue and 3am break-in…but also very serious accusations of being a witch who possessed people.

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Guys…you just can’t make this stuff up. Those conspiracy theories about James Dean and Marylin Monroe faking their own deaths to flee Hollywood in order to live normal lives somewhere else are starting to make way too much sense.

We may have to do a conspiracy theory episode soon. Don’t be afraid to send in your suggestions! We love hearing from you all!

The Wicked Ones Podcast host, Jen picks up where she left us hanging...waiting for answers and hoping for justice. We know what happened, the circumstances of the crime, along with the suspects in question. This week, we move on to the investigation itself, the trial and ultimately, a very shaky conclusion that, right or wrong… doesn’t quite sit right.

There are recent updates that pertain to the two inmates who were convicted of this crime as well.

If you haven’t listened in to Part 1 yet, we highly recommend catching up.

Here is the synopsis for Episode 36 (Part 1 - The Murder of James Jordan) below:

Jen takes us back to the early 1990’s with her athlete story this week and we couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic. The early 90’s was especially exciting for those of us who were Chicago Bulls fans as they were racking up championship after championship. Even if you weren’t big into basketball or the NBA growing up, you knew who Michael Jordan was. Everyone wanted to “Be Like Mike.” Kids across America were sporting Air Jordans and eating Wheaties for breakfast.

It was 1993…the year of the (1st) 3-peat for the Chicago Bulls. It was sure to have been one of the greatest highlights of Jordan’s career. Sadly, just a few short weeks later…he would receive the heartbreaking news that his father, James Jordan had been murdered.

James was a wonderful, devoted father. He was a businessman who would travel the country to watch his son work his magic on the court from his time at the University of North Carolina to his career in the NBA. James, himself, was quite an athlete, as he had gone semi-pro in baseball back in his heyday.

Those close to James spoke highly of his character. He may have been the proud father of an iconic legend in the world of basketball and beyond…but he was humble and grounded, remaining true to his roots and his family.

Unfortunately, James Jordan’s tragic murder still remains shrouded in mystery. What really happened to James on that fateful day he decided to pull over and rest on the side of the Highway? Why was this man who was so loved by friends and family not reported as a missing person for 3 whole weeks?!

The Wicked Ones Podcast…host Jen, takes us back to the early 1990’s with her athlete story this week and we couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic. The early 90’s was especially exciting for those of us who were Chicago Bulls fans as they were racking up championship after championship. Even if you weren’t big into basketball or the NBA growing up, you knew who Michael Jordan was. Everyone wanted to “Be Like Mike.” Kids across America were sporting Air Jordans and eating Wheaties for breakfast.

It was 1993…the year of the (1st) 3-peat for the Chicago Bulls. It was sure to have been one of the greatest highlights of Jordan’s career. Sadly, just a few short weeks later…he would receive the heartbreaking news that his father, James Jordan had been murdered.

James was a wonderful, devoted father. He was a businessman who would travel the country to watch his son work his magic on the court from his time at the University of North Carolina to his career in the NBA. James, himself, was quite an athlete, as he had gone semi-pro in baseball back in his heyday.

Those close to James spoke highly of his character. He may have been the proud father of an iconic legend in the world of basketball and beyond…but he was humble and grounded, remaining true to his roots and his family.

Unfortunately, James Jordan’s tragic murder still remains shrouded in mystery. What really happened to James on that fateful day he decided to pull over and rest on the side of the Highway? Why was this man who was so loved by friends and family not reported as a missing person for 3 whole weeks?!

Here we are now, 25 years later and it seems that new information has come to light. Will it bring answers and closure or will it bring about even more perplexing questions?

The Wicked Ones Podcast hosts… Tara & Jen, discuss the murder of 21 year-old track star, Lauren McCluskey. Lauren was a beautiful, intelligent, talented track & field athlete with a heart of gold. She studied & trained hard at the University of Utah and was looking forward to graduation. It was during this time, Lauren met a man named Sean. He seemed sweet, caring and fun…at first.

Let’s take a moment and put ourselves into Lauren’s shoes…so to speak. Imagine being blindsided one day, finding out that the man you are currently dating is NOT who he says he is. Not. Even. Close. You find out the man you let into your home, your friend circle and your heart, turned out to be the worst kind of monster imaginable. Suddenly, you’re thrown into a living nightmare you don’t deserve and certainly never asked for. You’re terrified at every turn.

If you’re like Lauren, you would reach out to the police immediately, which she did, multiple times along with her Mom as well, over the next several days.

They would report their fears, share threatening texts, important offender background information and even intimate, private details with the authorities. After all, these are the trusted officers who have sworn to serve & protect the students of the U, right?

What if…in this insane new reality you’ve found yourself in…no one listened or took you seriously? Your repeated cries for help seemed to fall upon deaf ears & no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t quite cut through the red tape?

What if…in a heartbreakingly, unnecessary twist…the monster in this nightmare wins?

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Decide for yourself…as we have quite a bit of back and forth in this case about the gray areas…what the policies and procedures allow for, etc… One thing we can agree on, however, is that this is NOT how how Lauren’s story should have ended.

(Stay tuned for a small update as well at the beginning of Episode 36!)

The Wicked Ones Podcast Hosts… take us back to the 80’s when Skateboarding was all the rage. Think: Vision, Santa Cruz, Powell, all the popular brands in skate culture at the time along with home-made plywood ramps, skate parks & rebel attitudes. It was during this time when Mark Rogowski, better known to fans & fellow boarders as “Gator,” was considered one of the most iconic vertical skaters of his time & rose quickly to fame and fortune between competitions and sponsorships.

Hard partying ways however, would catch up to Gator and after a near-death experience, his life would start a downward spiral that would ultimately lead him down a dark path of destruction.

In a twisted, tragic turn of events, Gator would commit one of the most heinous crimes we’ve talked about to date.

What happened and where did it all go wrong for the boy that seemed to “have it all?”