True Crime Brewery

In 2015, 35-year-old Kendra Hatcher became a victim of a murder-for-hire plot fueled by jealousy. Kendra was a pediatric dentist living in Dallas who was in a romantic relationship with dermatologist Ricky Paniagua. She was in love with Ricky, but she didn’t know that Ricky had a jealous ex who was stalking her and eventually wanted her dead.

Join us at the quiet end for Fatal Jealousy. Ricky’s ex-girlfriend Brenda Delgado had been devastated since he broke up with her in an email that June. That summer, Kendra and Ricky had gone out to dinner, taken trips, and posted smiling photos of themselves on Facebook. Then, on September 2, the day before Ricky and Kendra were to fly to Cancun for a long weekend, someone walked up to Kendra in her apartment parking garage and shot her in the back of her head. No one could imagine who would have a motive to kill Kendra—until investigators spoke with Brenda’s co-conspirators and learned of her obsession with Ricky and her simmering hate for Kendra.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

10 Minutes to Sunset, Dateline NBC, S29, E14, Aired 11/13/2020, Retrieved 5/19/2024

Brenda Delgado Found Guilty Of Capital Murder In Death Of Dallas Dentist Kendra Hatcher, CBS News Texas, 6/7/2019, Retrieved 5/18/2024

Brenda Delgado v. The State of Texas Appeal from 363rd Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Opinion filed 10/21/2021

The Doctor, the Dentist, and the Killer, Texas Monthly, Skip Hollandsworth, 1/2020

Kristopher Love, Hitman in Killing of Dallas Dentist, is sentenced to death, NBC News, Alex Johnson, 10/31/2018

California physicians Deepti Gupta and Kevin Paul Anderson were starting their own pediatric practice together when they had an affair. Both were married to other people. Anderson was loved by his patients and had been a mentor to Deepti, who was ten years younger. The day before she was murdered, Deepti had finished all her requirements to become a fully-licensed pediatrician in the State of California and she was certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. But Deepti had a secret—she was pregnant with Anderson’s child.

Join us at the quiet end for Dr. Killer. With his career and marriage at risk if news of Deepti’s pregnancy got out, Anderson asked her to meet him in the San Gabriel Mountains to talk. That same night, Deepti’s car and body were found at the bottom of a steep cliff. After recovering her body, it was determined that she had been strangled, her body and car doused with gasoline, and shoved over the cliffside. It was clear that Anderson was responsible, but was this premeditated first-degree murder or a crime of passion?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Death of a Doctor: Two Doctors, Obsessive Love, and Murder by Carlton Smith

Los Angeles Times Archives, 1999-2012

Visit our ExpressVPN link here!

Just after midnight on Christmas Eve 1945, Jennie Sodder woke up to the smell of smoke. The home she shared with her husband, George, and nine of their children, was going up in flames. It would be over seven hours before the fire department arrived. By then, the two-story house had burned to the ground — and five of the Sodder children were missing. In fact, to this day, no one knows what happened to the Sodder children. Their family never saw them again and their remains were never found.

Join us at the quiet end for The Missing Sodder Children. Although authorities determined that the children — Maurice, 14; Martha, 12; Louis, 10; Jennie Irene, 8; and Betty, 5 — had died in the fire, their family was not convinced. How could they have perished in the fire without any bones being found? Because of the strange events before, during, and after the tragic fire as well as a stunningly incompetent investigation, the case continues to be one of history’s most disturbing and intriguing unsolved mysteries.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

The Children Who Went Up in Smoke, Smithsonian, Karen Abbott, 12/25/2012

Long, Long, Long Sodder Post, Stacy Horn, 12/28/2005

Mystery of Missing Children Haunts W.Va. Town, National Public Radio, 12/23/2005

No Direct Evidence: The Story of the Missing Sodder Children by Bob Lane Bragg

Click here to get a discount and Astepro & Go!

As fraternal twins, Betty and Peggy were together from the very beginning. As adults, they were very different people but remained best friends.  Then, in 1992, they either conspired together to have Betty’s husband killed or fought together to prove their innocence.

Join us at the quiet end for Split Decision. After Betty’s husband, Dr. Jack Wilson, was brutally murdered in his own home, suspicions turned to Betty.  Betty was an outspoken, hard-headed woman who had engaged in numerous extramarital affairs. Her promiscuity, alcoholism and an adulterous affair with a black man in racist Alabama may have turned the police, and eventually a jury, against her. If the prosecution’s theory was that Betty and Peggy conspired together to kill Jack, then why was Betty found guilty while Peggy was acquitted? It may have just been the result of prejudice against Betty, the wild one, and appreciation for the sweet and amiable Peggy.

Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment info

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Betty Wilson, Snapped, Oxygen Network, S33 E2, 11/5/2023

The Betty Wilson Story, Old Huntsville, No. 77

By Two and Two, Jim Schutze, 1/1995

Finding Betty, Jean Adam Jr., Retrieved 4/9/2024

The Wilson Murder, Forensic Files, S1 E8, Retrieved 4/2/2024

Wilson v. State, Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1/13/1995

This episode is sponsored by ExpressVPN.

Stop letting people keep logs of what you do online! Visit ExpressVPN.com/TCB right now and find out how you can get 3 months free.

17-year-old Karla Homolka met 23-year-old Paul Bernardo in 1987. Some saw their meeting as love at first sight, but the two had a dangerous attraction which would drive them to commit abductions, sexual assaults, and even murder. This good-looking couple became obsessed with each other. And Paul was very controlling of Karla. But Paul Bernardo’s crimes were not all his own.  Evidence, including videotapes, would show that Karla was a willing participant, despite her claims that she was just another one of Paul’s victims.

Join us at the quiet end for Killer Couple: Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo. The most basic question asked about serial killers is why.  This becomes much more complicated and difficult to answer when murders are committed by more than one person. Today we’re analyzing one of the most notorious couples in modern history. What role did Karla play in Paul’s violent sex crimes and how did her gender affect the disparity in their charges and sentencing?

Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment info

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Deadly Innocence, Scott Burnside, Alan Cairns, 1995

Investigating Gender Bias and Sentencing Disparity: A Case Study Analysis of the Paul Bernardo-Karla Homolka Case, Kathrine Lorraine Leafloor, Carleton University, 5/1997

 Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes, Discovery Plus, 12/13/2021

The Ken Murray Case: Defence Counsel’s Dilemma, Criminal Defence News, 7/6/2011 

Lethal Marriage: The Uncensored Truth Behind the Crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, Nick Pron, 2005

Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka Case, The Canadian Encyclopedia, retrieved 3/30/2024

On a weekday afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, fifteen-year-old Paula Cooper stabbed 78-year-old Ruth Pelke to death. In a city with a history of racism, Ruth was a white, beloved bible teacher who refused to move out of her overwhelmingly black neighborhood. When Paula and her friends showed up at Ruth’s door that day asking about bible studies, Ruth had happily invited them in.

Join us at the quiet end for Death Sentence: The Murder of Ruth Pelke & the Punishment of Paula Cooper. When Paula was sentenced to death, few argued against the state’s impending execution of a tenth grader. But when the victim’s grandson forgave the girl, the media brought the story to the forefront and millions signed petitions in support of Paula. This case raises questions about the value of a human life and whether our justice system is made for rehabilitation or retribution.

Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment info

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

A Clear Scientific Consensus that the Death Penlty Does Not Deter, Amnesty International, retrieved 3/14/2024,

https://www.amnestyusa.org/updates/a-clear-scientific-consensus-that-the-death-penalty-does-not-deter/

A Pause in Federal Executions, but Uncertainty About What’s Next, The New York Times, Hailey Fuchs, 7/22/2021

Biden vowed to end the death penalty. Activists are demanding action as he nears the 100-day mark, CNN.com,  Christina Carrega, 4/25/2021

Do Executions Lower Homicide Rates: The Views of Leading Criminologists’ Michael L. Radelet Traci L. Lacock, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, Winter 2009,

IndyStar Archives 1985-2017

Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy by Alex Mar, 2023

April Kauffman didn’t have an easy life growing up.  When she was just seventeen, she gave birth to her daughter Kim and set out to make a better life for them both. April raised her daughter in a loving home despite an early split from Kim’s father. She earned her cosmetology license and worked as a hairdresser and as a model. April was fun, energetic, and independent. But life as a single mom could be lonely.

Join us at the quiet end for The Dr. & Mrs. Kauffman. In 2002, April believed she had finally found her happily ever after when she married Dr. Jim Kauffman, a successful physician and a former green beret. As the wife of a Vietnam Veteran, April became an outspoken radio personality and a fierce veteran’s advocate. But Dr. Kauffman had a dark side which April began to uncover. The doctor was running a pill mill out of his medical office and associating with a criminal motorcycle gang: The Pagans. When April had had enough and threatened divorce, she began to realize that her life was in danger, and she might never make it out of this marriage alive.

Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment info

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

April Kauffman, https://everipedia.org/wiki/lang_en/april-christine-kauffman-atlantic-city-new-jersey, retrieved 2/27/2024

http://aprilkauffman.net/, retrieved. 2/27/2024

Doctor Dealer: A doctor high on greed, a biker gang high on opioids, and the woman who paid the ultimate price,  George Anastasia and Ralph Cipriano, 2020

The Doctor, the Hitman & the Motorcycle Gang : the true story of one of New Jersey’s most notorious murder for hire plots, Annie McCormick, 2020

Doctor’s Orders, Discovery Plus, 9/3/2021

Husband of slain radio host paid man to kill his wife 5 years ago, authorities say, NJ.com, True Jersey, Chris Franklin, 09/3/2018

Punishing Pill Mill Doctors: Sentencing Disparities in the Opioid Epidemic, William & Mary Law School, Adam M. Gershowitz, 12/2020

Who Was April Kauffman: Her Life, Her Mysterious Death and Why None of it Makes Any Sense, Boardwalk Journal, Sarah Colson and Ian Licht, 6/2012

With our promo code BREWERY20, you get 56% off your subscription of Magic Mind in the next 10 days and 20% off your one-time purchase.

You can get it at www.magicmind.com/brewery and redeem the discount code BREWERY20!

Get Magic Mind

The Halderson family appeared to be living a happy middle-class life. Parents Krista and Bart had everything they had wished for and worked for, including a comfortable suburban home and two loving sons. Mitchell, 24, was working in the tech industry and Chandler, 23, was a college student living at home. But all was not as it seemed with Chandler.

Join us at the quiet end for Parent Trap. Chandler Halderson was weaving a complex web of lies for years.  His college degree and job prospects were not what he portrayed them to be. In fact, Chandler’s life was going nowhere and his father was becoming frustrated and suspicious. But before Krista and Bart could uncover their son’s lies, the couple disappeared. Over the days that followed, evidence revealed that Chandler Halderson would stop at nothing, including murder, to protect his life of deception.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Chandler Halderson Trial, Channel 3000, https://www.channel3000.com/news/chandler-halderson-trial/, retrieved 1/3/2024

Parricide: An Introduction for Clinical and Forensic Mental Health Professionals, researchgate.net, Kimberly D. Dodson, 9/2017

State of Winconsin v. Chandler M. Halderson, Circuit Court Dane County Wisconsin, 8/24/2021

Timeline: Order of Events leading up to Chandler Halderson’s trial, WKOW.com, Sierra Rehm, 1/3/2022

Unemployed Son Mooched Off Parents He Killed and Dismembered, Claimed to Be College Student Who Got Job at SpaceX: Prosecutor, Law & Crime, Alberto Luperon, 1/4/2022

Try Magic Mind with our promo code Brewery20

Karla Brown was 22-years-old in 1978. After five-years of an off and on relationship, she and her fiancé, Mark, bought their first home together.  That June, the couple were focused on moving and decorating their new home.  They had friends over to help with the move on June 20th, followed by an evening of food and drinks. Next door, at the home of Paul Main, the pretty and outgoing Karla had not gone unnoticed.

Join us at the quiet end for Finding Karla Brown’s Killer. Karla’s fiancé Mark went to work on June 21st, leaving Karla home alone. Between 10 and 11am, Karla ended a phone call with her future mother-in-law, telling her that someone was at the door. By the time Mark returned home that day, Karla would be the victim of a brutal murder and the focus of a lengthy, complex investigation.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Bite Mark Identification- A Relieable Forensic Tool or Junk Science, Penn State Dickinson Law, Samuel D. Hodge Jr., Robert E. Rains, 7/1/2017

The Karla Brown story: What happened and the latest updates, Tuko.co.ke, Florence Wanjiru, 4/5/2022 

PCAST, Court Decisions Assessing the Admissibility of Forensic Science Evidence,

Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-Comparison Methods

PEOPLE v. PRANTE, Supreme Court of Illinois, The People of the State of Illinois, Appellant, v. John Prante, Appellee. Decided: 5/12/2023

Silent Witness: The Karla Brown Murder Case by Don W. Weber and Charles Bosworth, Jr.

Elana Steinberg’s husband, Steve Steinberg, was a well-liked restaurant manager with a gambling problem. Elana struggled to keep their finances afloat, but it wasn’t easy. Then, on an otherwise normal night in 1981, Elana was stabbed 26 times in their bed. Steve called 911 and told the dispatcher that two bearded men had robbed them and killed his wife.

Join us at the quiet end for Victim on Trial: Elana Steinberg. It wasn’t long after Elana’s murder when Steve confessed that he had killed her. Put on trial for murder, Steve’s defense was temporary insanity.  Yes, he had killed his wife, but he had done it while sleepwalking.  And, Elana had led him to it with her nagging and shopping. Prepare to be outraged. This is a case where the killer was treated as a long-suffering victim and the real victim was put on trial.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Crime/mystery: The Defense Pleaded Nagging, The New York Times, Tony Hillerman, 10/9/1988

Death of a Jewish American Princess by Shirley Frondorf

Homicidal Sleepwalking: To Kill While Asleep, TimeTraveller.org, Fiona Guy, 10/26/2017