Alma Sipple, a single mother in Tennessee, could not afford medical care for her ten-month-old daughter Irma when a knock on the door changed her life: there stood a woman with close-cropped grey hair, round wireless glasses and a broad, stern face.The older woman exuded authority as she explained she was the director of a local orphanage. She had come to help. Alma was relieved and excitedly rushed to show the lady her sickly child.

How well do we really know the people in our daily lives? Our co-workers, our boss, the clerk at the grocery store, our neighbors, our friends, or even our spouse? Many people thought they knew Colonel David Russell Williams. He was a decorated air force pilot and commander at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) at Trenton, Ontario, and a respected member of his community when he was arrested in 2010, and charged with the murders of two women, and numerous other sexually related crimes. The realization that he was a sexual predator and a murderer shocked the military and the country and quickly became an international story.

Our intermission song is (quite appropriately) Creep by Radiohead

Of all the pain and struggles that are left in the aftermath of a murder, it may be the senselessness that haunts us the most. On February 9th, 2010, 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell said she’d only be gone for 15 minutes when she left the Academy of Hair Design in Wenatchee, Washington. Four days later, police discovered Mackenzie dead and mutilated along the banks of the Columbia River. She still wore her beauty school uniform.

At what age are we responsible for our actions? Laws and opinions differ, but there are certain acts that seem to transcend age in their brutality and lack of conscience. When 12-year old Jasmine Richardson participated in the murder of her entire family, a community and those of us looking on were shocked. Was she innately vicious or was she influenced and led into these crimes by her emotionally disturbed adult boyfriend?

Intermission music in this episode: I Know It’s Over by The Smiths

People do crazy things for love. Some people kill for love. Sometimes people die for love and their loved ones are left to somehow go on without them. To ponder the whys and what ifs. When Rusty Sneiderman was shot dead after dropping his 3-year-old son at daycare on November 18, 2010, police speculated that it was a professional hit. He had been executed with multiple gunshot wounds by an unknown assailant who fled the scene in a rented minivan.

The story of Lisa Irwin, who went missing when she was just 10 months old, has riveted the nation and left behind unanswered questions.  How does a 10-month old infant disappear from her crib, never to be seen again?  The police have focused on Lisa’s mother Deborah although there was plenty of evidence pointing to an abduction.

Deborah drank heavily the night Lisa disappeared and changed her story with police, increasing suspicions.  During the subsequent investigation, two witnesses were discovered who claimed to have seen a man walking down the street with a baby. Police were able to find and question a man matching the description of one witness, but the other witness claimed that his photo does not match the man they saw.

So, what is the current status of the investigation into Lisa’s disappearance?  Join us at the quiet end as we review Lisa’s story, the evidence, and the investigation.  If you’re thirsty, don’t worry, Dick has brought the beer.

The Lillelid family van drove on through the twilight of Greenville, Tennessee, in April of 1997. Gravel crunched beneath its wheels as quiet sobs echoed inside. The sun had set and dusk gave way to nightfall. When the van stopped, the doors opened to an unusual congregation. One by one, the occupants climbed out. A run down car pulled up the road behind them and came to a stop beside the van.

Sheila Bellush’s 13-year-old daughter Stevie came home from school on November 7th, 1997, and found her 23-month-old quadruplet siblings crying and spotted with blood. Sheila was on the laundry room floor, dead from a gunshot wound to her face and a large gash to her throat. It was clear that there had been a struggle. Blood covered the floor and smeared the walls. The babies had witnessed the brutal crime and remained alone with their deceased mother for hours.

On the morning of July 18th, 2014, Ross Harris was expected to bring his 22-month-old son Cooper to daycare on his way to work.  Ross and Cooper ate breakfast at a Chick-fil-A restaurant less than one mile from Ross’ office.  After breakfast, Ross drove his SUV to the Home Depot office where he worked.  Cooper was strapped in a rear-facing car seat in the back.  Ross went into his office at 9:25am, leaving Cooper in his car seat.

At about 12:30, Ross got lunch with 2 co-workers at a nearby Publix.  Then he purchased light bulbs from a nearby Home Depot store.  When Ross returned to his office building, he opened his driver’s side door and put the light bulbs in the front seat.  He would claim that he didn’t notice Cooper was still there.

It was past 4pm, after Ross left work, when he said that he discovered Cooper’s lifeless body and he stopped at a nearby shopping center and called for help.  Witnesses and first responders found Ross’ behavior to be strange and suspicious.

Ultimately, a secret life and murder plot would be revealed.  The cruelty of this crime, by a father against his young son, was unimaginable.

On this episode of True Crime Brewery, A Devil Down in Georgia: The Murder of Cooper Harris, Dick and I are discussing the sad and unthinkable death of Cooper Harris.  What we find out about Ross Harris’ secret life and motivations is a lesson in selfishness and callousness. Dick also shares with us his medical expertise on hyperthermia, the suffering endured by Cooper Harris, and the 30 plus accidental hot car deaths occurring each year in the United States.

Murder is stupid. If you have any doubt, this case will fully convince you. Buckle up for a twisted tale of murder and deceit that will cause you to shake your head. You may even lose a few hours of sleep, contemplating the unpredictable and cold behavior of some of our fellow human beings.