TRUE CRIME with Bratterstein

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Marvin Gaye with me today.

On April 1, 1984, legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father, Marvin Gay Sr., during a violent argument inside the family’s Los Angeles home. Marvin, who had moved back in to help care for his parents, had become increasingly volatile in the months leading up to the shooting. After a heated confrontation, his father retrieved a gun Marvin had previously given him as a gift and fired twice at close range.

The killing devastated the music world. Marvin Gaye, only 44 years old, had produced some of the most influential soul and R&B music of the century, including What’s Going On and Sexual Healing.

Marvin Gay Sr. pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a suspended sentence with five years of probation, citing his age and health.

This case remains one of the most tragic examples of domestic conflict turning deadly, ending the life of an artist whose influence still echoes across generations.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Matt Cecchi with me today.

In August 1996, 9-year-old Matt Cecchi was on a family vacation at a campground in El Dorado County, California, when he walked into a public restroom and never came back out alive. Moments later, his sister discovered him fatally stabbed, a random, senseless attack that shocked the community.

The killer was 36-year-old Levi Chavez, a drifter with a violent history who had been roaming the campground. Prosecutors described the murder as a spontaneous and motiveless act, committed against a child who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Chavez was arrested shortly after the killing and later convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Anna, Gracie, Shanann, Bella, Celeste, Ronald, Louise, Dawn, Allison, John, Marc, Helen, Patricia, John, Jr., Frederick, and Alma with me today. Family annihilators are some of the most chilling figures in true crime history. These individuals, usually men, murder their entire families, driven by motives like financial collapse, loss of control, or resentment. Cases like John Miles Sharpe, who brutally killed his wife and baby daughter with a spear gun in 2004, and Chris Watts, who murdered his pregnant wife and two daughters in 2018 to pursue an affair, showcase the cold-blooded planning behind these crimes. Similarly, Ronald DeFeo Jr. wiped out his entire family in their Amityville home in 1974, claiming demonic voices drove him to commit the murders. And in 1971, John List methodically executed his family due to financial failure and left behind a chilling confession letter. These infamous family annihilator cases reveal the dark psychology behind these killers and the horrifying betrayal of trust within what should be the safest place: home.

True crime fans searching for family murder cases, shocking murder stories, or famous family annihilators will find these cases especially haunting.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Anthony Riggs with me today.

In March 1991, 22-year-old Army Specialist Anthony Riggs returned home to Detroit after serving in the Persian Gulf, only to be brutally murdered less than a week later. As he loaded belongings into a van to help move his wife and stepdaughter, shots rang out, and Anthony collapsed, fatally wounded.

What first looked like a random act of urban violence quickly unraveled into a chilling betrayal. Police soon arrested his wife, Toni Riggs, and her brother, Michael Cato, accusing them of orchestrating the killing in a plot to collect his substantial life-insurance payout.

At trial, Michael Cato was convicted of first-degree murder and received a life sentence without parole.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Lawrence King / Latisha King with me today.

On February 12, 2008, 15-year-old Larry King was shot twice in the back of the head in his classroom at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, California, by a fellow student, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney. The shooting happened after repeated harassment and bullying, reportedly driven by hatred toward Larry’s gender identity and expression.

Larry was kept on life support for two days, donating organs before he died on February 14, 2008, Valentine’s Day.

The crime sent shockwaves across the United States, bringing renewed focus on school bullying, homophobia, and hate crimes against LGBTQ youth.

McInerney was tried as an adult. After a first trial ended in a hung jury, he eventually pleaded guilty in 2011 to second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Bruce Miller with me today.

On November 8, 1999, 46-year-old Bruce Miller was found dead at his junkyard in Flint, Michigan, the victim of a shotgun blast. His wife, Sharee Miller, had conspired online with an internet lover to lure him into a deadly trap. She misled her lover by claiming abuse, a fake pregnancy and the need to escape, all to manipulate him into pulling the trigger.

At trial, prosecutors described how Sharee’s elaborate digital double-life built the perfect cover while the real motive was money and manipulation. She was convicted of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, receiving life in prison.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon Stevens with me today.

In August 2016, 19-year-old college student Austin Harrouff violently attacked and killed John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon outside their Florida home. Police arrived to find Harrouff on top of Stevens, biting his face and exhibiting extreme strength. Toxicology reports showed no signs of common drugs.

Later diagnosed with acute psychosis, Harrouff claimed he believed he was “half-man, half-dog” at the time of the attack. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder for injuring a neighbor who tried to intervene.

In 2022, a judge accepted an insanity defense, and Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity, ordered to be held indefinitely in a secure psychiatric facility.

The case became widely known as the “face-eating murder” and sparked nationwide conversation about psychosis, substance use, and criminal responsibility.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Molly McLaren with me today.

In June 2017, 23-year-old university student Molly McLaren was brutally murdered in broad daylight in a parking lot in Kent, England, by her ex-boyfriend Joshua Stimpson. Just 12 days earlier, Molly had ended their relationship after noticing increasingly controlling and obsessive behavior. She later reported him to police after he began stalking and harassing her online.

On the day of her death, Molly noticed Stimpson following her car. As she sat in her vehicle outside a gym, he attacked her with a knife, stabbing her more than 70 times while bystanders looked on helplessly. It was later revealed he had searched online for information on how to kill and what sentence he might receive.

At trial, Stimpson claimed diminished responsibility due to mental health issues, but the jury rejected this. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 26 years.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Barbara Olson with me today.

In 2014, a quiet neighborhood in El Cajon, California, was shaken when 12-year-old Raven Juarez and her 13-year-old friend Monique Trevino ambushed Raven’s grandmother, Barbara Olsen, inside her home. The girls had planned the attack days in advance, convinced that killing Barbara would allow them to run away together and start a new life.

Barbara, who had been caring for Raven, had no idea what her granddaughter was plotting. When she walked into her house, the two girls attacked her, leaving her gravely injured. Barbara survived the assault long enough to call 911 and identify her attackers, a detail that stunned both the community and investigators.

The case exposed a disturbing mixture of teenage fantasy, manipulation, and violent intent. Both girls were arrested and charged with attempted murder. In court, prosecutors revealed text messages and detailed plans showing the attack was premeditated. Both teens were ultimately sentenced to several years in juvenile custody.

As always, thank you for hanging out talking about John Hinckley Jr. with me today.

On March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, 25-year-old John Hinckley Jr. opened fire on U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley’s bullets struck four people, including Reagan himself, who was hit in the chest but survived.

Investigators soon uncovered a disturbing motive: Hinckley had become obsessed with actress Jodie Foster after seeing her in the film Taxi Driver. Believing he could impress her, he planned the assassination attempt to gain her attention.

At trial, Hinckley’s defense argued he suffered from severe mental illness. In 1982, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed indefinitely to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.

After more than three decades of treatment and supervision, Hinckley was granted full release in 2022, sparking renewed debate about mental health, fame, and accountability in high-profile crimes.