As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Anna and Gracie Kemp with me today. On March 23, 2004, John Myles Sharpe killed his pregnant wife, 41-year-old Anna Kemp, at their home in Mornington, Victoria, Australia. After an argument that evening, he retrieved a speargun from the garage and shot her twice in the head while she slept. He buried her body in a shallow grave in their backyard.Four days later, on March 27, Sharpe killed their 20-month-old daughter, Gracie, with the same weapon while she was in her cot. He subsequently dug up Anna’s body, dismembered it, and disposed of her remains and Gracie’s body in waste bins at the Mornington rubbish-transfer station.smh+2Sharpe attempted to conceal the murders by claiming Anna had left him for another man and taken Gracie with her. He appeared in emotional television interviews appealing for information about their whereabouts. He eventually confessed, and investigators recovered their remains from a landfill. The case became widely known as the “Mornington Monster” or “Speargun Killer” case.wikipedia+1Sharpe pleaded guilty to both murders in February 2005. On August 5, 2005, the Supreme Court of Victoria sentenced him to two life terms with a minimum of 33 years before parole eligibility. The sentencing judge found that Sharpe had been fully aware of his actions and had killed Anna out of resentment.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Anna and Gracie Kemp with me today. On March 23, 2004, John Myles Sharpe killed his pregnant wife, 41-year-old Anna Kemp, at their home in Mornington, Victoria, Australia. After an argument that evening, he retrieved a speargun from the garage and shot her twice in the head while she slept. He buried her body in a shallow grave in their backyard. Four days later, on March 27, Sharpe killed their 20-month-old daughter, Gracie, with the same weapon while she was in her cot. He subsequently dug up Anna’s body, dismembered it, and disposed of her remains and Gracie’s body in waste bins at the Mornington rubbish-transfer station.smh+2 Sharpe attempted to conceal the murders by claiming Anna had left him for another man and taken Gracie with her. He appeared in emotional television interviews appealing for information about their whereabouts. He eventually confessed, and investigators recovered their remains from a landfill. The case became widely known as the “Mornington Monster” or “Speargun Killer” case.wikipedia+1 Sharpe pleaded guilty to both murders in February 2005. On August 5, 2005, the Supreme Court of Victoria sentenced him to two life terms with a minimum of 33 years before parole eligibility. The sentencing judge found that Sharpe had been fully aware of his actions and had killed Anna out of resentment.

The Mornington Monster : The John Myles Sharpe Case

On August 6, 2000, 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz was kidnapped near his home in West Hills, Los Angeles, by drug dealer Jesse James Hollywood and two associates. Hollywood wanted to use Nicholas as leverage to collect a $1,200 drug debt owed by the teenager’s older half-brother, Ben. Nicholas himself did not owe the money.The group took Nicholas to the Santa Barbara area, where he was held for several days. During that time, he attended parties and interacted with people who knew he had been kidnapped, but no one contacted police. Hollywood eventually ordered his associate Ryan Hoyt to kill Nicholas, offering to cancel Hoyt’s own debt in return.In the early hours of August 9, Nicholas was taken to a remote area near Lizard’s Mouth in the mountains above Santa Barbara. He was bound and gagged, and Hoyt shot him nine times before his body was concealed in a shallow grave. His remains were discovered on August 12.Hoyt was convicted in 2001 and sentenced to death; in January 2024, a judge vacated his death sentence, and he is now serving life without parole. Hollywood fled the country and was arrested in Brazil in 2005. He was convicted of kidnapping and first-degree murder in 2009 and also received life without parole. The case inspired the film Alpha Dog.

On August 6, 2000, 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz was kidnapped near his home in West Hills, Los Angeles, by drug dealer Jesse James Hollywood and two associates. Hollywood wanted to use Nicholas as leverage to collect a $1,200 drug debt owed by the teenager’s older half-brother, Ben. Nicholas himself did not owe the money. The group took Nicholas to the Santa Barbara area, where he was held for several days. During that time, he attended parties and interacted with people who knew he had been kidnapped, but no one contacted police. Hollywood eventually ordered his associate Ryan Hoyt to kill Nicholas, offering to cancel Hoyt’s own debt in return. In the early hours of August 9, Nicholas was taken to a remote area near Lizard’s Mouth in the mountains above Santa Barbara. He was bound and gagged, and Hoyt shot him nine times before his body was concealed in a shallow grave. His remains were discovered on August 12. Hoyt was convicted in 2001 and sentenced to death; in January 2024, a judge vacated his death sentence, and he is now serving life without parole. Hollywood fled the country and was arrested in Brazil in 2005. He was convicted of kidnapping and first-degree murder in 2009 and also received life without parole. The case inspired the film Alpha Dog.

15-Year-Old Was Kidnapped. Everyone Knew… But No One Helped

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Christine Vu and Wendie Prescott with me today. In 1996, Dale Devon Scheanette committed two rapes and murders at the same apartment complex in Arlington, Texas, crimes that later led to his nickname, the “Bathtub Killer.” On September 17, 25-year-old elementary-school teacher Christine Vu was found sexually assaulted, bound with duct tape, strangled, and left face-down in a partially filled bathtub in her apartment.About three months later, on Christmas Eve, Scheanette attacked 22-year-old Wendie Prescott, a teacher’s aide. Family members went to check on her after she failed to arrive for a planned holiday gathering and found her body in her apartment bathtub. She had been sexually assaulted, bound, and strangled; the medical examiner found that immersion in the water may also have contributed to her death.The cases remained unsolved for several years. A fingerprint recovered from Prescott’s apartment did not initially match anyone in law-enforcement databases. In 1999, Scheanette was arrested for burglarizing a car-audio business in DeSoto, Texas, and his prints were entered into the system. They matched the evidence from the murders. DNA evidence subsequently linked him to both killings and to multiple sexual assaults committed between 1998 and 1999.In January 2003, a Texas jury convicted Scheanette of capital murder for Prescott’s death during a sexual assault and sentenced him to death. He was also charged with Vu’s murder but was not separately tried for it. Texas executed Scheanette by lethal injection on February 10, 2009, when he was 35.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Christine Vu and Wendie Prescott with me today. In 1996, Dale Devon Scheanette committed two rapes and murders at the same apartment complex in Arlington, Texas, crimes that later led to his nickname, the “Bathtub Killer.” On September 17, 25-year-old elementary-school teacher Christine Vu was found sexually assaulted, bound with duct tape, strangled, and left face-down in a partially filled bathtub in her apartment. About three months later, on Christmas Eve, Scheanette attacked 22-year-old Wendie Prescott, a teacher’s aide. Family members went to check on her after she failed to arrive for a planned holiday gathering and found her body in her apartment bathtub. She had been sexually assaulted, bound, and strangled; the medical examiner found that immersion in the water may also have contributed to her death. The cases remained unsolved for several years. A fingerprint recovered from Prescott’s apartment did not initially match anyone in law-enforcement databases. In 1999, Scheanette was arrested for burglarizing a car-audio business in DeSoto, Texas, and his prints were entered into the system. They matched the evidence from the murders. DNA evidence subsequently linked him to both killings and to multiple sexual assaults committed between 1998 and 1999. In January 2003, a Texas jury convicted Scheanette of capital murder for Prescott’s death during a sexual assault and sentenced him to death. He was also charged with Vu’s murder but was not separately tried for it. Texas executed Scheanette by lethal injection on February 10, 2009, when he was 35.

The Bathtub Killer : Dale Devon Scheanette

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Brandon Teena, L. King, Charlie Howard, Gwen Araujo, and Matthew Shepard with me today.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Brandon Teena, L. King, Charlie Howard, Gwen Araujo, and Matthew Shepard with me today.

Tragic Hate-filled Homicides : 4 Hours of True Crime

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Carlo and Liana with me today. On December 29, 2022, 61-year-old Carlo Secondino was killed and his 19-year-old daughter, Liana, was seriously wounded inside their home in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Prosecutors accused Carlo’s older daughter, 22-year-old Nikki Secondino, of attacking them following an earlier argument with her father over a laptop.According to the indictment, Nikki attacked Carlo while he was sleeping on the couch at about 5:20 a.m., striking him repeatedly with a hammer before stabbing him with a kitchen knife. When Liana heard the commotion and tried to intervene, Nikki allegedly stabbed her multiple times in the body, hands, and face. Carlo died at the scene; Liana survived but required surgery.Nikki initially claimed that two intruders had broken into the apartment, attacked her family, and sexually assaulted her. Investigators determined that the home-invasion account was false, and police sources said she subsequently admitted carrying out the attack. Liana’s account also helped contradict her sister’s version of events.On January 30, 2023, Nikki was arraigned on charges including second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon, and was ordered held without bail. Prosecutors said she faced a maximum sentence of 50 years to life if convicted. The reliable reporting available does not establish a subsequent verdict or sentence, so the charges should not be described as convictions.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Carlo and Liana with me today. On December 29, 2022, 61-year-old Carlo Secondino was killed and his 19-year-old daughter, Liana, was seriously wounded inside their home in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Prosecutors accused Carlo’s older daughter, 22-year-old Nikki Secondino, of attacking them following an earlier argument with her father over a laptop. According to the indictment, Nikki attacked Carlo while he was sleeping on the couch at about 5:20 a.m., striking him repeatedly with a hammer before stabbing him with a kitchen knife. When Liana heard the commotion and tried to intervene, Nikki allegedly stabbed her multiple times in the body, hands, and face. Carlo died at the scene; Liana survived but required surgery. Nikki initially claimed that two intruders had broken into the apartment, attacked her family, and sexually assaulted her. Investigators determined that the home-invasion account was false, and police sources said she subsequently admitted carrying out the attack. Liana’s account also helped contradict her sister’s version of events. On January 30, 2023, Nikki was arraigned on charges including second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon, and was ordered held without bail. Prosecutors said she faced a maximum sentence of 50 years to life if convicted. The reliable reporting available does not establish a subsequent verdict or sentence, so the charges should not be described as convictions.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Carlo and Liana with me today. On December 29, 2022, 61-year-old Carlo Secondino was killed and his 19-year-old daughter, Liana, was seriously wounded inside their home in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Prosecutors accused Carlo’s older daughter, 22-year-old Nikki Secondino, of attacking them following an earlier argument with her father over a laptop.According to the indictment, Nikki attacked Carlo while he was sleeping on the couch at about 5:20 a.m., striking him repeatedly with a hammer before stabbing him with a kitchen knife. When Liana heard the commotion and tried to intervene, Nikki allegedly stabbed her multiple times in the body, hands, and face. Carlo died at the scene; Liana survived but required surgery.Nikki initially claimed that two intruders had broken into the apartment, attacked her family, and sexually assaulted her. Investigators determined that the&nbsp;home-invasion&nbsp;account was false, and police sources said she subsequently admitted carrying out the attack. Liana’s account also helped contradict her sister’s version of events.On January 30, 2023, Nikki was arraigned on charges including second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon, and was ordered held without bail. Prosecutors said she faced a maximum sentence of 50 years to life if convicted. The reliable reporting available does not establish a subsequent verdict or sentence, so the charges should not be described as convictions.

Instagram Model Stabs Father and Sister : The Nikki Secondino Case

On March 19, 2024, in Brandon, Mississippi, 14-year-old Carly Gregg lured her stepfather, Heath Smylie, home to ambush him after she had already murdered her mother, Ashley Smylie. Heath found Ashley’s body posed in Carly's room and called 911, believing an intruder may be involved because he just could not believe it was Carly. Security footage from inside the house showed Carly's chilling crimes: she shot Ashley and attempted to kill Heath. During the September 2024 trial, Carly was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence, receiving life in prison without parole.

On March 19, 2024, in Brandon, Mississippi, 14-year-old Carly Gregg lured her stepfather, Heath Smylie, home to ambush him after she had already murdered her mother, Ashley Smylie. Heath found Ashley’s body posed in Carly's room and called 911, believing an intruder may be involved because he just could not believe it was Carly. Security footage from inside the house showed Carly's chilling crimes: she shot Ashley and attempted to kill Heath. During the September 2024 trial, Carly was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence, receiving life in prison without parole.

On March 19, 2024, in Brandon, Mississippi, 14-year-old Carly Gregg lured her stepfather, Heath Smylie, home to ambush him after she had already murdered her mother, Ashley Smylie. Heath found Ashley’s body posed in Carly's room and called 911, believing an intruder may be involved because he just could not believe it was Carly. Security footage from inside the house showed Carly's chilling crimes: she shot Ashley and attempted to kill Heath. During the September 2024 trial, Carly was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence, receiving life in prison without parole.

Carly Gregg - 14-Year-Old Daughter Invites Friend Over to "Show Off" Mother's Body

As someone who has been personally effected by homicide, I approach every True Crime case I cover with the goal of balancing facts with empathy—giving victims a voice while exploring the larger cultural and societal implications of the cases. 

I want you to leave my episodes not only knowing that the people who I talk about are real.. what happened to them is real but also acknowledging that they are much more than just their deaths.

Each audio file from this podcast is taken from my videos on YouTube. If you want to see me in action, you can search "Bratterstein" there.

True Crime

As someone who has been personally effected by homicide, I approach every True Crime case I cover with the goal of balancing facts with empathy—giving victims a voice while exploring the larger cultural and societal implications of the cases. I want you to leave my episodes not only knowing that the people who I talk about are real.. what happened to them is real but also acknowledging that they are much more than just their deaths. Each audio file from this podcast is taken from my videos on YouTube. If you want to see me in action, you can search "Bratterstein" there.

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