He believed he was not only a Vampire King, but also Jesus Christ. Marcus Wesson preached his bizarre beliefs to his massive family, and his children grew up not knowing anything about the outside world, or how unorthodox their lives were. His reign of brainwashing, manipulation and terror… ended in 2004 with the deadliest mass murder in the history of one northern California city.

Trigger Warning: This episode deals with incest, and the sexual abuse and murder of minors. However, we believe is an important lesson in what can happen when children are not protected, and an intelligent master-manipulator is left to his own devices. Listener discretion is advised.

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On the surface, many signs point to the theory that 42-year-old Brandon Helms vanished after taking his own life. However, his family and some of the lead investigators who have been in charge of the case say there are multiple factors that point to the possibility of foul play.

Brandon Lee Helms was last seen at a home on Teeterville Highway near the town of Lakeland in Lanier County, Georgia, on December 14, 2015 when he was 42-years-old. He was tall and slim and his family says he had dentures and may be recognized by his thin, receding hairline and a slight hitch in his gait due to a knee problem.

Anyone with information should call the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 482-3545. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation or a personal crisis, dial 988 for free support and someone to talk to.

To connect directly with Brandon's family and stay up-to-date on his case, join 'The Disappearance Of Brandon Lee Helms' Facebook page.

If you'd like to sign the petition to have Brandon's case taken over by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, you can do so here.

Plan on attending the 'True Crime and Paranormal Festival' near Denver in July? Use code "Sleuth15" at check out!

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“If you commit suicide, you can't bury yourself.”  That is what a family member of Brandon Lee Helms said to Katie when she was investigating the disappearance of the then 42-year-old South Georgia father for her TV series 'Unsolved Georgia.'

Brandon vanished from the home he was living in shortly before Christmas of 2015. Some believe it was suicide. Others allege foul play. 

Join us as we hear from Brandon's family and from investigators working the case, and learn about some of the odd twists and turns that took place in the months and years following his disappearance.

Brandon Lee Helms was last seen at a home on Teeterville Highway near Lakeland in Lanier County, Georgia, on December 14, 2015, when he was 42-years-old. He stands 5′11′' and weighed roughly 145 pounds at the time of his disappearance. His family says he had dentures and may be recognized by his thin, receding hairline and slight hitch in his gait due to a knee problem.

Anyone with information should call the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 482-3545. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation or a personal crisis, dial 988 for free support and someone to talk to.

Be sure to stick with the 'Two Sleuths Podcast' for 'Part 2: The Disappearance of Brandon Helms' when it is released next week.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Kate and I will be at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival in Denver from July 12-14! Grab your tickets while you can and use "SLEUTH15" for 15% off your ticket. We hope to meet some of you, so come out and say hi! l

https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com/tickets/

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Welcome back Sleuths! In today's episode, we bring you the conclusion of The Secret Witness and discuss how police were finally able to overcome the obstacles facing them during the investigation into the murders of Averill Weeden, Dawn Berryhill, and Belinda Jo Stark.

ANNOUNCEMENT:
We will not be releasing an episode next week due to a family emergency. In the meantime go give Katie some love and let her know you all are thinking about her! @KatiekaplanTV.

We will be back with a new episode on May 21, with another installment in Kaite's unsolved investigative series.

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A bearded motorcyclist who had the habit of killing women. And- he believed the police were rewarding him for it. Today is part one of the ‘Tipster Killer’ case and how he used the 'Secret Witness Program' to take himself down.

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He was a popular South Georgia Disc Jockey, musician and father of three when he was ambushed outside the local radio station late one Friday night in January of 2012. DJ Juan Gatti… known to friends and family as Stephon Edgerton… was shot three times by an unknown assailant. 

Stephons' case is still unsolved, but his family believes that several people out there may have information to help bring his killer to justice. If you have any leads or tips on this case, no matter how small, please contact the  Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office at 229-671-2958

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One quiet evening in October 1970, the Live Oak Fire Department in northern California responded to fire at a hilltop mansion. When they got to the back of the house, the chief saw what appeared to be a mannequin floating in the pool. But it wasn't a mannequin. It was a woman who had been gagged and bound. Four more people would be pulled from the pool that night. 

The opulent home belonged to Soquel Ophthalmologist Dr. Victor Ohta and his wife Virginia, along with their four kids, Taura, Lark, Derrick and Taggart.

A note was found at the scene that read like a manifesto. The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office was terrified that this massacre might have been the work of a cult... just like the Manson Family Murders in Southern California roughly a year before.

Join us for today's episode as we follow the investigation behind the Soquel Massacre of 1970.

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A renowned New York City deli owner, a former Hollywood stunt double, and a hardworking migrant living the American dream are all connected by one thing.

Join us on this journey that explores the callous killing of famed Second Avenue Deli founder Abe Lebewohl, and motel clerks Kerson "Kay" Praponpoj and Jon Weaver in New York. We'll tell you about the broad daylight murders, how police connected them all, and where the unsolved cases stand now.

If you have any information on the murder of Abe Lebewohl, you are asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS, or visit crimestoppers.nypdonline.org. 

If you have any information on the murders of Kerson "Kay" Praponpoj and Jon Weaver at the Saw Mill River Motel call the New York State Crime Stoppers hotline at 866-313-8477.

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An over-eager detective, an unethical interrogation and a false confession lands 19-year-old George Whitmore behind bars for the 'Career Girls Murders.' However, the public would soon find out that their real sadistic killer- was still on the loose.

Time to dive back into the case that shook New York City in the 1960s. Part 2 covering the double murder of Janice Wylie and Emily Hoffert in their upscale Manhattan apartment explores how a newspaper journalist would finally help to rectify an erred investigation, and how the  Career Girls Murders Case would go on to change the fabric of criminal investigations. 

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Wednesday, August 28th, 1963. A Summer’s morning in Manhattan's Upper East Side. Two promising young career women… left mutilated in their own luxury apartment. This is the case of the 'Career Girls Murders.'

The lives and dreams of Janice Wiley and Emily Hoffert were brutally extinguished in the heart of Manhattan. 

In today's episode, we examine the entwined paths of these two young women against the backdrop of a nation wrestling with civil rights and the onset of feminism. Their story is a harrowing reflection of the era's broader fears, intensified by the looming shadow of the Boston Strangler and the coinciding watershed moment of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic speech.

To see photos from today's case, follow us on social media:

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