We Would Be Dead

On Thursday February 2, 1933, retired solicitor René Lancelin returned home from a dinner party to find his house had locked from the inside. He had been waiting for his wife Léonie and daughter Genevieve to join him at the party, and became concerned when they never arrived. The house, it seemed, had also been plunged into complete darkness. The only glimmer of light visible was the flicker of a candle glowing from the window of the maid's quarters. After calling the police and fighting their way inside the house, René and the officers discovered the bodies of both Lancelin women on the home's first floor landing. The women had been brutally murdered and horrifically mutilated. Now, fearing for the safety of the household maids, sisters named Christine and Léa Papin, whose candle he had observed upon arrival, René had the police break into their room. When they did, they were met with a sight that French criminologists are still struggling to explain today. The two sisters were sitting in silence on their shared bed, completely naked, with a blood soaked hammer on the bed side table. What drove these two mild mannered house maids to commit an act so violent and vile? This week we dig into the complicated conundrum of the Papin Sisters to see if we can find out!

The second wound (resource for victims of familial abuse)

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On October 3rd, 2002, Gwen Amber Rose Araujo was at home in Newark California, getting ready to attend a party. She put on her brand new skirt, borrowed a floaty peasant blouse from her mother, and said goodbye to her family. Little did anyone know, this would be the last time Gwen ever saw her family alive. Later that night she would be brutally murdered by 4 men who claimed to have gone into a panic after discovering she was trans.

Gwen Araujo's landmark case would go on to change the laws in California, making the gay and trans panic defense invalid in a court of law. Gwen's murderers may not have faced the justice they deserved, but her legacy has sparked nation wide change. This week we celebrate Pride month by telling her story. We hope you all feel outraged and inspired by the end. In honor of Gwen, We Would Be Dead has made donations to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, and Gwen's mother, Sylvia Guerrero's GoFundME, We encourage you to to do the same. Links Below.

Sylvia Rivera Law Project

Sylvia Guerrero GoFundME

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This week we bring you two stories, with a twist! These are the cases from our live show on June 19th. We initially wanted to release live audio, but the recording was not up to our standards, so please enjoy the full podcast treatment! Leslie brings you the story of "TalHotBlond" which takes catfishing as we know it to the next level. Holly brings you "Prince Charming" The story of a supposed love triangle that turns into something far more sinister.  Stick around after the credits for a clip of the actual live event. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us!

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Fiends! It’s a Lesliesode!!!! On May 28, 1980, Dorothy Jane Scott disappeared. The next day they found her car on fire. The search continued for 4 years until they found her body buried underneath animal bones, just miles from where she was last seen. Prior to her disappearance Dorothy received phone calls from a mysterious man confessing feelings of love, hate, and violence. Who was Dorothy’s stalker? Holly may have figured it out…

Crime Clipping from Santa Ana Orange County Register, Thu, Aug 16, 1984. 

Freelance Star Newspaper Clipping - August 20, 1984

Telephone Games from True Crime Diary

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On April 25th 1973 the Santa Cruz California police department received a strange call from a phone booth in the little town of Pueblo Colorado. Ge claimed to have killed his mother and her best friend, and then gone on the run, but that was just the beginning of it. Edmund Kemper, also known as (shudder) the coed killer, is the most notorious serial killer you may have never heard of. Ed brutally murdered eleven women and one man, but he didn't just kill them, oh no, he had a particular interest in decapitation and necrophilia. Ed's crime's began when he murdered his grandparents at just fifteen years old and ended with his mother's hideously gruesome murder just 9 years later. Ed is not just a cold blooded murderer though, he is master manipulator, a legal genius and the reason criminal profiling is as advanced as it is today. Edmund Kemper is arguably the most influential case is modern crime, and one that is referenced time and time again. File this one away in your crime primer fiends because you'll see pieces of it appear time and time again. Ed is credited as one half of the inspiration for the character of Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs (the other half being one of our former subjects, the ghoul of Plainfield, Ed Gein) and his story is prominently featured in the hit Netflix true crime drama series Mindhunter. 

1984 prison interview 

1991 extended prison interview

Kemper on Kemper: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer

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On April 28th 2021, Miguel Lamboy walked into the Saguache county police department and told officers that he had returned from spending a night out of town to discover a dead body in his home. The body was on and bed, it appeared to have been dead for quite some time, it was wrapped in sleeping bags and Christmas lights and covered in glitter. Miguel said that he expected the body was that of a 45 year old woman named Lia Carlson, also known as Amy Carlson, but better known as Mother God, the leader of a group he belonged to known simply as "Love Has Won".

In the investigation that followed authorities uncovered a bizarre new age cult who's beliefs combined homeopathic healing, faith healing, astrology, reincarnation theories Christianity, Buddhism, new age mysticism and every conspiracy the internet has to offer. The cult, then called "Love Had Won" used dangerous tactics to keep their members loyal, and daily YouTube live streams to recruit new followers / customers. 

This week we go down the extreme internet rabbit hole that is a modern cult, and introduce you to a frightening woman many knew only as "Mother God". 

5d Full Disclosure official website

Original Love Has Won website (archived)

5D Full Disclosure official YouTube

Love Has Won Vice Documentary

Amy Carlson and family on Dr. Phil

click for support if you or someone you know has been affected by Love Has Won

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On September 29th, 1978, 15 year old Mary Vincent found herself hitchhiking across California. She had run away from her parents home in Las Vegas and was looking to make her way to her Grandfather's house. Mary had made it as far as Berkeley when an older man in a blue van named Lawrence Singleton picked her up in his blue van, offering to take her all the way to Los Angeles. The shocking events that played out that night would leave Mary forever altered, but through sheer will power, she survived. Prepare to be in awe of Mary's strength and determination. When faced with such an immeasurable struggle, we would be dead, but Mary Vincent would not.  

Mary's famous People Magazine article

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This week, we have an update, and an exciting interview for you! We brought on our friendly neighborhood mental healthcare professional, Andrew Jarema, to discuss the recent possibility of Slenderman stabbing perpetrator, Anissa Weier's parole. If you are unfamiliar with the Slenderman stabbing, please refer back to episode 4 of this podcast, we'll catch you up.

 This is a very complex topic with no concrete answers. When a child commits a crime, everybody loses, and they lose for a long time. It's easy to pass judgement on an adult attempted murderer, but when it's a child everything changes. In this interview we explore what happens after a child is convicted, where their place in the world can be, and how we continue to evaluate their evolving mind. Should a child ever be put away forever? Who has the capacity for change and how do we judge? Enter this one with an open mind and your compassion umbrella at the ready. Andrew was wonderful and really shed some light on this very murky issue for us. We hope you learn as much as we did, and enjoy!

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 - Bonnie Parker, 1934

Ok fiends it's time for a classic! In honor of Leslie's wedding this week we will be telling the ultimate story of true love and true crime. This is the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, who robbed and murdered their way through their early twenties before dying in a haze of bullets. Bonnie and Clyde were young, gorgeous, and deadly. We hope you enjoy this thorough exploration into true crime's most infamous couple!

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On Friday May 24th 1996, Kristin Smart, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University just wanted to find a party. She went out for the night, just like so many other students had done before, and still do today, but Kristin never came back. 4 days later a missing persons report would be filed, but it would take 24 years, 3 county sheriffs, a relentlessly dedicated family, and ultimately, a clever and tenacious podcaster to uncover just what happened to Kristin that night. This is a frustrating one fiends, but hopefully Kristin and her family are finally seeing a glimmer of justice. 

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