True Crime Campfire

True Crime Campfire

Join hosts Katie and Whitney for a different kind of true crime podcast. You can start with season 1, The Puppet Master and the Prince of Darkness, a deep dive into the most bizarre murder case you've never heard of. Or start with season 2, which covers a different stranger-than-fiction story each week. This bingeworthy show combines meticulous research with a refreshing mix of comic relief and seamless storytelling. There's plenty of room around the campfire--come help us roast murderers and marshmallows! read less

Our Editor's Take

True Crime Campfire is a podcast that examines true stories of the most heinous crimes. Hosts Katie and Whitney take listeners on a journey into the minds of violent criminals. The show reveals the details and motives behind fascinating tales of murder. In each episode, the hosts share lighthearted commentary. The light touch of comedy infuses these disturbing accounts with some levity.

Every episode follows a different true crime story. More detailed accounts span two or more episodes. Katie and Whitney's delivery of each story is complete with smart analysis. The research into every crime narrative is clear from the extensive recounting. As the title suggests, True Crime Campfire mimics the feel of scary stories told by firelight. The difference is that these stories are more than urban legends.

The podcast begins with a ten-part series titled "The Puppet Master and the Prince of Darkness." The season tells the incredible story of Jay C. Smith and William S. Bradfield. They both faced trial for the murder of the Reinert family in 1983. Following the first season's success, Katie and Whitney reformatted the show. They decided to focus on one true crime story per episode.

Katie and Whitney share a fascination with true crime. Their genuine interest adds authenticity to their storytelling. Katie is more averse to stories of murder but enjoys making fun of killers. Whitney is a college professor with a lifelong passion for criminal psychology. She believes true crime stories help listeners stay safe. Together, they create a unique true crime podcast with a winning balance of humor and horror.

Listeners of True Crime Campfire might enjoy the hosts' banter and delivery. They make fun of the perpetrators while remaining sensitive to the victims. The result is an engaging podcast that may satisfy morbid curiosity without getting too heavy. New episodes debut each week.

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Episodes

The Talented Mr. Field: Murder in an English Village
Apr 12 2024
The Talented Mr. Field: Murder in an English Village
Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley follows a young man named Tom, whose deep-seated jealousy and ambition leads him down a very dark path. He wants the jet-set lifestyle his trust-fund friends are living, and he sets out to get it using his intelligence and skill at deception. Tom Ripley is a pretty realistic depiction of a psychopath. To get close to the wealthy people he envies, he puts on a convincing mask of helpful friendliness. But underneath, he’s scheming with every breath—biding his time. And no one is safe around him. Join us for the story of a real-life Mr. Ripley, a man who was good at being charming, but bad at being good. A man who left one person dead, one heartbroken and defrauded, and a pretty little town in shock. Join us for the true story behind the BBC drama The Sixth Commandment--the tale of an aspiring vicar whose pious exterior hid a heart of darkness. Download the game "June's Journey" on Apple iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/junes-journey-hidden-objects/id1200391796"June's Journey" on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.wooga.junes_journey_hidden_object_mystery_game&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1Sources:A Plot to Kill by David WilsonITV News: https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2019-08-09/sadistic-killer-admitted-interest-in-the-extremes-of-deathDaily Beast, Nico Hines: https://www.thedailybeast.com/gaslight-killer-ben-field-who-conned-his-elderly-lovers-is-convicted-of-murdering-peter-farquharBucks Herald, Sam Dean: https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/must-read/ben-field-the-baptist-ministers-son-who-became-a-calculated-and-manipulative-murderer-in-maids-moreton-821818UK Daily Mail, Rory Tingle and Josh White: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6984549/Church-warden-callously-videoed-hallucinating-lecturer-trying-murder.htmlFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
The Magician and the Fool: The Story of the DC Snipers, Pt 2
Apr 5 2024
The Magician and the Fool: The Story of the DC Snipers, Pt 2
When we left you at the end of part 1, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo had begun a killing spree that took them from Tacoma, Washington, through Arizona, Louisiana, and Maryland. By October 2002, they had killed or wounded 10 people, with Muhammad pointing his finger and Malvo pointing his gun. Malvo believed himself to be a soldier in the fight to free the marginalized people of the world. Muhammad made him his acolyte, traveling across the country, playing him anti-American propaganda through headphones as he slept, putting him through a grueling physical regimen, as well as making him eat a sparse vegetarian diet. Muhammad told him that white people were “devils” and that they had to prepare for the oncoming race war. For 30 days, they would kill 6 white people a day, until the US government agreed to their terms and paid them off to go away. Join us now for part 2 of this chilling true story.Download the game "June's Journey" on Apple iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/junes-journey-hidden-objects/id1200391796"June's Journey" on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.wooga.junes_journey_hidden_object_mystery_game&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1Sources:Vice documentary "I, Sniper"The History Channel's "Crime of the Century," episode "The Beltway Snipers"King 5 News:https://www.king5.com/article/news/dc-snipers-first-intended-victim-speaks-out/281-332833536Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/opening-shot-146761Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/lee-boyd-malvo-10-years-after-dc-area-sniper-shootings-i-was-a-monster/2012/09/29/a1ef1b42-04d8-11e2-8102-ebee9c66e190_story.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/10/01/timeline-dc-sniper-attacks/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/01/gun-store-cant-account-for-weapon-tied-to-sniper-case/ee54a3d2-a53c-44e8-9423-50ce4115c28b/WUSA 9 News: https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/20-years-later-paul-laruffa-survivor-of-dc-snipers-malvo-muhammad-is-not-obsessing-but-hell-never-forget-either/65-055e1e42-c72e-4bab-b393-286eefe88037NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/22/us/polite-but-dogged-sniper-suspect-offers-defense.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss https://wtop.com/supreme-court/2019/10/beltway-sniper-victim-hopes-lee-boyd-malvo-gets-chance-at-rehabilitation-before-scotus/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/22/us/polite-but-dogged-sniper-suspect-offers-defense.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss https://www.cnn.com/2013/11/04/us/dc-area-sniper-fast-facts/index.htmlTucson News: https://tucson.com/news/local/crime/d-c-snipers-allegedly-targeted-tucsonan-in-02/article_64f562f8-5b2d-529a-b567-c28d822c48bd.html Psych News: https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/pn.39.23.00390013CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/02/10/sprj.dcsp.sniper.beaten/index.html ​​SCOTUS Blog: https://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Muhammad-stay-application-11-3-091.pdfHistory.com: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-d-c-sniper-john-muhammad-convictedFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
The Magician and the Fool: The Story of the DC Snipers
Mar 29 2024
The Magician and the Fool: The Story of the DC Snipers
Do you remember Snow White, campers? You know, the princess whose step mother was so jealous of her beauty that she cursed her with a poison apple? Today’s case is like that. Someone whose wrath and anger was so terrible that it harmed everyone it touched. To him, not getting his way was a fate worse than death and in order to right the wrongs, he’d commit crimes that would change American lives forever. With the gift of a single pastry, he would ensure a child’s loyalty so completely that the child would kill for him. He was a manipulator, a magician, and along with the naive fool that accompanied him, he would kill dozens of people. Join us for Part 1 of this chilling true crime story.Sources:Vice documentary "I, Sniper"The History Channel's "Crime of the Century," episode "The Beltway Snipers"King 5 News:https://www.king5.com/article/news/dc-snipers-first-intended-victim-speaks-out/281-332833536Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/opening-shot-146761Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/lee-boyd-malvo-10-years-after-dc-area-sniper-shootings-i-was-a-monster/2012/09/29/a1ef1b42-04d8-11e2-8102-ebee9c66e190_story.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/10/01/timeline-dc-sniper-attacks/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/01/gun-store-cant-account-for-weapon-tied-to-sniper-case/ee54a3d2-a53c-44e8-9423-50ce4115c28b/WUSA 9 News: https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/20-years-later-paul-laruffa-survivor-of-dc-snipers-malvo-muhammad-is-not-obsessing-but-hell-never-forget-either/65-055e1e42-c72e-4bab-b393-286eefe88037NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/22/us/polite-but-dogged-sniper-suspect-offers-defense.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss https://wtop.com/supreme-court/2019/10/beltway-sniper-victim-hopes-lee-boyd-malvo-gets-chance-at-rehabilitation-before-scotus/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/22/us/polite-but-dogged-sniper-suspect-offers-defense.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss https://www.cnn.com/2013/11/04/us/dc-area-sniper-fast-facts/index.htmlTucson News: https://tucson.com/news/local/crime/d-c-snipers-allegedly-targeted-tucsonan-in-02/article_64f562f8-5b2d-529a-b567-c28d822c48bd.html Psych News: https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/pn.39.23.00390013CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/02/10/sprj.dcsp.sniper.beaten/index.html ​​SCOTUS Blog: https://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Muhammad-stay-application-11-3-091.pdfHistory.com: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-d-c-sniper-john-muhammad-convictedFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Love Will Tear Us Apart: The Murder of Larry McNabney, Pt 2
Mar 22 2024
Love Will Tear Us Apart: The Murder of Larry McNabney, Pt 2
When we left you last week, attorney Larry McNabney’s attempt to become the biggest personal-injury attorney in Nevada had just crashed and burned like the Hindenberg, thanks in no small part to his new wife, Elisa. Elisa was a small-time thief and fraudster from Florida who had thrown the state and her whole life in the rear-view mirror to avoid the possibility of some brief jail time. She’d struck gold when she was hired as an office manager by high-flying attorney Larry in Las Vegas, and rapidly climbed the emotional ranks from employee to mistress to girlfriend to wife. But she had trouble keeping her itchy fingers out of the law firm’s cash register, which led to the state bar banning her from working there and reprimanding Larry. Looking for a new start, the couple moved to Sacramento to try and set the whole business rolling again, and at the start of 2000 Elisa hired 19-year-old Sarah Dutra to help her out with the business. But “helping” was not exactly what she did. Join us for part 2 of this chilling true crime story.Sources:Cold Blooded by Carlton SmithMarked for Death by Brian J. KaremABC's 20/20, episode "Hell in Heels”Investigation Discovery's "Evil Stepmothers," episode “She Can’t Hide”Seattle Met: https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2022/11/jz-knight-ramtha-yelm-washington-school-of-enlightenmentHerald-Tribune: https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2002/03/15/woman-sought-in-california-murder-has-ties-to-florida/28711016007/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Love Will Tear Us Apart: The Murder of Larry McNabney, Pt 1
Mar 15 2024
Love Will Tear Us Apart: The Murder of Larry McNabney, Pt 1
There aren’t many stories older or more widespread than “bad decisions made for a pretty face or a hot body.” Those throbbing biological urges can kick reason and good sense right to the curb. For most of us, this is more likely to happen when we’re young and, y’know, dumb. But there are some people who will always be willing to put their hands in the fire, to risk everything they have for desire. It’s a trait that often goes hand-in-hand with a self-destructive recklessness that’s so fundamental to your nature that it might as well be in your bones. Join us for the story of California's "Marlboro Man murder" and the pair of devious, greedy killers who almost got away with it. Sources:Cold Blooded by Carlton SmithMarked for Death by Brian J. KaremABC's 20/20, episode "Hell in Heels”Investigation Discovery's "Evil Stepmothers," episode “She Can’t Hide”Seattle Met: https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2022/11/jz-knight-ramtha-yelm-washington-school-of-enlightenmentHerald-Tribune: https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2002/03/15/woman-sought-in-california-murder-has-ties-to-florida/28711016007/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Unfaithful: The Murder of Samira Frasch
Mar 8 2024
Unfaithful: The Murder of Samira Frasch
There is freedom in being a narcissist. If you don’t see anyone else in the world as fully real and important, you can do whatever you want, follow your every urge and impulse. And if someone happens to get hurt along the way, well, you probably barely even noticed. A lot of the criminals in our cases fit this mould, grandiose types swinging through the lives of those around them like a flaming wrecking ball. If you’re the only person in the world who matters, it’s easy to lie and cheat and steal. And kill. Join us for the story of a hedonistic doctor and his glamorous model wife, whose opulent life and power-couple marriage spiraled down into chaos, lies and murder. Sources:Investigation Discovery's "Diabolical," episode "Mistress Roulette"Oxygen's "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered," episode "At the Bottom of the Pool"Tallahassee.com: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2015/02/21/frasch-murder-investigation-reveals-couples-torrid-existence/23792489/https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/2014/04/11/frasch-got-1-million-plus/7582855/WTXL News: https://www.wtxl.com/frasch/day-two-of-adam-frasch-trial/article_09c900e2-e248-11e6-89c2-67bd6a5372fb.html https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2017/01/25/jurors-see-possible-murder-weapon-frasch-case/97031238/Tallahassee.com: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2017/01/26/defense-medical-expert-says-samira-frach-died-after-husband-left/97079960/ https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2017/01/23/jury-selection-underway-frasch-murder-trial/96941344/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Counterfeit Son: The Murders of Bart and Krista Halderson
Mar 1 2024
Counterfeit Son: The Murders of Bart and Krista Halderson
It's not that unusual for people to bend the truth a little to show themselves in a good light, especially when they're young. Maybe you want to impress a crush, maybe you just want to add a bit of glamor to an otherwise normal life. It's mostly harmless...unless the lies get out of control. If someone lies with every beat of their heart, builds an entire alternate reality around themselves, then what happens when that alternate reality is threatened by the truth can get pretty ugly. Join us for the story of a golden-boy son turned double murderer. Sources:CBS's "48 Hours," episode “The Snapchat Clue” Trial footage, People v HaldersonWMTV15 News: https://www.wmtv15news.com/2021/12/22/halderson-trial/ https://www.wkow.com/news/prosecutor-haldersons-father-about-to-expose-sons-lifestyle-lies-before-homicide/article_4385f8b0-6d96-11ec-bcd0-6b683767931a.htmlRolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/fake-spacex-job-murder-dismemberment-lies-1278750/Channel 3000 News: https://www.channel3000.com/news/crime/analysts-say-phone-of-chandler-halderson-was-tracked-in-areas-where-parents-remains-found/article_4779b795-67a1-53ba-81d0-3b0261ce3688.htmlWKOW News: https://www.wkow.com/news/crime/chandler-halderson-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-without-parole-for-the-murder-of-his-parents/article_1ec0c0b4-a626-11ec-b6d8-a303892e68f7.htmlFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Out of Your Depth: The Grisly Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916
Feb 23 2024
Out of Your Depth: The Grisly Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916
When you were a kid, were you ever scared to go in the swimming pool in case you might get eaten by a shark? Or just get in the bathtub? Hell, one time I even managed to freak myself out just from laying on a waterbed. This is mainly thanks to Steven Spielberg and a 25-foot mechanical shark called Bruce, but “Jaws” wasn’t made in a vacuum. Shark attacks are, thankfully, very rare, but over a century ago there were a series of attacks so shocking and so close together that they cemented the shark as a figure of sharp-toothed horror in the American psyche. The serial killer of the sea, you might say. Basically what we’re sayin’ here folks, is it’s SHARK WEEK on True Crime Campfire. Join us for the terrifying true story of the deadly 1916 shark attacks that inspired the movie "Jaws." This one's not for the faint of heart! Sources:Close to Shore by Michael CapuzzoNY Times Archives: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/07/07/100214613.pdfNational Geographic Archives: https://web.archive.org/web/20150703224631/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150702-shark-attack-jersey-shore-1916-great-white/Pittsburgh Press: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press/106419794/Matawan Historical Society: https://matawanhistoricalsociety.org/1916-shark-attack/Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/07/25/us-shark-mania-began-with-this-attack-more-than-century-ago/https://www.medievalists.net/2014/09/ten-strange-medieval-ideas-animals/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Bird Brain: The Story of the Great Feather Heist
Feb 9 2024
Bird Brain: The Story of the Great Feather Heist
Natural conservation is something that most people can get behind. I mean, you see a baby duckling covered in oil and you can’t help but shake your fist at the oil companies that created the mess while you reach for the dish soap, right? When wildfires break out, firefighters from all over the country pack their bags and get on planes to go help. We generally want to keep our communities clean. But sometimes, there are people to whom nature is just a playground. People who will do anything to capture and keep the world’s beauty all for their own selfish gain...and they’ll keep doing it too, unless someone stops them. As the Lorax says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Join us for the true crime story of one of the weirdest heists in history--a tale of obsession and "main character syndrome" run wild. If you think this one's gonna be boring, trust us. It ain't. Sources:The Feather Thief by Kirk W. JohnsonNPR's "This American Life" with Ira GlassFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Would I Lie To You? The Murder of Leisa Hurst
Jan 26 2024
Would I Lie To You? The Murder of Leisa Hurst
To paraphrase the great American hero George Costanza, “You’ve been living a lie? I’m living, like, 20.” If you’re up to no good in one way or another, there are a lot of ways you can get found out. You might get ratted out, you might unknowingly leave behind evidence of your bad deeds, or you might just get flat-out caught in the act. And if you’ve built multiple lives, multiple relationships, all on their own structures of falsehood, the chances of each of those goes up dramatically. You can only juggle so many chainsaws before one cuts off your damn hand. Join us for a true crime story about a man who built too many counterfeit lives--a man whose lies ensnared not only him, but the women who loved him. Note: Katie had a bad cold this week, so Whitney had to do more talking than usual in this episode. Sources:Investigation Discovery's "Desperate Measures," episode “Blood in Barstow”CBS' "48 Hours Mystery," episode “Body of Lies”https://www.bakersfield.com/news/inmate-sentenced-to-16-more-years-for-soliciting-murders/article_dcb56b98-aa4b-5e82-bcf1-c6c3cbe044c2.htmlhttps://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/crime/2009/10/09/accused-killer-leads-police-to/37058923007/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Foxcatcher: The Unhinging of an American Heir
Dec 22 2023
Foxcatcher: The Unhinging of an American Heir
Imagine growing up in a spectacular mansion, with access to the kind of wealth and connections most of us can only dream of. But although you’re surrounded by material riches, you’re in a social vacuum—eating alone in your bedroom every night, wandering the grounds of your family estate with only the wildlife as company. This was the life of John Du Pont, the youngest heir to the famously wealthy family who founded the DuPont chemical company. He grew up cut off from the kind of social warmth most of us take for granted. His solution to that was to immerse himself in the sport of Olympic style wrestling—and to gather some of the world’s greatest athletes in a little utopian community he named Foxcatcher Farms. His dream was to create the best team of wrestlers in the world. They lived on the property, trained on the property, became like family to each other…all under the watchful eye of their wealthy benefactor, John. To the athletes, it sounded like a dream come true. But they didn’t realize that John DuPont was already on a paranoid downward spiral that would leave everything he’d built in ruins—and take the life of one of wrestling’s most beloved champions.Sources:Time Magazine, 1996: "Blood on the Mat" by John Greenwald: https://time.com/3586290/blood-on-the-mat/Documentary "Team Foxcatcher," 2016. Directed by John GreenhalghAll That's Interesting, Mark Oliver: "John DuPont, Dave Schultz, and the True Story of 'Foxcatcher'": https://allthatsinteresting.com/john-du-pont-dave-schultzWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_du_Pont#:~:text=John%20Eleuth%C3%A8re%20du%20Pont%20(November,the%20murder%20of%20Dave%20Schultz.Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Vengeful: The Murder of Dr. David Cornbleet
Dec 8 2023
Vengeful: The Murder of Dr. David Cornbleet
We all live our daily lives in our own little spheres. We have our work, our families, our friends, all the million little things that keep us moving from one day to the next. We sometimes think about the world beyond that stuff—like, haven’t we all walked down a crowded street and wondered about the strangers we passed? About their inner lives, their secrets? Whether we’ve ever unknowingly walked past a murderer. But for the most part, we’re all in our own worlds. We meet new people every day—touch lives for a few minutes, then separate forever. It doesn’t usually occur to us that one of those strangers might latch on to us—develop an obsession, a grudge, a rage that would smolder for years in secret, and then burst into flame, taking us with it. But it happens. Join us for a story of dark obsession, one that might make you wonder: Who might be thinking of you tonight? Sources:Crime Library, David Lohr: https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/classics/david_cornbleet/1_index.htmlChicago Magazine, Kevin Guilfoile: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-09-12-0709110582-story.htmlChicago Magazine, Kevin Guilfoile: https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/december-2007/bloodlines/ABC News: https://abc7chicago.com/archive/8448717/NBC's Dateline, Episode Appointment for Murder: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23592456Investigation Discovery's Relentless with Kate Snow, Episode Murder on MIchigan AvenueInvestigation Discovery's See No Evil, Episode The Doctor Will See YouAmerican Academy of Dermatology Association: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/derm-treat/isotretinoin/side-effectsFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com