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

The Boy Is Mine: The Murder of Jenna Nannetti
3d ago
The Boy Is Mine: The Murder of Jenna Nannetti
There’s a lot about high-school life that is retrospectively ridiculous. Miss, nobody noticed that microscopic zit on the side of your nose. Sir, that’s not a mustache yet and you should stop trying to pretend it is. But the truth is, when you’re that young you really do feel things deeply, and a lot of things matter far more than they really should. Especially where love is concerned. Looking back, you know perfectly well that that 17-year-old romance was never going anywhere, but when you’re right there and living it, it can be all that matters in the world. You might do anything to protect it. Join us for a story of teenage obsession gone horribly wrong.Sources:East Bay Express, "Little Miss Murder" by Susan Goldsmith: https://eastbayexpress.com/little-miss-murder-1/SF Gate: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/LIVERMORE-Wife-killer-gets-life-sentence-2590335.phpCourt papers: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1180568.htmlInvestigation Discovery's "Wicked Attraction," episode "Deadly Rival"Oxygen's "Killer Couples," episode "Katie Belflower and Mike Simons"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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
Supreme Jackass: The Crimes of Elliot Rodger, Part 2
Mar 17 2023
Supreme Jackass: The Crimes of Elliot Rodger, Part 2
When we left you at the end of Part 1, angry man-child Elliot Rodger had dropped out of college to avoid contact with all the unattainable blondes on campus, and his plan to win the Mega Millions jackpot and lord it over everyone had failed. In his mind, he’d exhausted all possibilities for revenge against his “enemies,” except for the bloody ones. So he began planning what he called his “Day of Retribution”—a violent showdown with the sexy men and women who had made him feel so inferior all his life, by…I guess, not having sex with him instead of each other. Elliot was coming apart a little more each day, and he was determined to take as many people with him as he could. Join us for part 2 of this sad and infuriating story. Sources:BBC - https://tinyurl.com/yc6hewk5Daily News - https://tinyurl.com/3ey6xkhfElliot Rodger manifesto - https://tinyurl.com/2p8wmz4dBBC - https://tinyurl.com/3jk58y8cPeople - https://tinyurl.com/2s468t4jDaily Mail - https://tinyurl.com/mryvarm2Time - https://time.com/2798623/elliot-rodger-roommate/ABC's "20/20," episode "The Secret Life of Elliot Rodger"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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
Supreme Jackass: The Crimes of Elliot Rodger, Part 1
Mar 10 2023
Supreme Jackass: The Crimes of Elliot Rodger, Part 1
On May 23rd, 2014, the city of Isla Vista California was shocked by a vicious murder spree—six people dead, more than a dozen others injured. The killer was a 22 year old man named Elliot Rodger, whose on-paper resume would never have hinted at anything like this. Born into a well-to-do family with Hollywood connections, blessed with good looks and intelligence and parents who adored him—allowed into exclusive events like movie premieres and fancy industry parties, given every opportunity you could possibly hope for. Dude could have been sailing through life. But for whatever reason, he’d been plagued since childhood with a hyperactive sense of entitlement, a raging narcissism that sent him into a rage at any perceived slight. As he got older, his rage began to focus on one singular obsession: Beautiful women, and the fact that he couldn’t seem to get them to like him. Never mind the fact that he spoke to them like a Roman emperor barking orders at a servant, in his mind hot women should be flocking to him, offering him their bodies as tribute to his magnificence. He was, after all, a “Supreme Gentleman.” And when they showed interest in other guys instead, it was war. Now, plenty of us have experienced sexual rejection. Most of us, in fact. But for Elliot, it became the sole focus of his life, fueling a rage that would consume him, and take innocent people with him. Join us for Part 1 of this frustrating story.Sources:https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-44053828 https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/02/us/elliot-rodger-killings-in-california-followed-years-of-withdrawal.html https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/maniac-writes-manifesto-prior-deadly-rampage-article-1.1805474 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/sheriff-calif-shooter-rodger-flew-under-the-radar-when-deputies-visited-him-in-april/2014/05/25/88123026-e3b4-11e3-8dcc-d6b7fede081a_story.html https://www.kron4.com/news/elliot-rodger-rehearsed-killing-roommates-before-ucsb-rampage/ https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/26/justice/california-elliot-rodger-timeline https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1173808-elliot-rodger-manifesto https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27593514 https://people.com/crime/5-years-later-remembering-the-6-student-victims-of-the-isla-vista-killings/ https://www.kxan.com/stop-mass-shootings/data-mass-shooter-profiles-weapons-and-warning-signs/ Mass Shootings by Schildkraut and Elsass https://www.theviolenceproject.org GUNS AND CONTROL BY GUY SMITH The Violence Project by Peterson and DensleyABC's "20/20," episode "The Secret Life of Elliot Rodger"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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
Satisfaction: The Murder of Cory Voss
Mar 3 2023
Satisfaction: The Murder of Cory Voss
The Rolling Stones released “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” in 1965, when I’m pretty sure Mick Jagger could get all the satisfaction he wanted, but that’s neither here nor there. The song has been striking a chord with countless listeners for going on 60 years since because people recognize what it’s about either in themselves or others, that relentless unquenchable appetite for SOMETHING, whether it be money, attention, whatever. It’s a part of human nature that can get someone into a whole lot of trouble. Join us for the story of a woman who couldn't get enough, and the good man who had to suffer for her greed. Sources:CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cory-voss-killing-how-ncis-investigators-unraveled-a-navy-officers-atm-homicide/ https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-4th-circuit/1622926.htmlStripes.com: https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2021-11-29/army-veteran-hitman-naval-officer-death-row-new-sentencing-3796190.htmlhttps://militaryjusticeforall.com/tag/cory-voss/Oxygen's "Snapped," episode “Catherina Voss”Investigation Discovery's "Wicked Attraction," episode “Sex, Lies and Bloody Goodbyes” 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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
Devastator: The Crimes of Christopher Hightower, Part 2
Feb 24 2023
Devastator: The Crimes of Christopher Hightower, Part 2
When we left you at the end of part 1, con man Christopher Hightower was coming unglued. His wife was threatening to leave him. His landlords were threatening to kick him out of his office. Creditors were swarming. And his old friend Ernie Brendel was pursuing a formal complaint against him with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Can you imagine? All he did was commit a little light financial fraud! In Chris’s mind, the whole world was out to get him. And he was about to strike back in a way that would bring the small town of Barrington Rhode Island to its knees. Join us for part 2 of this unbelievable and tragic story. Sources:Death of an Angel: A True Story of a Vicious Triple Murder That Broke the Heart of a Town, by Don DavisCourt papers: https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/state-v-hightower-895304220The Providence Journal: https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/2021/01/26/rhode-island-murderer-christopher-hightower-killed-brendel-ernest-alice-emily/4264836001/LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-10-mn-1885-story.htmlBritish true crime series "World's Most Evil Killers," episode "Christopher Hightower"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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
When Nerds Attack - Doomsday: The Murder of Lizzi Marriott
Feb 3 2023
When Nerds Attack - Doomsday: The Murder of Lizzi Marriott
If there’s one group of folks we identify with here at True Crime Campfire, it’s nerds. Between Katie and me, we cover about six or seven different subspecies of nerd over here, from Dungeons and Dragons nerd to anime nerd. True crime nerd goes without saying. And as we’ve said before, most of the time our people are harmless, peaceful types. Just give us a special edition Blu-Ray box set of the Lord of the Rings and a pantry full of snacks, and we’ll cause nobody any trouble. But sometimes, for a certain type of personality, a preoccupation with fantasy can be…not such a good thing. Pair that with narcissism and a lack of empathy for other humans, and you’ve got a recipe for some real megalomaniac wackiness. The kind that’s so convinced of its capital-D Destiny that it starts to think it’s entitled to take whatever it wants. No matter what kind of damage it does to anybody else. Join us for the story of Seth Mazzaglia and Kat McDonough, a mismatched pair of theatre geeks who believed they shared a cosmic destiny, but whose selfish desires ended in the death of an innocent young woman.Sources:Dark Heart: A True Story of Sex, Manipulation, and Murder by Kevin Flynn and Rebecca LavoieCBS' 48 Hours, episode "Dangerous Games"https://www.fosters.com/story/news/crime/2016/09/21/murder-victim-lizzi-marriotts-sexual-privacy-case-hits-supreme-court/25404495007/Trial footageFollow 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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
Impostor: The Murder of Tim Wicks
Jan 27 2023
Impostor: The Murder of Tim Wicks
The fable of the wolf in sheep’s clothing has always been one of my favorites. You know the one—A hungry wolf can’t get close enough to grab a sheep for dinner because the shepherd is so vigilant. But one day he finds a sheepskin, and slips it on. Now he just looks like one of the flock. He can slip right in among ‘em. And when the shepherd’s back is turned, bam. Dinnertime. Now that is a perfect murder metaphor. How many cases have we seen where a predator manages to hide in plain sight, cloaked by his ability to seem like a super nice guy? More than I can count. And here’s another one. Join us for the story of Tim Wicks, a kindhearted musician with a close circle of friends, who set off for a new adventure in Canada, only to disappear without a trace. When Tim's name later popped up in North Dakota as an accountant under investigation for embezzlement, his friends were baffled. Was Tim living a double life? Or was something more sinister at work? Sources:Court papers: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/nd-supreme-court/1106318.html https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14082874Journal Sentinel, "Fatal Identity: A Five-Part Series" by Gina Barton: https://archive.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/Fatal-Identity-364036301.html/NBC News, "The Tale of Two Timothy Wicks": https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14082874Oxygen's A Lie to Die For, Episode “A Stolen Life” Investigation Discovery's To Catch a Killer, Episode “The Real Tim Wicks” 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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
Illusion: The Murder of LaNell Barsock
Jan 20 2023
Illusion: The Murder of LaNell Barsock
Remember those Magic Eye posters from the 90s? The technical name is stereogram, an optical illusion where if you kinda unfocus your eyes and stare at it long enough, a colorful kaleidoscope-looking abstract will turn into something else. A rocket ship, maybe, or a tropical landscape. They’re fun, and everybody had one in their dorm room for a while. We’re always fascinated by illusion. It’s why magicians are so popular. In the right context, we love to watch something transform into something totally different. But when that something is a person we’ve come to care about and trust? Not so fun anymore. Sources:https://www.grunge.com/926587/larene-austins-motive-for-murdering-lanell-barsock-explained/https://truecrimedaily.com/2016/05/31/woman-leaves-false-clues-in-lovers-murder-caught-after-escape-to-belize/https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/dateline-the-last-day-larene-austin-convicted-killing-lanell-barsockInvestigation Discovery's "In Plain Sight," episode "Red Hot Murder"NBC's "Dateline: The Last Day," episode "The Case of LaNell Barsock"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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
After School Special: The Murder of Greg Smart
Jan 6 2023
After School Special: The Murder of Greg Smart
In 1991, the small town of Derry, New Hampshire suddenly found itself the center of a media event: The trial of Pamela Smart, the pretty blond media services director at the local high school. From the outside looking in, Pam had seemed to be firmly on track for the American Dream. She and her handsome husband Greg were just about to celebrate their first anniversary, and Pam had aspirations to be a TV reporter. But behind the scenes, their marriage was crumbling—and Pam was becoming much too closely involved with one of her students at the high school. When Greg turned up murdered, it looked at first glance like a burglary gone bad…and that’s just how Pam wanted it to look. But the problem with murder conspiracies is, people tend to talk. Especially when some of those people are fifteen years old. And when the truth finally came to the surface, the little town of Derry would never be the same again.Sources:Teach Me to Kill by Stephen Sawickihttps://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/family/smart/1.html https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/pamela-smart-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-smart-marriage/ https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/show/pamela-smart-an-american-murder-mystery-investigation-discovery-atve-usFollow 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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
The Quiet Ones: The Staudte Family Murders
Dec 23 2022
The Quiet Ones: The Staudte Family Murders
Lao Tzu wrote: If you wish to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you wish to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation. This inspirational quote was posted on April 30th, 2013 on the Facebook page of Diane Staudte, a woman who many in her community may have considered an inspiration herself. A talented musician, a trained cardiac nurse, a mother of four and an essential member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church. And she was an even greater inspiration if you considered that in the past year, she had lost not only her husband, but her 26 year old son to sudden death. It makes sense, then, that Diane would be thinking about self-transformation right then. Making a new life out of the ashes of the old one. But no one could have realized how drastically she wanted to transform her life, and how far she would go to do it. Sources:20/20 - A Family Plot https://abcnews.go.com/US/missouri-woman-recalls-moment-suspected-mom-kill/story?id=38036627 https://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-convicted-poisoning-family-maintains-innocence/story?id=82780856 https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2016/08/02/citing-fear-men-staudte-daughter-wants-do-over-antifreeze-murder-case/87966600/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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
Like a Rose: The Murder of Ryan Poston
Dec 16 2022
Like a Rose: The Murder of Ryan Poston
Linda Ronstadt sang "Love is a rose, but you better not pick it--only grows when it's on the vine." It's a song about how love only flourishes when tended to, when you don't pick and choose which parts of the whole to love. When you love the roots and thorns and leaves as much as the flower. For some, though, love is less like a rose and more like a burdock. Y'know? Those thorny little buggers that stick to your clothes? They stick to you and never let you go, even when you've picked them off the fabric and tried to throw them out. For them, love isn't something that you give up easily. For them, it can be deadly. Join us for the story of Ryan Poston, whose on-again/off-again romance with a beautiful grad student named Shayna Hubers turned into a nightmare of stalking, harassment, and murder. This case has striking similarities to the Jodi Arias story, and interestingly enough, the killer herself was obsessed with the Arias trial. Sources:CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/ryan-poston-murder-part-1-breaking-point-1/https://www.cbsnews.com/video/ryan-poston-murder-part-2-obsessed-1/ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/US/shayna-hubers-granted-trial-juror-helped-convict-revealed/story?id=41661246CBS's "48 Hours," episode "Breaking Point"CBS's "48 Hours," episode "Obsessed"Oxygen's "Snapped," episode "Shayna Hubers"Lifetime's "Cellmate Secrets" episode "Shayna Hubers"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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
G.I. Joke: The Life and Death of Lieutenant Gliniewicz
Nov 18 2022
G.I. Joke: The Life and Death of Lieutenant Gliniewicz
Joseph Campbell wrote, “It is only when a man tames his own demons that he becomes the king of himself, if not the world.” Problem is, sometimes there’s a thin line between “hero” and “hero complex.” Adoration and attention aren’t always good for people. After a while, they can start to believe so strongly in their own PR that they lose all sense of reality. And protecting the image can become the most important thing in their lives, crowding out everybody, and everything. I’d say this is the story of a fallen hero. But the fact is, he was never really a hero in the first place. He was just wearing the mask. Join us for the story of Lt. Joe Gliniewicz, or as his admirers called him, G.I. Joe--a former paratrooper and 30 year veteran of the Fox Lake, Illinois police. A local celebrity and family man who devoted his time to the Boy Scout "Police Explorers" club and maintained an impeccable reputation...until his shocking death in 2015. What initially looked like a murder--an officer cut down in the line of duty--soon revealed itself as something very different, and revealed Joe Gliniewicz to be a villain in disguise. Sources:https://www.fox29.com/news/disturbing-new-details-emerge-in-probe-of-disgraced-fox-lake-copMichael Martinez, CNN special report "The Secret Life of GI Joe" https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/26/us/fox-lake-police-lt-joe-gliniewiczABC: https://abc7chicago.com/melodie-gliniewicz-joe-fox-lake-police-guilty/11577785/NBC, Joe Schuppe: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/officer-joe-gliniewiczs-dark-double-life-leaves-village-shock-n458821https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/bad-fox-lake-town-official-killed-article-1.2424992CNBC's "American Greed," Episode "Badge of Dishonor"Investigation Discovery's "Married With Secrets," episode "A Darker Shade of Blue"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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/
This is Not a Joke: The Abduction of Karen Kummerer
Nov 11 2022
This is Not a Joke: The Abduction of Karen Kummerer
Sometimes, there’s no easy way out of the dark place you find yourself in, especially if that dark place puts you under the control of someone stronger than you, someone dangerous and unpredictable. And as much as you might fantasize about action-movie struggles and daring escapes, there are other ways to fight back. You can use your smarts and your courage to decide on a course of action that’ll give you the best chance of survival, and stick to it no matter what. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is just keep going. Join us for an amazing story of stalking, obsession, rage...and incredible courage. Sources:Investigation Discovery's "House of Horrors," episode "Terror By the Letter"Investigation Discovery's "Escaped," episode "Obsessed Kidnapper"https://www.discoveryplus.com/video/house-of-horrors-kidnapped/terror-by-the-letterhttps://www.discoveryplus.com/video/escaped/obsessed-kidnapperhttps://caselaw.findlaw.com/fl-district-court-of-appeal/1142978.htmlhttps://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2007-11-21-cfbriefs21-3-story.htmlhttps://www.naag.org/attorney-general-journal/an-update-on-the-legal-landscape-of-revenge-porn/#:~:text=In%202017%2C%20the%20number%20of,an%20increase%20of%20over%20100%25.&text=In%202019%2C%20a%20larger%20study,number%20of%20victims%20from%202016.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/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com/