Gruesome: Horrific True Crime

Dubbed "The Speed Freak Killers", Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog committed numerous murders throughout the 80's and 90's in the San Joaquin area. Coni takes you through the case this week.

Andrew Kehoe was a Michigan farmer with a pessimistic outlook who thought everyone was out to get him. This mindset led him to commit one of the worst mass murders in the United States. Meg takes you through this case from almost a century ago.

Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme were best friends turned murderers. Coni takes you through one of the most heinous cases in New Zealand's history.

All Joanne Witt wanted was to keep her 14 year old daughter, Tylar Witt, from dating 19 year old Steven "Boston" Colver. Unfortunately, Tylar and Steven were going to stop at nothing to be together. Meg takes you through the murder of Joanne Witt this week.

Bart Whitaker grew up in a loving family with loving parents who made sure he never had to want for a single thing. When his family was ambushed on the night of December 10, 2003 everyone who knew the Whitaker's was shocked to discover Bart was behind the whole thing and had been planning his family's murders for years.

When three women were abducted and murdered from the relatively safe suburb in Perth, Australia the entire country was put on high alert. This week, Meg takes you through what is described as Australia's "biggest, longest running, and most expensive investigation".

Christian Longo had one thing on his mind, money. When his world started to unravel, he did the unthinkable. Coni takes you through this case and explains how a former New York Times journalist was roped into Longo's story.

Michele Anderson and Joseph McEnroe met in an AOL Chatroom and it was all downhill from there. Meg takes you through the case this week.

Lucille Rinaldi had her whole life ahead of her when she was murdered on Christmas Eve in 1963. Coni takes you through this cold case this week.

What do you call a serial killer and rapist who was never tried or convicted of murder? John Brennan Crutchley. Meg takes you through a case that is really going to piss you off.

Dorothy Donovan was brutally murdered in her home in June of 1991. Coni takes you through the bizarre event that led up to her murder and the pursuit for justice that followed.

Kicking off three years of Gruesome with the case of Richard Chase Jr. Richard Chase Jr is one of the most brutal murderers that we have ever covered. Coni and Meg both take you through The Vampire of Sacramento and his heinous crimes.

After a failed career in acting, Andrea Claire made ends meet working in brothels. It was here that the 39-year-old met Robert Sand, a retired lumber tycoon three decades her senior. Meg tells the bizarre story of Andrea Claire and how she found herself at the center of abduction, torture, and murder.

The Nebraska Fiend, Kearney County Murderer, and The Ohio Monster are all names that have been used to describe Stephen D. Richards. Coni takes you through the escalation of his crimes this week.

A dark web murder-for-hire plot. Ethical hackers. A possible suicide. Meg takes you through the twists and turns of the death of Amy Allwine, a woman who was nothing but a devoted wife, mother, friend and business owner.

Coni takes you through the unsolved case of Heather Walker, an 18 year old girl who never made it home from a party she attended.

Jeffery Lynn Hand was only 28 when he was shot to death in 1978 after a botched attempt at abducting a woman from a local mall. Meg discusses how Jeffery’s arrest and release following the abduction of a hitchhiking couple eventually linked him to the killing of 19-year-old Indiana State University student Pam Hilam in Terre Haute, Indiana. Was he also responsible for the murder of Indiana University student Ann Harmeier?

Jeanna North was just 11 years old when she disappeared while rollerblading. Coni takes you through this listener requested case.

What could have caused a wife, mother of 3, and grandmother to poison every member of her household? Meg discusses serial killer Janie Lou Gibbs and how she used her status within her church and community to avoid being linked to the deaths of her husband, sons, and grandson.

Reagan Tokes, a 21 year old psychology student at Ohio State University vanished after leaving work in February of 2017. Meg discusses the real life nightmare that was her abduction and murder and how it links to a string a robberies that had occurred in the German village of Columbus, OH.

On February 21, 1998, 19-year-old Lynn Topp disappeared after going for a jog. The small town was shocked to learn someone from their own community was responsible. Coni takes you through this week's case.

On December 5th, 2003 detectives were called to the home of Jim and Nancy Dunning in Alexandria, Virginia after Jim found Nancy in a pool of blood in the doorway of their home. Despite security footage of a man stalking her in Target. The case went cold for a decade until murders under the same mysterious circumstances started occurring again. Meg asks who is Charles Severance and why was he targeting upper class retirees?

On September 26, 2012 Cathy Davis was found brutally murdered in her Hollywood Hills home. Coni takes you through how a successful television actor transformed from a likeable guy to a cold blooded murderer.

In September of 1901 in a picturesque commune called Le Muy, members of the community began complaining of an unusual smell coming from the home of Honore Ardisson. Assuming that an animal had gotten into the attic of his home and died, he climbed into the attic to search for the smell of rot. Meg discusses what he found and the effects it had on the little village.

The small town of Hartford City, Indiana was gutted when 14-year-old Katelin Williamson and her dad, Shane, were senselessly murdered by a man named Charles Whittington. Coni takes you through the events of that day and the history of the apartment complex where they were both murdered. A special thanks this week to Katelin's family for speaking about the murders and providing insight on the events from that day.

When a strange woman came through the front door of a Kansas City, Missouri school at 10:55 am on September 28, 1953, no one initially questioned her intentions. This mystery woman explained that there had been a family emergency and she was there to pick up Bobby Greenlease Jr. Meg discusses the abduction and murder of Bobby and the couple responsible.

15 year olds, Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sharrock, were the best of friends. When both girls were found murdered in January of 1965, Australia was rocked. Despite it largest investigation in Australian history, the case went cold. Coni takes you through this week’s episode.

Jeremy Bryan Jones became a fugitive from Oklahoma after a series of rape charges promised jail time and he fled to Alabama. Meg details his transformation into John Paul Chapman and how it took more than a decade for police to capture this serial killer.

If there was an "all of the above" box for monsters in history crime books, Carl Panzram would check that box. This week we are releasing one of our most requested cases that we have previously covered on Patreon. We both take you through this 2 hour long saga of one of the most notorious serial killers in history.

Bobby, Sherilynn, and Madyson Jamison mysteriously disappeared in October 2009. Due to their personal lifestyle, they weren't reported missing for several days until their truck was found with their beloved family dog and $32,000 in cash locked in the cab. Meg discusses the theories around this still unsolved case.

Sherri Rasmussen Ruetten was beautiful, brilliant, and the victim of a brutal murder. Was this a home invasion gone wrong? Or did someone else believe they had a reason to hurt Sherri. Coni takes you through this heavily requested episode.

Zebb Quinn was still a teenager when he went missing in January of 2000. Despite several bizarre leads, the case went cold. Meg discusses this strange disappearance, off-the-wall theories, and how it took 15 years for this case to finally come to a close.

Rebecca Schaeffer had her big break on the hit tv show, My Sister Sam. She was ready for a career in Hollywood when her life was cut short by an obsessed fan, John Bardo. Coni takes you through the case this week.

When Olive Durand-Deacon, a wealthy widow, disappeared in February of 1949, her "friend" John George Haigh, arrived at the police station to report her missing. Unfortunately, he was also the one responsible for her disappearance. Meg explains how John became known as the serial killer, the Acid Bath Murderer.

Geetha Angara was a trailblazer. After earning multiple master’s degrees and her doctorate in Chemistry, she was promoted to lead Chemist at the Passaic Valley Water Commission treatment plant. Coni takes you through this awful case that asks, “What could happen at work that would cost someone their life?”

In November of 1987, Sian Kingi, a 12-year-old schoolgirl, was riding her yellow 10-speed bicycle home after she had been shopping with her mother. When her mother arrived home, Sian was not there as expected. Meg tells the story of the abduction and murder of Sian Kingi and the couple who was responsible.

Cary Stayner, the Yosemite Park Killer. The man full of charm with a lifelong desire to kill. Coni takes you through part 2 of the Stayner Family Saga this week.

In 2014, when Nancy Pfister was found brutally murdered in her home, the community of Aspen, Colorado was rocked. There hadn’t been a homicide in Aspen in nearly 15 years. Meg explains the details surrounding Nancy's death and the people who were inevitably held responsible.

On Christmas Eve 2000, Susan Berman was found murdered in her home. Meg explains how this case went unsolved for over a decade until real-estate heir Robert Durst, Berman's longtime friend and confidante, became the official suspect in her murder and the 20 year old disappearance of his ex-wife, Kathleen.

Kristy Bamu headed to London from Paris in December of 2010 with his siblings for a Christmas holiday to visit their oldest sister. Not long after the siblings arrived, his sister and her fiancé accused the group of being possessed by kindoki, which resulted in absolute horror. Coni takes you through this heartbreaking case.

After literally thousands of requests, we decided this week to bring another one of our Patreon bonus episodes to the public. Robert Hansen was Bob the Baker to those who knew him. It wasn’t until Cindy Paulson made a harrowing escape that people realized that their quiet, reserved baker was really an unimaginable monster. Coni and Meg take you through one of their most requested episodes.

Chloe Ayling was abducted in July 2017 after travelling to Milan, Italy for a scheduled photo-shoot. There, she was abducted by two individuals claiming to be members of a dark web based criminal organisation called The Black Death Group. Meg discusses her abduction and escape and how the media victim blamed her.

Leigh Leigh was only 14 years old in November 1989. Going to her very first "teenager party" should have been a fun rite of passage, but the night ended with a vibrant young girl's torture and death. Meg discusses how the media and the community blamed Leigh Leigh for her rape and murder which sparked a nationwide commentary on victim-blaming and a culture that shames women when they've done nothing wrong.

We covered the murder of Jeanette DePalma a few cases back. Coni talked about the likely suspect being Otto Nilson. Today, she takes you through the cases following Otto Nilson and the idea that the area in general is cursed.

Mark hung out in a chat room for local teens from Manchester, England. In this chat room, he met and fell in love with Rachel West and made a best friend in her stepbrother, John . Things were going great until Rachel was tragically murdered. Meg tries to hold it together during this Shakespearean, cautionary tale of chat rooms in the early 2000s.

Do you believe in curses? Curses come in all shapes and sizes. Meg takes you through 5 alleged curses involving diamonds, movies, music, and famous families. Are the sad and sometimes horrific stories behind these tales just a coincidence or something more?

From 1981-1982 Chicago was terrorized by 4 men dubbed "The Chicago Ripper Crew". Their horrific rituals were unfathomable. For our 100th episode, Coni and Meg both take you through one of our most requested cases.

When police arrived for a welfare check at 18 year old Ryan Waller's apartment they found a grisly scene. Ryan was taken to the station immediately for questioning. What police didn't realize is their assumptions were all wrong. Coni takes you through this wild case this week.

In March of 1989, Mark Kilroy was headed to South Padre Island for what was supposed to be one of his last Spring Break experiences. What started out as a good time with great friends, quickly turned into a horrifying occult encounter when Mark was targeted by a cult after crossing the border into Mexico. Meg tells you about Mark's disappearance, the cult responsible, and the man at the head of cult; Los Narcosatanicos.

Jeannette DePalma was believed to have runaway, but when when her body was discovered on the top of a 40 foot steep hill, theories began to run wild. Coni takes you through this puzzling case that has more theories than evidence.

Lauren McCluskey was a senior at the University of Utah when she began dating a man who exhibited abusive behavior almost immediately. After learning the truth about his criminal past, Lauren left him and made many efforts to seek help from campus and local police. Despite these efforts, Lauren became a statistic. Meg talks about Lauren’s heartbreaking story and how young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of violence at the hands of an intimate partner.

The story of Daniel LaPlante reads like an urban legend. Coni takes you through this week's episode because whatever you've heard -- he's actually much, much worse.

On May 4th, 1982, a panicked 13 year old scrambled into his Australian home. Terry Ryan told his mother a horrific account that no parent should ever hear. Two people had forced Terry to sexually assault and torture his best friend, Peter and then those same two people had thrown Peter into a shallow grave and buried him alive. Meg recalls the horrific torture and murder of Peter Aston and how the criminals responsible for this horrific crime were swiftly captured.

The 1990's/2000's in the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana saw 3 active serial killers operating at the same time. Derrick Todd Lee, "The Baton Rouge Serial Killer" was on the radar for years, but no one could ever tie him to the crimes. Coni takes you through the case and the preconceived notions of serial killers that prevented law enforcement from realizing that their man had been under their nose the whole time.

The bomb detonated at Harvey’s Resort Hotel in August of 1970 remains one of the most complex IEDs that the FBI has ever dealt with. A replica of "the machine" is still used today for training purposes. Meg tells you about the bomb’s creator and their attempt to extort three million dollars from the owner of a Lake Tahoe casino

You know I (Coni) love a good historical episode. This week: the first documented serial killers in the United States.

After Marybeth Tinning's first eight children died, doctor’s thought her family might have a horrible genetic curse. Even when her sixth child, who was adopted and not of blood relation, died in 1981, a formal investigation wasn’t started. Meg discusses Marybeth, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, and why she wasn’t arrested until the death of her last child.

The murder of Anne Pham has been cold for 40 years before DNA evidence was able to break the case wide open this week. Coni takes you through the abduction of Anne Pham and the recent break in the case in this mini-ish episode this week.

n February of 1977, Helen Vorhees Brach went to the Mayo Clinic for a medical examination. She stopped at a small gift shop on her way out but after that quick stop, Helen was never seen again. Meg tells you about the disappearance of Helen Brach and her links to the Chicago horse mafia, murderers, and con men.

Dolly Oesterreich's husband, Fred Oesterreich, was shot after a night out with his wife. Who could have shot him? Coni takes you through this bizarre case.

Just days after Christmas in 1956, 15-year-old Patricia and 12-year-old Barbara Grimes pooled their money to order to go see the movie Love Me Tender, starring Elvis Presley, at the theater. Their family would never see them alive again. Meg describes the mysterious circumstances around this double homicide and what we’ve learned in the 60+ years since.

This week's episode is a little different. Bill and Dorothy lived in a house of horrors for 10 years. The torment started out of the blue, and nothing the couple did seemed to stop it. Coni takes you through the bizarreizzare stalking case of Bill and Dorothy Wacker and theories about who or what was behind it.

Adults posing as children or teenagers is a common theme that we’ve seen in movies, but when it happens in reality, the result is so much more disturbing that we could ever imagine. Meg tells the case of Barbora Skrlova and talks about the twists and turns that inspired the horror movie, Orphan.

4 years after the Tylenol Murders, Stella Nickell called police frantic after her husband collapsed after work. Stella was very discontent with her husband's death having been ruled to be by natural causes, but why? Coni takes you through how far Stella Nickell was willing to go to get what she wanted.

Sheila LaBarre terrorized Epping, New Hampshire for years. Meg takes you through how the town crazy lady became the town murderer.

What would you do if you found out one of your children had been abused at the hands of someone you trusted? Jody Plauche was groomed, assualted, and kidnapped by family friend and karate instructor, Jeff Doucet. Coni takes you through the story of Jody Plauche and the events that followed that lead to the question, "What would you do as a parent in this situation?"

Lucie Blackman was 21 when she disappeared after moving to Tokyo, Japan from Kent, England. Women like Lucie, who were a part of the Tokyo nightlife and hostess community, had been going to police for years to report being drugged and assaulted. They were largely ignored. Meg details how several cases, including Lucie's, finally came together and allowed the perpetrator, Japanese millionaire, Joji Obara, to be put behind bars forever.

Amy Carnevale was only 14 years old when her life was cut short at the hands of her monster of a boyfriend, Jamie Fuller. Coni takes you through the case that rocked Beverly, Massachusetts and inspired a Lifetime movie.

A string of burglaries went relatively unnoticed between 2007 and 2009 in Ontario, Canada. It wasn't until 2 women were blindfolded and held captive in their own homes while an unknown assailant photographed them did something more sinister come to the realization of the public. Meg tells you about Russell Williams and how far he took his crimes after stealing women's underwear wasn't enough for him

On February 12, 2010, the biology department of the University of Alabama was having a routine department meeting. Dr. Amy Bishop, a 45-year-old neurobiologist sat quietly next to the department chair plotting the revenge she would take only 45 minutes after the meeting started. Meg tells you about how this Harvard PhD thought she would get away with murder by hiding behind her credentials.

Carrie Culberson went missing on the night of August 28, 1996 from Blanchester, Ohio. All signs pointed to her abusive boyfriend, Vincent Doan. Coni takes you through a case that still haunts a small town.

The Beast of Birkenshaw massacred women and families in Scotland in the late 50’s. Meg talks about Peter Manuel, Scotland’s first serial killer, his early foray into crime, and the trademarks that inevitably got him caught.

The title says it all. Ambushing couples looking for a moment alone on back roads, The Monster of Florence terrorized the Tuscan countryside for almost 20 years. Coni takes you through the horrific tale that still haunts Florence today.

In April of 2011, police found most of the Dupont de Ligonnes family buried under the terrace of their family home. The only person missing was the patriarch, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes. Since April 14th of that year, he has never been seen again. Meg asks, did he murder his family and run? Was he framed? Will we ever find him?

Vasili Komaroff terrorized the city of Moscow for 2 years starting in 1921. Coni tells you about the Wolf of Moscow, one of Russia's lesser known serial killers.

In March 2013, Joanne Dennehy went on a murderous rampage by stabbing 5 men in 10 days. With the help of her flunkies, victims were cruelly disposed of in ditches along the English countryside. Meg tells you about the chaos that is Dennehy and how she is currently paying for her crimes.

We're starting our Tour of Europe in Germany this week. Joachim Kroll terrorized Northern Germany for almost 21 years, with no one ever suspecting him of any violent crimes. Coni is here to destroy your week with this brutal case.

Dayton Leroy Rogers is one of the worst of the worst. He terrorized the area Oak Grove, Oregon in the 80's. Meg takes you through the stories of his countless victims and what ultimately lead to his demise.

Dubbed "The Speed Freak Killers", Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog committed numerous murders throughout the 80's and 90's in the San Joaquin area. Coni takes you through the case this week.

Jason Hendrix was an All-American teenager. Active in church, ROTC, and friendly to all who knew him. What causes a teenager who seemingly had it all to murder his entire family? Coni takes you through the case this week.

In 2003, pizza delivery guy, Brian Wells, robbed a PNC bank near Erie , Pennsylvania. After being apprehended by police, Wells was murdered when an bomb that had been locked to his neck detonated. Meg discusses this crime that the FBI called "one of the most complicated and bizarre crimes in the annals of the FBI.”

Steven Stayner was just 7 years old when he was abudcted on his way home from school by Kenneth Parnell. Coni takes you through the first of a two part series on the Stayner family.

On December 24, 1945, a fire ripped through the Sodder family home. George Sodder, his wife Jennie, and their nine children were living there at the time. Meg discusses how George, Jennie, and four of the siblings escaped the fire, but five of the children were never and have never been found. Did Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty truly die in the fire?

Joel Guy Jr. mooched off his parents his entire life. When the money faucet was about to be turned off, Joel Guy Jr. did the unthinkable. Coni takes you through the horrific events of Thanksgiving 2016.

1978 was an apocalyptic year for Speedway, Indiana. It seemed like there was one horrific event afer another. When 4 employees from the local Burger Chef restaurant disappeared from their closing shift, the town wasn't prepared for the investigation that was to come.  Gruesome: Horrific True Crime is a Zencastr sponsored podcast. If your resolution is starting a podcast, now is the time! With Zencastr's easy to you platform you will be releasing episodes in no time. Head to https://zen.ai/gruesomehorrifictruecrime for 30% off your first 3 months.

What do you get when you have a full DNA profile from two separate cases, a distance of less than a mile, fingerprints at both scenes, and a criminal investigation team that refuse to give up? Justice, even if it is long overdue. Coni takes you through the case of the February 9th Killer.

When Gerald Davies' fiancee woke him up after an evening of canoodling, the last thing he expected to hear was that she needed help hiding the dead body that had been left in her apartment. Meg tells us how Barbara Hoffman hid a body and so many other things from her fiance and everyone else in her life.

Rhianda Dillard was serving in the Air Force at Offutt  Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska when she  befriended Timothy Wilsey. Rhianda had no idea that Wilsey's reason for the friendship would be fatal. Coni walks you through the case that rocked the Air Force.

One of the many ghost stories that plague the Potato Hill area of New York was started with the murder of Mary Rose Turner, a 56 year old secretary who took a late night walk and was never seen again. Meg takes you through this truly horrific case and hopes that the imagery won’t haunt you too.

Garnet Ginn was an accomplished teacher from the small town of Portland, Indiana. When her sudden death was ruled a suicide, her family immediately knew something was wrong. Coni takes you through a case  that will have you wondering, "How could they have missed that?"

In an annual tradition, Coni and Meg take you through some of the biggest true crime cases, closed cold cases, and trials of 2021.

El Segundo police officers were working the night shift when a routine traffic citation turned deadly. Coni takes you through the events of July 22, 1957 and the cases that went cold for almost half of a century.

What do 4 murders and 2 confessions have in common? Santa Claus. Adolph Laudenburg appeared to be a generous old man that his community likened to Santa. When he confessed to 4 murders in 1975, he was let go for 27 years due to a lack of physical evidence. Meg takes you through this very true crime Christmas story.

Sameena Imam was a woman in love. She set off to spend a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Roger Cooper, on Christmas Eve in 2014. Cooper once told someone he was a "dangerous man if backed into a corner". Coni takes you through how far he was willing to go to keep his double life a secret.

Meg tells you about a small town that was rocked when on June 7th, 2017, an overnight employee locked the doors, blockaded the exits, and then murdered several of his fellow employees. What could have inspired such a heinous crime? Delusions of ascending to a different dimension? An unhealthy obsession with school shooters? A failed youtube career? All of the above.

Coni is here to ruin your Thanksgiving with the case and trial of Omaima Nelson, the model turned murderer. This week's case was picked by our Patreon subscribers.

18-year-old Lisa Kimmell drove a 1988 Honda CRXsi with the personalized Montana license plate, ‘Lil Miss.’ When she disappeared on March 25th, 1988, police were sure that if they could locate her car, they might be able to find out who was responsible for her disappearance. Meg takes you through the Lil Miss murder and tells how they caught the man responsible more than a decade later.

Anita Cobby had her entire life ahead of her when she crossed paths with a group of monsters. The 1986 brutal murder of Anita is a case that still shocks Australia. Coni takes you through this case that leaves you wondering, "What kind of person could ever do this?"

Continuing the dive into Israel Keyes, Coni takes you through the abduction that lead to the curtain being pulled on his double life. She takes you through the abduction of Samantha Koenig, the subsequent interviews that spanned over 9 months, and the horrifying realization that investigators had one of the most meticulous serial killers in their custody.