Behind the Sugar Cane

This episode is to set the stage for a haunted tour that Jim and Katie Brewer are going to with friends and family , including Erika's little sister Erin. Kerry and Erika speak to them about their expectations on the way to Jacksonville, Missouri to the alleged haunted prison that gassed forty people in the  chamber. Meanwhile, back in Bloomington, IL, Kerry and Erika are sharing some history of the Missouri State Penitentiary  while doing a little partying.  Kerry's home is hosting a party upstairs for Erika and downstairs for her son Gus. Guess who gives it up first? Although Kerry and Erika crash and burn, they will be sharing some stories of people who where killed in the gas chamber.  Never claimed to be pro's. These stories about the Missouri State Penitentiary can be listened to independently of one another. Although they compliment each other, they are their own stories. Enjoy. Speaking of Birthdays- Happy Birthday Katie on this release date. 

This episode is recorded after Jim, Katie, and Erin's trip to the Missouri State Penitentiary. Ghosts make for a lively discussion as their experiences were different. Jim shares some EVP's so you will need to listen closely. Do you hear what we hear? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page. 

Kerry and Erika hope you loathe Richard Speck loathe as much as we do after listening to this story.  Our Illinois neighbors grew up knowing about him.  He grew up in Western Illinois and killed in Chicago and Monmouth.  We are calling him "Dick" for obvious reasons. The nurses he murdered were all young and beautiful ladies that were devoted to becoming nurses to help people. They were studying for finals, planning graduation, some were planning weddings to the love of their lives.  There was one survivor that is an inspiration. This one is brutal and disgusting at the end when we talk about his prison life. Just a warning.  It  is outweighed by the humanity that  still honors these nurses today. Most of the information is from the book The Crime of the Century, Life Magazine from July1966 and a great documentary on Reelz called Murder made Me Famous. There is a little treat at the end for my FOTC fellow fans;) And pardon the heavy breathing, its allergy season here in central illinois as fall sets in and the harvest goes out. 

June and July have been chaos, but we wanted you to know we are still here.  Go for a little ride in the BTSC time machine to a summers night on Bebe's porch filing in Daisy on all the goings on in Villisca over the summer. At first everyone was convinced that it was an intruder, an maniac from out of town who killed the Moore family, but was it? Bebe and Daisy gossip about the local suspects. We added a little blooper at the end. Oh ya! We also went out looking for escaped convicts. Don't try that at home. 

This episode is to review some of the symbolism and ponder the reasoning why some of the bizarre elements of the crime scene. The suspect was from England and came to America with his wife, Laura. He became a traveling minister. His picture looks sinister and so was his character. But could this little peeping Tom wield and axe and kill two adults and six children? If not, then how did he discuss the murder with fellow train passengers on the morning train before the bodies were discovered? 

Part One covers the background information and the night of the murder of the Moore family and two young friends in 1912 in Villisca , Iowa. On the evening of June 12, 1912  the family and two guests returned home from a church program. After they were tucked in and asleep, someone snuck into the house, or perhaps from the attic closet, and killed Josaih B. Moore, his wife Sarah, and three children, Mary Katherine, Arthur, and Paul. The guest were the Stillinger sisters, Ina and Lena. No robbery, and no clear motive. Listen to this so you can pick your suspect or suspects out of many in Part 2. This is one of the most horrific unsolved murders in Iowa and the midwest. 

True Crime shows and podcasts are flooded with the big murders like Bundy, Gacy, and Speck, but why are  the crimes that happen in our communities  less known? We are telling two stories that are local in McDonough and Fulton County, IL and has primarily relied on word of mouth. Thanks to  a 1960's detective magazine, we are able to sort truth from fiction about these murders. The killer and con man named Barger took the lives of two innocent men in order to avoid payment and steal a pension.  His dapper charm was not enough to escape justice. Two counties worked together to easily solve this case and despite his appeal, he remained in jail until he died. 

It is taboo for Podcasters unless it’s a platform to discuss a lot of politics. Kerry and Erika Break the rules just to reflect on the last week. It’s not about policy or conspiracy theories it’s just about the typical reaction that people had when they watched the television on January 6th. Yes we do poke fun at the people who invaded the capital and the soon to be ex president. So don’t throw a bunch of negative waves our way because we’re not gonna discuss in detail politics because we’re not politicians.

On a summer evening on June 11, 2001, EIU student and member of the Zeta Alpha chapter of Alpha Phi ,Shannon McNamara, enjoyed hanging out with friends for a few drinks. After everyone left and she was sleeping, a stranger entered her apartment and killed her in a brutal manner. Murder was rare in this community, yet the year prior another woman was murdered. Amy Warner was murdered in her home where her two children were present. Shannon fought the murderer and his organized method of approaching violence became disorganized when he was surprised and found himself being attacked in return. He made mistakes that would uncover this merging serial killer and stop him in his path . While there was not enough evidence for Amy, yet, Shannon's murder had exposed him and a long history of violent sexual assaults, battery, trespassing, and other traits of a budding serial killer. There was also pornography of women, children, and even animals on his computer. He was brazen and hid in plain sight and watched chaos erupt from his apartment while people searched for a malicious killer in the college town. The defense attempted to pull on the heartstrings of the public and jury by telling about his childhood of abuse and neglect. A drug given to the military to prevent malaria, Larium, was also questioned due to a discovery that military personnel who killed others and themselves seemed to be impacted by this drug. They also tried to use his alcoholism and black outs to explain his actions. At the end of the day he was found to be culpable of these horrific crimes. He was purely evil. These murders brought two inspiring families who supported one another to accomplish putting the killer, Anthony Mertz, away so he could not continue his rampage of assaulting young women.

A random Kerry story for if you only have 5 minutes to laugh.

We discuss What is a Karen? Some say it is racist, sexist, agist, and tells women to keep their mouth shut. We conclude that we all may have a little Karen inside of us at one time in our lives. There is also Kroger Karen, Covid Karen, and Barbecue Becky. Kerry challenges on of the Real Housewives to a war.

Grab a warm drink, light some candles, and wrap in your favorite blanket. Behind the Sugar Cane invites Crystal and Will to tell you a tale so scary that the next time you hear a bell you will scream. They have a wide range of experiences from demons in the closet to a ghost who cleans their house. Enjoy these well told tales.

The tavern across the street puts a Bloody Mar at the end of the bar in case Resurrection Mary stops by. Listen to Kerry and Erika's adventure in learning more about one of Chicago's most famous ghosts. Also, hear an interview with local ghost hunter Maggie. Grab a blanket, light a fire, and pour a Bloody Mary and learn about Resurrection Mary.

Steven and Cary Stayner were brothers living in Merced, California. On December 4, 1972 Steven was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell and abused by him for over seven years. Steven rescued another child, Timmy White who was Kenneth Parnell's latest victim. Steven and Timmy would remain friends for the rest of their lives. His brother was at home enduring the same abuse from a family member. He would choose a different path to cross paths with Agent Jeff Renick when he is arrested at a nudist resort running from the four murders he committed while working at the Cedar Lodge park in Yosemite National Park. He is now on death row at San Quentin. Renick would go on to write a book that became a television movie based on his book "I know my first name is Steven". Then HALLOWEEN PREVIEW

On Labor Day in 1929 Kurt Barthel had a picnic with his friends in which they took "air baths" naked. It inspired them to form the American League of Physical Culture. Now you can go on a nude cruise, go to a nude library, and experience a whole new subculture. One nudist explains that it is a sense that everyone is equal when you are humble and naked, free of status. There are a lot of myths about nudists focusing on sexuality. Therefore the practice of raising children in a naturalist/nudest community is controversial. Kerry arranged an interview with someone who went to a naturalist resorts, actually several, when he was a boy. The interview was very insightful as will as hilarious. Thanks Vern. ....and sorry Kerry's 1 pound dog growled at you like a tiger. We discuss R. Norton the nudist from Pekin. He made international news when his wishes to be buried nude became a hot topic. Find out what Dear Abby had to say about the subject.

Scott Peterson has been in the news the past week for the amendment to his sentencing to remove him from death row. Some of our favorite networks and other podcasts are revisiting this tragedy. The leading cause of death for pregnant women is murder! What makes a woman carrying a child so vulnerable? Laci Peterson was killed by the person she should have trusted the most. This relationship is typical for pregnant women who die at the hands of spouses and partners. Tammy Jo Thompson (1978-1998) was killed by a stranger when she was pregnant with twin girls. She may have recognized him from high school but no one knows. He fled and when captured claimed his innocence and is still using the justice system and social media to do the same today. Kerry and Erika discuss the fact that people feel that killing an unborn child should constitute murder. However with the Unborn Victims Act it contradicts Roe vs. Wade. If a unborn fetus is not a person, then how can someone be convicted? We do not get into our views or any ugly discussions about abortion, just facts as it relates to this dilemma.

It sparked media attention, mystery, ballads, food stands, and fear. Fay was last seen leaving his mistresses apartment after being told she was going back to her aggressive husband. She ended the relationship on the eve before his divorce. His new green Caddy had been vandalized and someone tried to run him off the road several times before disappearing that night. First deputy Virgil Ball who later became Sheriff took his oath seriously and pursued the mystery long after he held any public office. In the same year Playboy was published, this playboy went missing. Who had it out for Fay? A soon to be ex-wife, mistress, mistresses husbands, mining, or money? See what you think and share it with us.

Kerry and her kids went glam camping near Lewiston, IL. It triggered an interest into a story I heard growing up and was curious about- The Disappearance of Fay in Summon, IL.

A place where everyone knows your name. This throwback podcast about Ted's Warehouse in Charleston, Illinois will give you a peak into our coming of age family at Ted's. It was a place with rocking live music, flowing alcohol and great friends, Listen to former band members and patrons discuss the beauty of a place they called home for a time in their lives. Interviews with Marcy Rankin Woodard and Mike Condi are in this podcast. We had to make choices of funny stories and memories . We would love to launch a part two of short stories if the facebook fans want to participate. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here! You can listen here though to TEDS Warehouse in Charleston, IL. One friend that nearly all of us on the facebook group have in common is Tonya Durdel. We lost her in January so she and my experiences living in Charleston have been on my mind a lot the last six months. This was a friendship and sisterhood forged at Ted's. So toast one to Tonya when you listen.

Houseparty with the girls during chip and dip time.

The Mad Gasser. When first hearing of this story Kerry's mind quickly went to the 14 year old boy mode. Luckily, Erika kept her grounded and remembered learning about mass hysteria in college. Listen as we dig deep into the story of the Mad Gasser in Central Illinois. You will be aghast at what you hear. First, they ponder the actions of the neighbors and the probability they have a sex dungeon. The 1/100th is the first attempt to do the story and it just was not our time. By the way it did rain exactly then Joe said it would. LOL.

Known as the diminutive earthly being, the gnome continues to intrigue Kerry. From the renaissance era to Pink Floyd to the Gnome Liberation Front, we got the down low. Sit back, press play and laugh. Kerry and Erika are keeping it light and silly. We had a hell of a week and just need to laugh and not think about horrible things. Hope you get a break from reality thinking about little woodland creatures.

Three stories on 4/20 about murderous mistresses named Mary Jane. You have to decide which two are a true story and which one is a lie. We are keeping it brief so you don't google the answer.

True Crime fans have most likely had ID Discovery, or Oxygen 12 Days of Serial Killers, podcasts, and other classic cases playing in the background while you were working at home, right? Trivia questions cover some of our podcasts, but general true crime terms, killers, and the cities in which they killed. We reflect many of the documentaries that you may have seen on Netflix or know about through pop culture. Get a group together on Houseparty or some other social media forum. Let us know on our Facebook page how you scored. We want to know if they are too easy so we are challenging you.

If you have not seen at least one episode of Tiger King you will not appreciate this episode. If Tiger King is your guilty pleasure and you have no one to discuss it with, we are here to help. I am sure that you have some of the same opinions as Kerry and I express on this hilarious commentary about the Netflix series. We acknowledge what a awful human being he and the other tiger people are, but at least Joe gives us a break from the horror with his narcissistic and ridiculous life.

Clementine Barnabet and her family were members of the Church of Sacrifice. Between 1909 and 1912 a string of murders across Louisiana and bordering Texas, a series of family annihilations linked to voodoo put fear into the black community. Was it this 19 year old girl committing over 30 murders of parents, children, and even infants? These murders are linked to the Valisca Axe Murder killings and the serial killer, Mueller, believed to be the most prolific serial killer in the young country's history. In typical Erika fashion, we are painting the big picture and making question what is out there on the case.

It was a long one so we broke it up with some chat and advice from Kerry about working at home during the Covid 19. We continue and wrap up the murders contributed to Clementine, her confession, and prison escape. What circumstances did she leave Angola, on her own in a successful escape or discharged after a "brain surgery". Next week......Trivia Get your friends on Houseparty or some other cool and most likely more modern application than we use- to play TRUE CRIME TRIVIA. We are exploring some live options for trivia in the future after Kerry and I social distance a while.

School's out across the nation but Erika still did a book report. We discuss the history of the Black River's Fall area during the Victorian era. Death, capturing death in photos, and the wide use of the concept of insane that sent many people to the local asylum. Michael Lesy assembled hundreds of clips from the newspaper archives into his 1973 book titled Wisconsin Death Trip. The book has overwhelming detail, yet leaves so much to the imagination. The photos and clippings are not paired together and the pages are not even numbered. You learn the person's story by either looking a person and trying to read what their life was like or reading and trying to picture what their life was like. We researched a favorite character, Mary Sweeny, and Kerry has some big plans for this story. Watch out Hollywood. The casting couch is open.

Kerry's favorite game modified for the times. It's a scary time and we had to bring a little levity to the situation. Play along. We also read breaking news of a woman who used a fire extinguisher to blow up her vagina at a party. WTH.

This story is like St. Patrick's Day and Halloween had a baby. An Irish prostitute burned at the stake for allegedly sacrificing her baby. Historians uncover hundreds of years later that she killed, and killed many, the first on St. Patricks Day. Her story is linked to the haunted Massy Woods and the occult at Hellfire Lodge. Kerry channel Stefan from SNL to tell about the creatures in the woods.

Kerry and Erika were recording last week with the TV on mute. They look up and 9 to 5 was on the TV. This sparked that conversation about what would you do to get even with a horrible boss. They found two stories about people that killed their bosses. These are not horrible bosses though, they are horrible employees. They are no Dolly Parton.

He was released February 21, 2020. Chester Weger went to prison for the murder of three women from Chicago. The murders took place during a trip to Starved Rock State Park. On March 14, 1960 Lillian Oethy, Frances Murphy, and Mildred Linquist took a hike in the park and never returned. There bodies were found in St. Louis Canyon, a striking scenic area with a waterfall and rock walls. He still claims his innocence and a life lost behind bars. It is a controversial case before DNA was able to be used to determine if his confession was coerced or a moment of regret.

The first thing we review and discuss is the topic that the Chicago Tribune and the Murder Accountability project have brought to the forefront; Is there a serial killer of women in Chicago? There is not a lot of information on each one of these workers who are comprised of minority sex workers, but there are trends. Strangled, asphixiation, discarded in dumpsters and on the street and even burned like trash to be discovered by garbabe men, Advocacy groups and media are trying to bring the lives of these women to the attention of the public. Police working with FBI know it is not one klller for these 51 women, but can there be someone killing several of them or do we have 51 killers and victims without justice. We also discuss our favorite crime television shows.

We have mentioned who we want to interview that is a celebrity. I am still on the fence because the person I choose does not like interviews. Like it matters LOL. Kerry discusses her perfect day with Tommy Chong and shares glimpses of her scary but effective stalking methods.

Some women prefer danger over chocolate. Arousal is not from nice perfume or the smell of roses. It is from violent crimes of murder and rape. Kerry on the other hand would settle for the roses and chocolate as she tells her Valentines Day woes through the years. She and her husband are the biggest sweethearts though.

This is a story that if you google you will learn of the powers of a little girls mind who through a poltergiest caused hundreds of fires. This story keeps on going to the conspiracy theories, paranormal justifications, and the logical conclusions made by the scientific community.

Early on a foggy Sunday morning In the backroads of Ashmore, IL a torso of a woman was discovered on the banks of the Embarras River. She would remain unnamed and buried as Jane Doe in the local cemetery. Without an identification it was impossible to pursue justice for her until DNA caught up with the case. This bridge is listed on nearly every "haunted bridge" list in the midwest. We traveled there with another college friend, Morenzoni on a cold and rainy night. We joke around but we actually all agreed it was a very beautiful area any season except the one we are in now. Our hotel room became our studio and it probably sounds a bit like a slumber party.

This is a preview that starts out with a ghost story that would only happen to Kerry. Kerry and Erika are in Charleston, IL on sight of the Airtight Bridge to tell the story of the death of a mysterious Jane Doe.

This is a story of one of the first documented stories of possession. Mary Roff, dead for twelve years comes back to occupy the body of Lurancy "Rancy" Vennem. Mary and Rancy are caught in a whirlwind of the Spirtualist movement of the late 1800's. Its a odd blend of spirits and scientific people attempting to make sense of at all. Did Mary return to her earthly existence in Watseka, IL for a few months? You be the judge. We recorded this in several segments due to finding time and getting out in the weather so thanks for your patience. We also have a debate on the value of the Lifetime Channel.

We think this is a great idea that you can play by yourself or with your friends. You can even play by yourself then with your friends and they will think you are a genius. Questions for all levels of true crime fans including real life killer, fictional characters, theories, etc. We read a few questions then go back over them and the answers for three rounds. We will definitely do this again and we would love for people to submit questions via email or facebook. We are dedicating this one to our friend Tonya who we lost suddenly on January 2nd of 2020. She was the person you would want on your trivia team. She would most likely think this was too easy. Love you Tonya. Everyone take a minute this week to reach out to the friend you have not seen lately and let them know you love them. Let us know your scores. We want to gage if this was too easy.

Pee your Pants Alert!!!! Start your day out with huge laugh. I have teased Kerry about this event for years. I always send her a text picture when I see anyone in a bee costume or anything that resembles the image I have of her in a bee costume. She has never told me the entire story and she finally does in this episode. I laughed so hard that my cheeks hurt afterward. Now get ready to test your true crime knowledge in the next episode.

This is just a short quip when we turned on the mic while chatting. Kerry talks about her love of Atari and the games she played. Then, she went to Amazon (don't tell Fil) and bought one to play. She gives our first ever product review. This is following our awesome podcast on Patrick Wright and Fuck Me Shoes that Erika erased while editing!!!!!!! We are still getting it out and it will be better than ever. True Crime at its best.

I finally lassoed a Brony! We talked to a great guy, Jason, and he answered many of our questions about the fandom. He shared details about the upcoming convention in the Chicago land area at the Hyatt Regency in March 2020.

Carol Specht was an amazing woman that advocated for victims of abuse and rape. She was murdered on her birthday by a long time career criminal who was released early from prison. It was all in pursuit of shoes to satiate his fetish. We are gong to celebrate Carol, talk in absolute disgust about Patrick, and how the moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois changed the outcome of this case. We will discuss other killers with the same desire and interview family and friends about sexy shoes. Apologies for the pets gone wild version on this show.

We were pooped from Christmas and high on sugar from eating Christmas cookies. A weird combination for a weird episode. Kerry announced she is going to run a marathon in 2020.

We find out what happens to Mark and introduce another case

We talk about Christmas Past with some fans

Kerry and Erika will share their recent confessions with each other.

Learn about an unknown serial killer that road the rails across the United States and killed young boys. Learn about the Hobo culture

Kerry and Erika explain fascination with the Brony culture.