Crimary School

By July 31, 2015, Richard Smith's co-workers at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida were getting concerned. They hadn't seen Richard since he left work days earlier. Police arrived at his family home to find a horrifying sight: Richard, his mother, Voncile, and brother, John - all brutally murdered. Investigators had an interesting first thought: could this be a Wiccan ritual killing, prompted by a rare blue moon? Could it be the work of witches? Find out in this fascinating episode featuring Mercedes Nagel. Check out our Instagram, @crimaryschool, for visual guides and sources!

On January 8, 1993, in Palatine, Illinois, officers would arrive at Brown's Chicken and Pasta to find a grisly scene: 7 employees, including the two owners, were found dead in the restaurant's coolers. After investigating a series of leads over nearly a decade - in a shocking twist - this haunting mystery was finally solved, and justice was served. Loren Ketelsen joins Caroline Hale as they uncover long awaited answers to one of the most notorious mass murders in Chicagoland history. Check out our Instagram, @crimaryschool, for visual guides and sources!

On May 20, 1988, a madwoman would wreck havoc on the North Shore of Chicago, Illinois. Join Caroline and her brother, Charlie Hale, as they uncover Laurie Dann's beyond peculiar descent into madness that would rock the quiet, affluent suburbs forever. Check out @crimaryschool on Instagram for photos, an interactive tour of spots on her infamous "hit list", as well as source materials. Original score by Grace Hale.

John and Susan Hamilton were happily living out their empty-nesting life in Quail Creek, Oklahoma. The prominent OBGYN and his wife of 15 years were no stranger to the finer things in life: lavish dinner parties, high-society dinners and over-the-top gifts. But on Valentine's Day, 2001, the facade of their enviable couple-hood came crashing down. Secret checks, an abortion clinic, strip clubs, lies, and ultimatums? Check! Caroline is joined by her boyfriend, Matt Frierdich, for this twisted tale of uxoricide. Check out our Instagram @crimaryschool for visual aides, source material, and more! 

Twins share lots of things: birthdays, parents, and DNA. But twin sisters Jasmiyah and Tasmiyah Whitehead also shared a deep dark secret: on January 13, 2010, they murdered their mother in cold blood. Caroline is joined by her own twin sister, Madeleine, as they retrace the steps of these twisted sisters that fateful day. Check out @crimaryschool on Instagram for visual guides and source materials! Original music by Grace Hale.

In the 1980s, Larry Eyler murdered 21 teenage boys and young men in Illinois and Indiana. Eyler is also known as the Highway Killer, because his victims were found close to or accessible via the Interstate highway system. And one of these bodies was found a little too close to home for today’s co-host, MC Wick. Follow along as Caroline and MC unveil Eyler's reign of terror across the Midwest. Don't forget to check out our Instagram, @crimaryschool, for visual guides and source material!

In 1992 in Dayton, Ohio, four young people - the self-proclaimed Downtown Posse - embarked on a shooting rampage that left 6 people dead. What began as petty robberies soon turned sinister… with no clear motive in sight. And it all happened 28 years ago on Christmas Eve. While for most, the holidays bring out the best in us… for some, it brings out the worst. Caroline is joined by her sister Georgia as they reveal the madness of those fateful two days. Plus, as a holiday bonus, enjoy some silly behind-the-scenes sister moments. Check out our Instagram @crimaryschool for visual aides, sources, and more!

On Wednesday, September 22, 1993, at 2:53am, the Amtrak's coast-to-coast superliner, the Sunset Limited, derailed and plunged into the Big Bayou Canot of Mobile, Alabama - becoming the deadliest accident in Amtrak history. But who's to blame? The answer might surprise you. Caroline is joined by Noah Moreland as they dive deep into this horrific case. Check out our Instagram @crimaryschool for visual guides and sources!

In June 2017, 26-year-old University of Illinois student Yingying Zhang was brutally murdered by TA turned madman, Brendt Christensen. Caroline is joined by James Rozsypal, a former student of the convicted killer, as they recount the details of that fateful day in Champaign, and why you should never trust anyone. Check out our Instagram @crimaryschool for visual guides and source materials. Happy Thanksgiving! 

In the 1920s, Chicago was awash with flappers, gangsters, and bootleg gin. It was also home to one of the most notorious murder cases of all time. Enter Nathan Leopald and Richard Loeb; two affluent, whip-smart teens with a secret love for violence, and each other. Caroline is joined by Mike Schreiber via Zoom as the two take a peak into the death of 14-year-old Bobby Franks and the twisted lives of two young men who weren't so smart after all. Check out our Instagram @crimaryschool for more!

Cotton, pumpkin tents, banana costumes, colored contacts, haunted trails, and spiders, oh my! Halloweekend is upon us, and what a better way to kick off the spooks by diving into some Halloween-related litigations. Caroline is joined by her sister and Crimary School's resident composer, Grace Hale! Be sure to check out our Instagram, @crimaryschool, for visual guides, deets, and source materials!

100 years ago, Lyda Southard's husbands began "dropping like flies". Did typhoid and the 1918 pandemic help Idaho's first female serial killer get away with it? Six times to be exact. This week, Caroline is joined by Katie Reid-Anderson as the BFF pair sips aperol spritzes, sings an original song, and unveils the true wickedness of Lyda Southard.

In 1961, Adolf Coors III, the heir to the Coors Brewing Company, was kidnapped and murdered. The killer would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling FBI forensic scientists! Caroline is joined by Bobby Dennis as they tell this fascinating tale full of twists and turns, all while drinking a 24 oz. Coors Light. Check out our Instagram @crimaryschool for visual aides and source materials for this episode. 

Our second episode is about the 1916 death of Marion Lampert in Lake Forest, IL. Caroline is joined by Coni Carfagno as they dive deep into the fascinating mystery that rocked the small suburban town, and the nation at large. Who was William Orpet? Was it murder, or was it suicide? Have people really seen her ghost? Check out our Instagram @crimaryschool for exclusive archival footage, newspaper articles, and source materials for this episode. 

Our first episode is about the Tylenol Murders and Excedrin Murders that ravaged Chicago and Washington in the 1980s. Caroline is joined by Scot Gladstone as they delve into a story of painkillers, cyanide, mystery, and revenge.  Special thanks to Tim Hale for the theme music, Grace Hale for the score and mixing, Jess Hanebury for the graphic design, Adam Decker for all the podcasting advice, and Scot Gladstone for the company. Head over to our instagram @crimaryschool for full list of source credits for this episode.