Dark and Devious

June is LGBT+ Pride Month and we're kicking it off by remembering one of the giants of the Gay Rights Movement: Harvey Milk. He was the first openly gay politician elected in the United States and paved the way for other members of the queer community to not only be out and living their lives as their true selves, but leading in a world that can be hostile to their existence.

In January of 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman went on a bike ride with her brother around her neighborhood in Arlington, Texas, but she never returned. Amber's tragic abduction and murder, however, inspired a national response system for missing children that has reunited more than a thousand children with their families thanks to public awareness. The AMBER Alert is a tribute to her in the hopes that one day no child will go missing again.

In the 1890s, Victorian London was just getting over the terrible Jack the Ripper murders, but just a few years after the terrible crimes a new villain roamed the streets to terrorize the city's sex workers: the Lambeth Poisoner.

Vincent Chin was a thriving business man living in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, USA. With the auto industry booming due to foreign parts and models being shipped in from overseas, some Americans felt that Asian companies were to blame. Vincent unfortunately was a victim due to this. Listen now to hear the tragic and unfortunate fate Vincent had, due to racism and economical turmoil.

On November 27, 1928 in the quiet small town of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania Nelson Rehmeyer welcomed three guests into his home including his former farmhand. However, this was no friendly visit. Each man accused Rehmeyer of putting a hex on them and they wanted it lifted by any means necessary.

Andrea Yates: One of the most well known trial where a perpetrator was found not guilty by reasoning of insanity rocked US headlines for years. Join Patrick for a brief overview of her trial and a glimpse into how this method of defense is viewed by the world's public. **Disclaimer: The audio is poor. Please forgive us this week! :)

For more than two centuries a tiny island off the coast of Nova Scotia has been baffling treasure hunters; causing the losses of great fortunes and even deaths. Over these 2+ centuries, traps and mysterious clues have been found indicating that some kind of massive fortune must be buried on the island, but who put it there and why? This mystery leaves us with more questions than answers.

St Paul/Minneapolis are well known for their beautiful parks, lively music and art scene, good food, and always having a white winter. However, during the 1980s, the Twin Cities were making headlines for something different, the growing number of young women found brutally murdered and recorded confessions from the one responsible; The Weepy Voiced Killer.

We're finally back for 2025 and we're kicking off this new year with a Minnesota classic! In June of 1977, wealthy heiress, Elizabeth Congdon and her nurse, Velma Pietila were murdered in the iconic Glensheen Mansion on the shore of Lake Superior. The shocking murders became headline news and the truly devious plot became the stuff of local true crime legend.

The Villisca Ax Murders of June 1912 remain an enduring and unsettling enigma in American criminal history. In this quaint small Iowa town on a pleasant summer's night, eight unsuspecting victims - including six children - were bludgeoned to death as they slept following a church service. Despite a nationwide manhunt, multiple suspects and two trials, the murder remains unsolved. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

For those who call the USA home, Thanksgiving is a much beloved holiday and is enjoyed by being with friends and family as everyone enjoys a delicious meal together and makes memories. However, in the year 2009, Thanksgiving was a horror story for a family in Florida, who all had everything going for them, or so it had seemed. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Where we last left off, Jeremy Bamber appeared to be the clever, scheming relative that orchestrated his family's murder and was justly locked away in prison. However, in this episode, a lot of contradictory evidence comes to light and some of those around Jeremy had a vested interest in him taking the fall for the murders. Was Jeremy framed? Take a listen and decide for yourself. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

On August 7, 1985, the well-to-do Bamber family of Tolleshunt D'Arcy in Essex, UK was found murdered in their family home. The only family member left alive was the son, Jeremy Bamber, who was left with the grief of losing his parents, his sister, and his two nephews. But in the period after the murders suspicion soon fell upon Jeremy. This is a classic case of not everything is as it appears. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

The evening of October 29th, 2022, was supposed to be a fun night out in the bustling neighborhood of Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea. It was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that large crowds were allowed to gather again. More than 100,000 people flocked to Itaewon for Halloween parties and festivities. However, the fun night quickly turned to horror as a preventable tragedy unfolded, leaving hundreds dead. Sources: The Korean Herald The Sun New York times Wikipedia Rotten Mango Podcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In the summer of 2000, Molly Bish, a 16-year-old lifeguard, disappeared from Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts on June 27, 2000. Her remains were found years later in the woods of Palmer, a few miles away from the pond. But who killed her, and why? The case remains unsolved, and no one has been charged with her murder. Listen now and make your own conclusions... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In April of 2014, two Dutch tourist and best friends, Kris Kremers and Lissane Froon, set out on a dream adventure in Panama. With the intention of volunteering with children and sightseeing in mind, the two were having the time of their lives. That is, until a fateful mountain hike ended in horror. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In 2017, 21-year-old Brooke Preston was murdered by her friend and roommate Randy Herman Jr. The police, public, and Herman himself all agree that he is the culprit. However, what is not agreed on is as to why Herman committed the crime. He claims it all occurred while he was sleepwalking. Listen now and decide for yourself if you believe this defense! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Ira Einhorn, the one-time hippie intellectual, is often credited as being one of the founders of Earth Day, but in this episode we discuss how that is false and that his true claim to fame is actually quite sinister. Einhorn, who once preached free love, murdered his ex-girlfriend Holly Maddux and then led investigators on an international manhunt. It's a story decades in the making, but luckily no one gave up on getting justice for Holly. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

On Christmas day in 2006 a horrific murder occurred in Ryan and Heather's home. the next day, Ryan's father discovered Heather's lifeless body and Ryan alive, but injured, inside the home. Police believed this was a domestic violence situation and that Ryan was the culprit. What next happened is a complete unjust use of power and neglect at the hands of the Phoenix Arizona police department. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

*LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED* Junko Furuta was a well liked, responsible, and wholesome 17 year old who resided in Tokyo, Japan. She had big dreams of becoming a star post her graduation and enjoyed spending time with her friends, family, and at work. But her life was tragically cut short after a group of teenage monsters kidnapped her and brutally tortured for over 40 days. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

While Patrick is moving his life cross-country Chris has arranged an interview with the author of the book Boys Enter the House: The Victims of John Wayne Gacy and the Lives They Left Behind. The book is now available in paperback in bookstores everywhere. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

The imposing gray three-story edifice known as the “haunted house” looms fortress-like on the corner of Royal and Governor Nicholls streets in the French Quarter. Now a famous landmark, the home was once home to Madame Lalaurie who, in the early 1830s, starved and tortured her slaves and was hounded out of town by an angry mob when a fire revealed her misdeeds. Over time the story has been embellished with increasingly gruesome details, but archival research reveals that at least some of it is true. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In suburban Ohio, an entire family goes missing while their house is filled with ominous blood stains. The mystery deepens when it is revealed that the daughter was kidnapped and kept in a house FILLED WITH LEAVES. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In 1968 in the middle of the Cold War, a missing Soviet submarine sparked a daring operation spearheaded by the CIA to retrieve the vessel without being detected. The result was a hail Mary plan that involved innovative technology, a billionaire cover story, and a ship like none other. The plan was called Project Azorian. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

On July 13, 1966, Richard Speck unleashed his terror on Chicago by breaking into a building in the neighborhood of South Deering. At the time, this building functioned as a dormitory for student nurses. And tragically, eight women inside would meet horrific ends that night. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Thad is thirteen years old, asleep on his couch when a stranger enters his house and abducts him. What happens for the next 43 hours only occurs in nightmares but he lives to tell the tale and the story is truly unbelievable.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Between 1971 and 1973, three child murders rocked the community in and around Rochester, New York. All three victims shared numerous similarities, but perhaps most peculiar was that they all had first and last names that started with the same letter. The perpetrator or perpetrators have evaded justice for nearly half a century but perhaps you can figure it out for yourself or prevent a similar incident from happening. The Rochester Police Department is still actively investigating this case so any tips should be directed to 585-428-6720. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

On February 11th, 2023, Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old British transgender girl was murdered in a premeditated attack by Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe. There are many theories as to why, but an odd obsession and a case of transphobia are most likely to blame. Listen Now! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Leonarda Cianciulli was an Italian poetess and fortune teller. However, when her superstitions got the best of her, she turned to murder for solutions. What she did with the bodies gave her the infamous reputation as the Soap-Maker of Corregio. Listen now! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

After a brief mental health break, WE'RE BACK!!!! Chris and Patrick are more than ready to get back into the swing of things and share true crime tales with our loyal (and new) deviants. This week, we cover a variety of recent true crimes that are making "head"lines. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

There is an epidemic across North America that has not received nearly enough media attention and that is the murder and disappearance of indigenous women, girls, and two-spirits. Every year thousands of these people disappear often to little or no media coverage. In this episode we will look at a few examples of cases that deserve a closer look and the unique difficulties in investigating these disappearances. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

When it comes to the Civil Rights Era, chances are you've heard of the big names like Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X and their tragic stories of assassination. But among the many hard working and self-sacrificing members of the movement there is one name that deserves some extra attention and that is Medgar Evers: the first field secretary for the NAACP's Mississippi branch who was assassinated by a white supremacist in 1963. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Familiars. It's hard to think of witches and witchcraft without also thinking of the infamous black cat associated with them. However, the back cat is not the only form familiars that witches possess, they are actually just the tip of the familiar family. So what are familiars exactly? And why do witches posses them? Listen now and find out! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Does the thought of going to the circus strike terror into your heart? Does white face makeup cause your pulse to quicken? Do you flinch with fear when you hear the comical honk of a bicycle horn? Then you may suffer from Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns. Today's episode talks a little bit about the history of the modern clown as well as a few examples of the clowns that frighten us from Pagliacci to Pennywise. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

You wake up in the middle of the night and there it is: a menacing presence that you can first feel and then see when you open your eyes. Scared like the dickens, you try to scream and bolt — but you can't. It's like you're paralyzed or being held down by the evil presence. What in the world is happening? Three words: sleep paralysis demons. Listen now as Patrick gets personal and talks about the horrifying experience. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

As the legend goes, Bloody Mary is easy to summon. All you have to do is stand in a dimly lit bathroom, stare into the mirror, and chant her name 3 times. “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary…” Then, a ghostly woman is staring at you from within the mirror and she will haunt your forever, or even worse! But how did this Urban Legend get started? Could Bloody Mary have been inspired by a real life woman? Listen now, and decide for yourself. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

When an 8-year-old girl started her walk to school, her family could never have imagined the monster that awaited her at a church nearby. Cho Doo-soon became Korea's most hated man, and remain infamous as he moved back into the same neighborhood as his victim years later. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Early Christmas morning, December 25, 1945, tragedy struck the Sodder family in Fayetteville, Wes Virginia, when their house went up in flames. The parents and four children were able to escape, but five children disappeared. Did these kids die in the fire, or are they still out there somewhere? Someone must know something about this cold case from nearly 80 years ago. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Join us this week as Patrick tells the conclusion of the unsolved case of the Burger Chef Murders. In Speedway Indiana, 1978, after a string of uncommon violent crimes had occurred, four young victims were brutally murdered after being abducted from a Burger Chef restaurant. Jayne, Mark, Danny, and Ruth were taken from the restaurant and killed in what is believed to be a robbery gone wrong. Despite eye witness testimony, a potential murder gang, and confessions from inmates, the quadruple homicide has never been solved and remains a mystery to this day. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In Speedway Indiana, 1978, after a string of uncommon violent crimes had occurred, four young victims were brutally murdered after being abducted from a Burger Chef restaurant. Jayne, Mark, Danny, and Ruth were taken from the restaurant and killed in what is believed to be a robbery gone wrong. Despite eye witness testimony, a potential murder gang, and confessions from inmates, the quadruple homicide has never been solved and remains a mystery to this day. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Once again, we have another true tale from the collection Louisville Murder & Mayhem: Historic Crimes of Derby City by Keven McQueen. In 1892 Emma Austin and Eugenia Sherrill sat down to breakfast after a night of entertaining gentlemen callers, but by the afternoon both women were dead. Who killed these women? And what might their amorous neighbor downstairs have to do with it? Buckle up because this case has plenty of twists and turns as well as a heaping helping of DRAMA! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

The Dark and Devious team has been doing some traveling lately and we're excited to bring you some tales collected from the road. Chris recently traveled to Louisville, Kentucky and found an excellent true crime volume called Louisville Murder & Mayhem: Historic Crimes of Derby City by Keven McQueen. Today's episode comes from a chapter from that book called "Chestnut Street's House of Horrors" in which a desperate husband develops a habit that puts his whole family in danger. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In the 1890s Upstate New York was shaken by the discovery of three bodies on the Halliday family's farm. Two women and one man were found murdered and what was even more shocking at the time was the prime suspect, the wife of the farm's owner:,Lizzie Halliday. A woman murderer was sensational enough for the time period, but soon enough her sanity became a major sticking point in her prosecution. Was she or wasn't she? You'll have to decide for yourself by the end of this episode. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In the middle ages, torture was used to extract information, force confessions, punish suspects, frighten opponents, and satisfy personal hatred. Modern day interrogation techniques have taken inspiration from Medieval Torture techniques, which itself took inspiration from the Ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures and practices. However, nothing practiced today, even the most extreme techniques, compare to the horrific, barbaric, and excruciating torture practices from the past. Listen now, and we hope you have a strong stomach! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Countess Elizabeth Bathory was a wealthy and powerful Hungarian noblewoman who reigned as supreme ruler throughout the early 1600s' in what now is present day Slovakia. In 1610 she was accused of gruesome acts of torture and serial murders beyond anyone's imagination. She was confined to her home, Castle Čachtice, where she remained until her death in 1614. Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. Her actions resulted in a nickname of the "Blood Countess", but it's possible Bathory was not guilty of all the crimes that have been laid at her feet. Listen now for an intriguing story that may leave you with more questions than answers. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Starved Rock State Park is a beautiful national park located in the State of Illinois, USA. The park is home to dark historical past, but today flourishes with beauty and awe. However, that dark past seemed to come back to life in the winter of 1960. In March of that year , Frances Murphy, Lillian Oetting, and Mildred Lindquist set off for a girls' trip. Just days later, the three women were found in Starved Rock State Park, bludgeoned to death with their hands and feet bound. After months of investigation, a man was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Now, nearly 64 years later, that man still claims his innocence, and the evidence doesn't exactly hold water. Did this man really kill the women back in 1960? Or was the killer, or killers, never caught and set to roam free?   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In the early 1950s Ann Woodward found herself at the top of the best dressed list and the wife of a banking heir. But her happiness at the top of the social ladder would not be for long. It all came crashing down one fateful night in October of 1954 when booze, pills, and paranoia resulted in a family tragedy. Ann was responsible for her husband's death, but later on she would cross paths with someone who was unsuspectingly dangerous: the legendary writer, Truman Capote. This episode is based on the fantastic book Deliberate Cruelty by Roseanne Montillo. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Betty Williams was a small town girl growing up in Odessa, Texas, in the the 1950's-60's. An outspoken feminist and voice for racial equality; she stuck out in the conformists small town she called home. She dreamed of moving to Hollywood with the intent of becoming s star. However, these dreams would never come true as she was subjected to a family that did not support her and bullying and gossip at school. She chose to end her own life, but lacked the courage to do so; Which brings in Mack. Was Mack a murderer? Or just a sympitatic human who just wanted to help Betty achieve an escape route from her every day life? Listen now to hear the tragic story of Betty William's ultimate fate and the possible injustcie that was served, --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

Tamla Horsford was bright and loving, a devoted wife and mother of six. She was an avid football fan and was looking forward to a night of fun with her fellow football moms. However, the adult themed slumber party would end in tragedy. Tamla, was found dead the next morning and suspicion rose quickly as her race became a sticking point in the investigation. Despite multiple attempts to piece together what led up to her death no theory seemed satisfactory. Still, investigators closed the case, leaving behind quite the puzzle -- with missing pieces. Did she die from an accident? Or is the truth much more sinister than that? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patrick-conn/support

In the fall of 2013, Gerald and Alice Uden were living comfortably on a farm in rural Missouri, set back a ways from the road and the rest of the world, living happily ever after. They had both been married multiple times before, but when they found each other they knew it was a match made in Heaven....or was it? For 30 years they lived an ideal life, raising their daughter, Erica and now in their golden years they enjoyed their lives as grandparents. However, that perfect façade suddenly came crashing down when some sinister, shared family secrets resurfaced. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/patrick-conn/support

In September of 1988, Tara Calico set out on a routine bike ride. Her route was planned and predictable, yet she never came home. She vanished, with only a few scraps of evidence left behind pointing to how, and why she was suddenly missing. 34 years later there is still no answer of where Tara went, and what happened on that fateful day. In this episode we'll discuss the case and some of the most prevalent theories. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/patrick-conn/support