Murderous Roots with Denise & Zelda

In Part 2 covering Jeffrey Dahmer, we go deep into the stories of his family history from immigrant origins to broken families. Not only did we find a history of mental illness in his family, but we also discovered that Jeffrey had some famous cousins.

**TRIGGER WARNING**Typically, we do not get too graphic with the crimes of our subjects. However, in this episode, we do. By the evening of July 23, 1991, the evening news in Milwaukee came out regarding the arrest of a man, the night before, with various body parts found in his apartment. Soon, the world would read in horror of the atrocities committed by Jeffrey Dahmer, soon coined “The Milwaukee Cannibal.” Each day after his arrest more details would emerge of his monstrous crimes.In Part 1, with their guest, Mira Manni, Denise and Zelda discuss all the events that would lead to Dahmer's arrest and what happened once he went to prison. Then, they discuss what happened next with his mother and father. Over the years, Dahmer's mother has been demonized, but is it really all that simple? Come back next week for Part 2 when we go deep into his family tree, a tree filled with secrets and surprises.All sources and information can be found on our website, murderousroots.com.

After being gone for several months, Murderous Roots is returning! The lives of Denise and Zelda got hectic. This is particularly true for Denise who not only researches the trees but also produces the podcast. Both Denise and Zelda have missed sharing stories about the lives and family histories of their subjects. They hope you join them as they kick things off again next week!

**TRIGGER WARNING**Typically, we do not get too graphic with the crimes of our subjects. However, in this episode, we do. By the evening of July 23, 1991, the evening news in Milwaukee came out regarding the arrest of a man, the night before, with various body parts found in his apartment. Soon, the world would read in horror of the atrocities committed by Jeffrey Dahmer, soon coined “The Milwaukee Cannibal.” Each day after his arrest more details would emerge of his monstrous crimes.In Part 1, with their guest, Mira Manni, Denise and Zelda discuss all the events that would lead to Dahmer's arrest and what happened once he went to prison. Then, they discuss what happened next with his mother and father. Over the years, Dahmer's mother has been demonized, but is it really all that simple? Come back next week for Part 2 when we go deep into his family tree, a tree filled with secrets and surprises.All sources and information can be found on our website, murderousroots.com.

Julie Dixon Jaxson, genetic genealogist and host of CutOff Genes, joins us to share a shocking story she discovered while researching her family tree. This story takes place on the gold fields in Victoria, Australia and appeared in The Bendigo Advertiser on 1 April 1861. Listen to learn what happened to her distant aunt and uncle. It's a shocking tale of murder.

In Part 2 of Georgia Tann, Julie Dixon Jackson, from CutOff Genes, Zelda, and Denise continue their conversation about the corrupt head of the Tennessee Children's Home in Memphis, Tennessee. They explore Georgia's family tree continuing with their conversation about Tann's mother Beulah Yates, learning about a murder in the family lines and what happened with her partner Ann and their children.For all information on sources for this episode, go to our website at MurderousRoots.com

For close to thirty years, Georgia Tann helped families adopt babies. But the truth was much darker. As the person in charge of the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis, Tennessee, Georgia used her position to adopt out children to families outside of Tennessee. In doing so, she was able to “sell” the babies and line her pockets. Due to demand, she often stole babies from poor and struggling families.Adoptee rights advocate, Julie Dixon Jackson, from the podcast Cut Off Genes, joins us as we discuss the horrific deeds of Ms. Tann. Then we begin exploring her family tree starting with her father, a judge in charge of adoptions. We'll be back in two weeks with Part 2.All sources and information on this Episode can be found at our website, murderousroots.com

Happy Thanksgiving all! This week, due to the holiday, we are revisiting an episode from March this year covering the mysterious remains found in a cave in 1979; remains that wouldn't be identified until 2019. His name was Joseph H. Loveless, and he was no innocent man. Learn more about who he was and his family ties with Joseph Smith and his new religion as they crossed the country to settle in Utah.All episode notes and sources can be found at our website, murderousroots.com

We are finally here with Part 2 covering the story of Frazier B. Baker, the postmaster lynched in 1898 for the crime of being Black in South Carolina. In this episode, we explore Baker's family tree and the shocking revelation Denise found in the census records. Then we discuss the villians; who were they and what happened to them? At the end we finish our discussion exploring the lives and family history of the “heroes”, Ida B. Welles and Lillian Clayton Jewett. All references and notes regarding this episode and others can be found at murderousroots.com

All sources and notes are available at our website murderousroots.com

On July 30, 1897, President William McKinley appointed seven Black men to postmaster positions across the state of South Carolina. One town would not react well to the news. One town would see to it that they would run their new Black postmaster out of town, even if it meant killing him.In this latest episode, part one of the story, Zelda and Denise explore the history of reconstruction and how it helped lead to the death of Frazier B. Baker. Then we discuss what happened to the Baker family after horrific murders of Frazier and his toddler, Julia. Next week we will return with part two where we discuss Baker's family tree and then learn more about his killers as well as those who tried to help the Baker family.Any references or other notes can be found on our website at murderousroots.com

Last week we discussed all that Marsha accomplished as well as her unsolved death and immediate family. In part 2 covering Marsha P. Johnson, we continue the conversation with her nephew Al Michaels and learn more about her parents and ancestors, including her grandmother, a Voodoo priestess.. To see all our sources and information discussed in the show, you can go to last week's episode, Queen Marsha.All notes and sources can be found on our website at https://murderousroots.com/episodes/marshajohnson1

After a day of festivities and fun at the Gay Pride Parade in New York City, the body of one of its most notable residents who fought for civil rights for all people, was found floating in the Hudson River on July 6, 1992. Marsha P. Johnson, born Malcolm Michaels, Jr, identified herself as a drag queen and was an outspoken activist for gay rights who first gained prominence during the Stonewall Uprising. We may never know the circumstances of her death, but her work lives on today. In this episode, her nephew Al Michaels joins us as we discuss Martha's life, activism, and death. We then learn more about her immediate family—including a tie to one of the earlies mass killings in the United States.All sources and other information can be found on our website at murderousroots.com

In this Summersode, we continue our conversation on the family history of Dian Fossey which included two more murders, love affairs, World War II, a British naval hero from the 17th Century, and so much more.All sources can be found at our website, murderousroots.com

Nynyiramachabelli, the woman that lives alone on the Mountain, is a Rwandan word used to describe gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey on her grave in Rwanda. It was the name given to her by Rwandan's who lived near her in the Virugan Mountains of Rwanda. In 1963, Fossey first arrived on the continent of Africa. It would soon after become her permanent home until her murdered body was found in the early morning hours of December 27, 1985. Listen to Part 1 of The Woman That Lives Alone on the Mountain, as we discuss what drew Fossey to Africa and her work with the gorillas she loved, the horrendous way she dealt with some poachers, and her death. Then we explore a fascinating family tree which helps us understand her more, but also delves into the troubled relationship she had with her parents as well as another tragic murder in her family.All other sources and notes are available at our website at murderousroots.com

On this Summersode, as part of their Summer of Justice Series, Zelda and Denise discuss the events leading up to the horrific lynching of 14-year-old Chicago-native Emmett Till as well as what happened next. Then they explore is fascinating family tree with a history of struggle, success, and heartbreak.For further notes and sources, go to murderousroots.com

On June 12, 1963, a scream permeated the air as Myrlie Evers opened her door to discover her husband, Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader in Jackson, Mississippi, collapsed on the ground. Moments before he had been shot in the back by an assassin's bullet. Less than an hour later, he would die in an all-white hospital.Evers's death would shock a nation! His wife would spend decades to get justice for her husband, a struggle later written about in her book and in the movie Ghosts of Mississippi. In this episode Denise and Zelda discuss the amazing man Medgar Evers was before his death at age 37 and explore what little is known of his family tree. Then we touch briefly on his killer.If you want to learn more about Byron de la Beckwith, join our Patreon to gain access to a bonus episode where we discuss the Beckwith family tree.

We have exciting episodes coming this summer. Listen to the trailer to learn more about who we will be featuring!

In June 1985, the body of a young woman was found naked, wrapped in a sheet, in the trunk of a car. Upon looking at her body, a police officer told the press that it appeared as if she died of a drug overdose. When the autopsy came back, she had no drugs in her system.For reasons unknown to her family, the police spent little to no time investigating what happened to 24-year-old Catherine “Catrina” Mowrey. Her family never got answers or any sense that the Dallas Police Department cared about what happened to her.In this episode, we talk about what led up to Catherine's death, the murder of her sister Joan, and the tragic death of her youngest sister, Deborah. The victim's niece and namesake, Catrina Marshall, joined us to share information, what she hopes happens with her petition to the Dallas Police Department, and stayed for a discussion on the Mowrey family tree.

Betsy Faria thought she made a good friend at work; one who showed support and love during one of the most trying times in her life. She didn't realize, until it was too late, that her friendship with Pamela Hupp would be more deadly than her terminal cancer diagnosis.In this episode, Zelda and Denise discuss the murder Pam Hupp was convicted for as well as the other two murders she has been accused of committing. Then we dive into a fascinating family tree that leads to encounters with immigrant ancestors, Joseph Pulitzer, slavery, and even more murder.For sources and all other information, please go to murderousroots.com

After creating over 40 episodes, Denise and Zelda decided to share some outtakes, stuff you've never heard before! They are also looking for submissions from listeners for a new series of minisodes starting soon, where our listeners share a story from their tree!

In 1939, playwright Joseph Kesselring wrote a play, a dark comedy called Arsenic and Old Lace. The play would prove to be such a hit on Broadway that film director Frank Capra adapted it for the screen. In 1944, the movie Arsenic and Old Lace was released starring Cary Grant. What many didn't know at the time was the movie was partially inspired by the real-life home of Amy Archer-Gilligan.In this episode, listen as Zelda describes what happened at Amy's home in Windsor, Connecticut. Next, Denise explores a family tree which led them to Ireland, the battlefield of Gettysburg, and to a hospital for the mentally insane. Joining them on this episode is Cathie Curtis from Haunting History Podcast.

Introduction of our guest, Bobbi, friend of the showZelda discusses Dennis Rader's childhood then gets into his crimesDenise discusses Dennis's immediate family.Discussion on his maternal family lineDiscussion on the Rader Family LineFast Family FactsConclusion

We have no new episode this week, but we will be back with The Wichita Nightmare next week, on March 10. This week we have a call to action for our listeners and a short preview of next week's episode.

One summer day in 1979, a family in Idaho decided to explore Buffalo Cave in a search for arrowheads. Instead, they found something no one wants to find—a headless torso inside an old burlap sack. Twelve years later, a girl would find a hand. Who was this person? That question would be answered in 2019 with the help of the DNA Doe Project. The body was that of Joseph Henry Loveless, a prison escapee from 1916 who had been accused of murdering his wife.In this episode. listen as we discuss the events leading to his disappearance, including the murder of his wife, Agnes Octavia Caldwell Loveless. Our guest this week, Julie Dixon Jackson, genetic genealogist and podcast host of Cut-Off Genes, helps us understand how Loveless was identified using forensic genealogy. Then, of course, Denise discusses Loveless's family history, tied to the history of the Mormon church, and what happened to his children after his disappearance.

Robert Lee Yates, Jr. grew up an idyllic life on Whidbey Island in Washington. But then one day, he decided it was time to start killing. And he didn't stop until the police caught him. Why did Yates kill? We may never know for certain, but Denise and Zelda explore his family tree to see if there are any clues. What they found left them stunned. He wasn't the only murderer in his family.Listen to our latest episode, Spokane Serial Killer, detailing the crimes of Robert Lee Yates, Jr. and a family tree that helped to create a serial killer.

We planned to share a holiday special we recorded with a few others, but technical difficulties prevented that from happening. Instead, we are sharing one of our favorite episodes, from August 20, 2020, Episode 5: Black Dahlia. In this episode we discussed the unsolved murder and family tree of Elizabeth Short. And boy, was her tree amazing!We hope you enjoy the episode. We will be back with new episodes at the end of January 2021.

Happy Thanksgiving! For Thanksgiving, we thought it might be interesting to revisit and combine the two parts of our Jim Jones episodes from October 2020. We discuss the events in Jonestown, Jones himself, then his fascinating family tree and even a slight connection to the Black Dahlia.

Who are we? We are a true crime podcast with a familial twist, where we explore the family tree of a killer. Want to know more? Take a listen to our trailer.

At 12:30 p.m. on November 22, 1963, as people lined the streets of Elm Street in Dallas, Texas to watch the presidential motorcade drive by, shots rang out. Shots that would kill the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Who could possibly do this to a beloved president and a new Camelot? Before the day was up, the world would know the answer, the lone shooter was Lee Harvey Oswald. 48 hours after the death of Kennedy, Oswald would be shot and killed by Jack Ruby.But who was Oswald? In this episode, we explore what is known about the events leading up to the assassination of Kennedy and Oswald himself. Then, we go one step further. We discuss his fascinating family tree, including his French, German, and Dutch roots, a family history of slavery, and much more.Listen to The Lone Shooter to learn more about Lee Harvey Oswald and his genealogy. Then, we'd appreciate it if you leave us a rating, review, and subscribe to the podcast.

In the early evening hours of November 13, 1974, a young bearded man burst into a local bar in Amityville, New York in a panic. He believed his parents might have been shot, and he didn't know what to do. Several patrons at the bar followed him home in order to help. What they found would horrify the community. In the home on 112 Ocean Avenue, six bodies lay dead, all shot to death. The police were called and the investigation began. It didn't take long for detectives to come to the conclusion that Ronald Joseph DeFeo, Jr. had killed his own family hours before bursting into the bar. But the story wouldn't stop there. It didn't stop once Ronald, or Butch as he was known, was convicted. The house itself would become infamous. A month after DeFeo's conviction, George and Kathy Lutz would move into the home only to leave 28 days later. They claimed the house was possessed. This claim led to a book and then a series of popular horror films. In this episode, we discuss the claims by the Lutzes, the murders committed by DeFeo, and then go deep into his Italian immigrant roots where we found family ties to the Genovese crime family.

Listen to our latest episode as we discuss the murder Harry T. Hayward arranged, his later confession to his cousin, and what happened to his family after his death. Then continue listening as we explore a tree that goes back to the Mayflower, New Netherland, a murdered family member, and how a member of his family was tied to the Springfield Race Riot of 1908.

Between 1982 and 1984, over 20 bodies of young men were found in fields, often near near interstates, murdered. All of the victims had stab wounds at the chest and abdomen; several victims disemboweled after death. Who was the monster killing these men?Well-known in the gay community of Indianapolis, Larry Eyler was considered a good guy, but he had a dark, sadistic streak in his sexual relations. It would be a past lover's suspicions that would help lead to his arrest.In this episode, we discuss the crimes of Eyler and then dig into his dysfunctional family and his family's deep Indiana roots. What we found was even more murder.

In 1872, young boys were lured away and attacked. The perpetrator sent to a reform school for boys. Soon after he was released, in 1874, it happened again. First a young girl went missing then a young boy was found murdered.Who would do these crimes? 14-year-old Jesse Harding Pomeroy. In this minisode, we discuss his crimes and his ultimate punishment. Then we find out what happened to his family and go back into his deep Massachusetts roots.

The List family seemed perfect from the outside: three active children in the community, a mother who stayed at home, a doting, involved professional father, and a grandmother living with the family. But all was not as it seemed, something that became readily apparent in December 1971 when friends realized they had not seen or heard from the family for nearly a month. When the police arrived, they were horrified to discover the bodies of the entire family, save one, the father, John List.Listen to our latest episode as we discuss the horrible murders carried out by John List, and then as we discuss his family tree ..

TRIGGER WARNING:In this episode we discuss issues that may serve as a trigger for those suffering from eating disorders. If you want to avoid this content, skip ahead to the 30 minute mark. Linda Burfield Hazzard did not go to medical school, but she called herself a doctor. Despite her lack of degree, Linda, along with her husband Samuel Hazzard, opened a sanitarium offering simple cure for all those who were ill, fasting. Her "cure" led to death as she enriched herself.

In celebration of the podcast's first anniversary, Denise and Zelda spend an hour answering questions asked by listeners and each other.

Accused of murdering Belle Starr, Edgar Artemus Watson went before a judge to face the charges. Ultimately, though, the charges were dismissed and the murder never solved. Little did the judge know, Edgar had murdered before and would murder again.Growing up in South Carolina to an abusive father likely shaped Edgar into the man he became. Despite the efforts of his mother to take him and his sister away from that violence, Edgar would become even more violent than his father.In this episode, we explore how Edgar's past shaped him as well as what happened after he left his accusers in Arkansas, changing his name to Edgar J. Watson soon after.. Listen as we discuss his multiple wives, lovers, and children, and as well as the number of bodies he left Chokoloskee, Florida.

In April 1908, authorities responded to a fire in LaPorte, Indiana, and what they found in the ashes horrified them. Three children dead, and 11 more bodies buried around the property, a pig farm. In this minisode, we discuss the crimes of Belle Gunness and learn more about her family as well as the shocking discovery involving a family member and another serial killer.XwtqxddAB7xJLHsXjpSy

It was called the Crime of the Century in San Francisco, California. Everyone was shocked. The papers couldn't get enough. How could a nice Sunday school teacher, a man attending medical school, kill two women in the church? Listen as we discuss The Demon in the Belfry, William Henry Theodore Durrant. We discuss his life before the crimes, the crimes themselves, then talk about his family, particularly his sister, Maud Allan, who found fame and controversy years later.

Clyde grew up poor, the very definition of dirt poor. Perhaps that's why he followed his older brothers into a life of crime. Then one day, he met and fell in love with Bonnie, right before being sent to prison. Prison would change him. When he got out, Bonnie and Clyde would hold the attention of the country. Listen to this episode to learn more about Clyde and his family as well as where they came from and what happened to his relatives after his death.

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker was a young married woman from Texas when she met outlaw Clyde Barrow. When the two got together, the combination ignited into robberies, murder, and more until they were ambushed in 1934. In Part I of Bonnie & Clyde, Denise and Zelda discuss Bonnie Parker from her birth to her death. Then, they go back further into her family tree and to find out what happened to her family after the ambush.

Summer 2004. A serial killer is on the loose in Kansas City. The police are hunting the killer with the cameras of The First 48 following them. By September, they have the killer in custody, Terry Anthony Blair, a man on parole for the murder of his wife. What drove him to kill? Was it genetic given that he came from a family of killers? Or is it something more?

Wherever Terry Peder Rasmussen went, death followed in his wake. Yet, no one knew he was a serial killer. Using multiple aliases, Terry was able to evade capture until his dead wife was found buried in cat litter. And, even then, the police didn't discover the depth of his depravity until after he died. Listen as we discuss his crimes and dig deep into his murderous roots.

One of the most famous legends to come out of the Wild West was Belle Starr! She rode side saddle and always carried a six-shooter. Though she never killed anyone, the mystique around her grew as she became known as an outlaw. And, like most outlaws, Belle died young, on her horse, after being shot by an unknown assailant. So, who was Belle? What parts of the legend are true and what is false? Listen as we search for answers and learn about the origins of her family and what happened to her children after Belle was murdered.

Five children dead by their mother's hands. But no one suspected a thing. Two husbands dead. No one flinched. Then, when her fifth husband, Ronald Martin, ended up in the hospital, the authorities finally took notice. It wasn't bad luck. It was poison. Listen to this latest episode as we dive into her family tree to find some answers to why Rhonda Belle Martin would do such heinous acts.

In this episode, we finish exploring the family tree of The Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway. We discuss his father's side of the family which was filled with drama and even more murder.

Gary Ridgway had everyone fooled from his brothers to his wife to his son. They saw him as a good man. Little did they know about his secret life picking up sex workers, sometimes murdering them. He was the man the Green River Killer Task Force had been hunting for nearly 20 years. In Part I of The Green River Killer, listen as we discuss Ridgway's crimes then learn about his immediate family and his mother's family line.

On this historic day, Zelda and Denise are sharing their special election episode about President Joseph R. Biden again. It didn't feel right to share anything else on Inauguration Day.

In part two of The Clutter Family murders, they discuss what led Perry Edward Smith to join Richard "Dick" Hickock in the robbery, and later murder, of Herbert Clutter and his family. Then, we discuss his family as well as his ancestors. This may be one of the most interesting trees yet!