The First Degree

The Lindsay Clancy case has brought renewed attention to postpartum psychosis, a rare but potentially devastating condition that, when left untreated, has been associated with an estimated 5% risk of suicide and 4% risk of filicide. This week, Alexis and Jac are joined by Dr. Erin Davidowicz, a perinatal psychiatrist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, to discuss the case, the lack of public awareness surrounding postpartum psychosis, and why recognizing the warning signs can be so critical.

No, for real, what is wrong with everyone lately? This week we're discussing a woman who was giving sex eyes to the camera during the Lindsay Clancy trial, Hilary Duff feeding her children pizza on stage at her concert, Alcohol being advertised to kids, and a very messed up golf ad. Keep those tin foil hats on, people.

Growing up in suburban Chicago, a young girl is raised to trust the adults around her. Her church, her school, and her family all feel like safe places. But years later, she learns that two people she once looked up to and loved are accused of horrific crimes against children, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew about trust, faith, and the people closest to her. In episode 417, Jac and Alexis explore Courtney's journey after discovering the truth about her uncle Joseph Stozek and former priest Kevin McBrien, and what it means to reckon with the fact that someone you trusted was capable of unimaginable harm.

Today we are discussing the tragedy of Hayden Panettiere's sudden passing and everyone who failed her throughout her life, Anthropic and Amazon destroying rare and ancient texts to basically rewrite history however they want (1984 anyone?), and Howie Mandel being a perv in front of his daughter. For real, what is wrong with EVERYONE?!

In May 2018, a 25-year-old woman suddenly disappears while living with a childhood friend in Grafton, New Hampshire. Her family immediately knows something is wrong, but for months, they are left searching for answers. Then investigators make a devastating discovery: a small piece of her dismembered body is recovered from a nearby pond. As her loved ones begin uncovering disturbing allegations about what she endured before her death, they push for those responsible to be held accountable. But years later, no one has ever been charged with her murder. In episode 416, Jac and Alexis examine the murder of Trish Haynes, the troubling allegations surrounding her final months, and her family's ongoing fight for answers and justice.

There's a lot going on this week, so put those tin foil hats on. First, we're discussing the new bizarre documentary Predators, and the impact Chris Hansen has had on the true crime world. Also, Chris Watts somehow is getting married, and Drake is buying a goth girl a house. Lastly, we know you don't know who Desiree Townsend is now, but you will after you listen to today's ep.

In August 2017, a newlywed is found shot to death inside a hotel room in Athens, Georgia, while on a road trip with her husband. As investigators begin piecing together her final hours, they uncover text messages, surveillance footage, and other evidence that paint a disturbing picture of what happened. Yet despite a conviction, her story receives very little public attention, leaving many to remember the crime but not the woman at the center of it. In episode 415, Jac and Alexis examine the murder of Casey Woods Devanna, the evidence that led to her killer's conviction, and the life her friends want the world to remember.

Reddit is an endless archive of humanity's most disturbing, bizarre, and deeply human stories. If you love The First Degree, you are going to love CRIMES OF REDDIT with Alexis and Sabrina Deana-Roga from Two Girls One Ghosts. Every Tuesday, one host brings a set of true-crime stories while the other reacts in real time with no prep, no spoilers asking the questions on everyone's mind. They swap roles each week, pulling at every thread until the whole twisted picture comes into view. It's dark, it's messy, and the scariest part is simple: THESE ARE STORIES POSTED BY REAL PEOPLE. Follow CRIMES OF REDDIT for a new episode every Tuesday. CRIMES OF REDDIT is a Crime House original powered by PAVE Studios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode is the Deep Dive x The First Degree Book Club crossover you didn't know you needed. We're sitting down with bestselling author Tom O'Neill to talk about CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties. What began as a routine magazine assignment became a twenty-year investigation that challenged the official narrative of the Manson murders and uncovered a web of unanswered questions surrounding law enforcement, MKUltra, and the turbulent world of the late 1960s. In this wide-ranging conversation, Tom takes us behind the reporting, reflects on what he's learned since publishing the book, and revisits the evidence, theories, and unanswered questions that continue to fuel debate. Whether you've read CHAOS cover to cover or you're just conspiracy-curious, buckle up... and, as always... hats on.

This week on The First Degree, we're doing something a little different. Consider this episode your CHAOS crash course. Tom O'Neill's groundbreaking book CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties has sparked years of conversation, debate, and controversy. But with this week's Deep Dive featuring an in-depth conversation with Tom himself, we wanted to make sure everyone could join us, whether you've read the book or not. In this episode, we break down the major players, the official Manson narrative, the questions O'Neill spent more than two decades investigating, and the evidence that turned CHAOS into one of the most talked-about true crime books of the last decade. Whether you're completely new to CHAOS or just need a refresher before our interview with Tom O'Neill, this is your TLDR.

This week Jac is taking you on a very niche deep dive, so buckle up. We're going all the way down the manosphere rabbit hole via a “hot” viral bakery owner from Phoenix and it's a wild ride. Plus updates on the current D4VD hearings happening this week.

In October 2021, the owner of a beloved dive bar in Everett, Washington is arrested on multiple counts of sexual assault, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit group of patrons that once considered the establishment a second home. As more survivors come forward, investigators uncover a decades-long pattern of abuse, allegations of drugged drinks, child sexual abuse material, and a growing list of victims that transforms a local gathering place into the center of one of the region's most disturbing criminal cases. In episode 413, Jac and Alexis examine the crimes of Christian Sayre, the community that unknowingly surrounded a serial predator, and how a place that held joyful memories for so many became the site of unimaginable trauma for others.

Tin foil hats on! Today's episode, we go down the rabbit hole of Tulsi Gabbard's brother being arrested for luring kids into his hotel room with candy, being raised in a cult, their connection to Jim Morrison, and how she quite possibly might still be mind controlled by MKUltra??? Also, the latest Tyler Robinson updates, including a bizarre confession from Ben Shapiro.

On July 29, 2019, police respond to a 911 call from a hotel in Dallas, Texas. There are noise complaints about some guests, but hotel security is reluctant to intervene before police arrive. When the door to room 228 finally opens, officers find a man covered in blood and a 32-year-old woman shot dead on the floor. The man fights back against police before being taken to the hospital, as authorities try to piece together what has happened to result in the death of a dearly loved daughter, sister, and mother of two. When the truth emerges, everyone in the victim's circle is left in a state of disbelief about the circumstances that had led to her death. In episode 412, Jac and Alexis detail the tragic death of Jacqueline Rose Parguian Nicholas and the questions that hover over the man who ended her life, asking whether some punishment is better than no punishment at all.

Tyler Robinson's hearing has officially started and it is a shit show already. We are discussing the highlights, the plot holes, and the fake news getting thrown around the internet, because what you're being told is no where close to the truth. Plus, updates on Haley Beck and glitches in the matrix.

In June 2006, a 17-year-old spends the evening volunteering with a local haunted house before making plans to spend the next day at the lake with friends. But when those friends arrive to pick him up the following morning, they find the back door of his home kicked in and discover him shot to death in his bedroom. Investigators quickly determine that the killing was targeted, yet they can't identify a motive, a suspect, or even a reason why someone would want the well-liked teenager dead. In episode 411, Jac and Alexis examine the murder of Jeremy "Scotty" Cockrell, the decades-long investigation that followed, and the questions that still haunt his family, friends, and community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Alexis is giving you the inside scoop on all of the latest LISK updates, including what she saw at the sentencing hearing, never heard stories, and her involvement in the LISK Peacock documentary, The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets.

On October 5, 2018, a 26-year-old man disappears while on a work assignment close to Orogrande, Idaho. The energetic, ambitious production assistant and aspiring film producer is last seen on a TV shoot with his crew before running away into the distance, never to be seen again. A search is quickly mounted for the young man, but despite law enforcement's efforts, no trace of him is found. In the absence of any evidence suggesting what has occurred one way or the other, rumors begin to swirl online, all circling back to the same point - where is he? In episode 410, Jac and Alexis detail the bizarre disappearance of Terrence Shemel Woods Jr, and explore the questions about employers' broader responsibilities when it comes to workplace safety and alleged negligence, resulting in a tragedy that leaves a family without answers.

Today is a bit of a medley episode, because there's just so much to talk about. We're hitting the headlines: FBI confirms the Nancy Guthrie ransom letters are fake, Tom Sandoval getting into trouble yet again, Love Island is a microcosm of the state of the world today, and what the hell is happening over at Mount Shasta???

In October 2002, a 25-year-old mother is preparing to leave Valdosta, Georgia, with her 3-year-old son and move back home to be closer to family. She has accepted a new job, packed up her apartment, and is just days away from starting a new chapter. But before the move can happen, both mother and son vanish without a trace. As loved ones search for answers, they are met with more questions than explanations. Over the years, witnesses come forward, leads emerge, and theories circulate, but the truth about what happened remains unknown. In episode 409, Jac and Alexis examine the disappearances of Paula Wade and Brandon Wade, the investigation that followed, and the family's decades-long fight to bring them home.

We've got two very important topics to talk to you about today. One, hackers revealed Peter Theil's “list”, aka the people who meet up in black cloaks at 3am and chat about how they're gonna make money while they ruin the world. And second, Alexis is officially an author! We talk about her latest trip to NYC for Rex Heuermann's sentencing and what we can expect with Between the Devil and the Tide.

In July 1990, a 13-year-old girl disappears in the early hours after sneaking out to see her twin sister in Killeen, Texas. When she is reported missing, police quickly classify her as a runaway and the case receives little to no investigation, leaving her family without answers and her case to fade into obscurity. But as the years pass, a troubling pattern emerges - one involving abuse allegations, inconsistent witness accounts, and a system that failed to properly follow through. With every new detail, the question of what really happened that night becomes more urgent, and more complicated. Decades later, her younger sister begins digging into the truth, uncovering long-buried information and reigniting an investigation that had gone cold for years. In episode 408, Jac and Lex explore the disappearance of Deanna Merryfield, and her sister Melissa's relentless fight to finally uncover what happened to her.

We are concluding our 2 part series on the missing and murdered scientists today, and it gets more bizarre the farther you fall down the rabbit hole. Why these specific scientists being targeted, what did they know that the powers that be wanted destroyed, and will we ever get any answers?

In May 2023, an 18-year-old is preparing for graduation, planning for college, and looking forward to the future in Mesa, Arizona. But after spending the night with friends, he is shot and killed inside a teammate's home just weeks before receiving his diploma. As investigators work to determine what happened, his family is left navigating a case filled with difficult questions and a justice process that proves far more complicated than expected. In episode 407, Jac and Alexis examine the death of Jeremiah Aviles, the legal battle that followed, and the legacy his family has built in his honor.

Today, we're sharing a preview of The Final Hours, a true crime podcast from Crime House, powered by PAVE Studios. Hosted by Sarah Turney and Kourtney Nichole, The Final Hours examines the moments just before a person disappears. The routines. The timelines. And the small details that often get overlooked, until it's too late. Sarah is an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose sister disappeared in 2001. Kourtney is a true crime storyteller and investigator who witnessed firsthand how crime can change a family forever. Together, they bring lived experience into every case, looking not only at what happened, but what led up to it. Listen to and follow The Final Hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes are out every Monday. Listen and follow here: https://pod.link/1872821250 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get ready for another wild week of headlines.  Did you ever submit your DNA to 23 and Me or Ancestry.com?  Well, the CIA might be digging through yours right now to see if it contains extraterrestrial DNA, sorry!  Also, Mackenzie Shirilla is texting her dad about “warm milk”, Charli D'Amelio's parents are stealing her money, a contestant on Love Island looks like Chris Watts, plus so much more!

On the morning of February 1, 2008, a man calls his 20-year-old daughter in Charlotte, North Carolina after receiving a disturbing phone call urging him to check on her. But when her father walks inside, he is greeted with a sight no parent should ever have to witness. The young woman's killer is apprehended within hours. But what emerges in the days and weeks after the slaying about the victim's life behind closed doors shocks and appalls everyone who thought they knew her best. And when the killer is identified, this just raises more concerning questions. In episode 406, Jac and Alexis detail the devastating murder of Simrit Kaur Gill at the hands of Amandeep Brar and explore the heartbreak of realizing that, despite how well we think we know people, sometimes we never really do. Until it's too late.

You asked for it….get ready for the ultimate deep dive digging into the over 13 missing and murdered scientists over the past few years. We are starting with the most infamous, disturbing, and head scratching case of Amy Eskridge. Get ready to go down the rabbit hole with us. It's a wild ride.

On June 23rd, 2023, a 39-year-old woman messages her mom asking if she can come to her home because she doesn't feel safe where she is staying. Unfortunately, her mom is out of town but she tells her daughter she can come over when she is back on the 25th. However, the woman never shows up that day. Even more concerning, in the days that follow, no one could get in contact with her and her social media is completely silent. With no help from law enforcement, the woman's mother takes matters into her own hands and investigates her disappearance. In episode 405, Jac and Alexis explore the disappearance of Amber Arnett, and just how far her mother Marty is willing to go to try to find out what happened to her daughter.

On June 23rd, 2023, a 39-year-old woman messages her mom asking if she can come to her home because she doesn't feel safe where she is staying. Unfortunately, her mom is out of town but she tells her daughter she can come over when she is back on the 25th. However, the woman never shows up that day. Even more concerning, in the days that follow, no one could get in contact with her and her social media is completely silent. With no help from law enforcement, the woman's mother takes matters into her own hands and investigates her disappearance. In episode 405, Jac and Alexis explore the disappearance of Amber Arnett, and just how far her mother Marty is willing to go to try to find out what happened to her daughter.

Today we're deep diving everything that the Netflix documentary The Crash missed about the Mackenzie Shirilla case. From scouting out LA modeling agencies while in the hospital, to jail house calls about Kim Kardashian, to selling feet pics, there is a LOT you don't know about Mackenzie Shirilla and we are ready to discuss it all.

In episode 404, Jac and Alexis are joined by Josh Zeman for Part 2 of their coverage on the infamous Son of Sam murders—and the man whose relentless obsession with uncovering the truth behind the official narrative ultimately consumed him. As the investigation spirals deeper into alleged cult connections, conflicting witness accounts, and lingering questions that have haunted the case for decades, one unsettling possibility remains: Was it really the work of one man? Or were there Sons of Sam?

What the hell even happened this week?! We're diving into it all: Luigi Mangione updates, the James Charles x Gypsy Rose crossover you'd never expect, the SKIMS cocaine bust, the alien files, and an impromptu discussion about the Netflix doc The Crash (which ps is your homework to watch for next week's Deep Dive). Another crazy week for the books.

In the early hours of July 29th, 1976, an 18-year-old woman sits in her car outside her house chatting with a friend following a night out in New York City. The aspiring emergency medic's life is brutally cut short when a man suddenly fires through the window, killing the young woman. Her friend is wounded and survives, but over the coming year, five more people will lose their lives to the man initially dubbed ‘the .44 caliber killer'. The city lives in the grip of sheer terror until August 1977, when 24-year-old David Berkowitz is arrested. He soon confesses and later pleads guilty, sentenced to life in prison. But questions remain. Not everyone believes there was one killer. And for one reporter, the case becomes a decades-long obsession. In episode 403, Jac and Alexis discuss the infamous ‘Son of Sam' serial murders, and how one man's relentless persistence in questioning the official narrative to uncover the truth completely and utterly consumed him.

It's a bizarre variety show kind of week over here on the deep dive! We're talking Epstein “suicide note”, Brittany Furlan x Ronnie Radke catfish scandal, Alex Murdaugh's convictions being overturned, the pop up Epstein file museum in NYC, and Michael Jackson's very weird private jet rider (spoiler alert: the dude lovedddd KFC).

In November 2022, an 18 year old attends a birthday celebration with his family before heading to a party with friends in Mesa, Arizona. Just hours later, in the early morning of November 6, he is shot inside an apartment and left behind as others flee the scene. As police begin their investigation, witnesses point to one person, but the path to accountability proves far more complicated than anyone expected. In episode 402, Jac and Alexis examine the murder of Stephen Benito Jacobo, the legal battle that followed, and how his family continues to fight to honor his life and protect others from experiencing the same loss. Thanks to Bellesa for sponsoring the show!EVERYONE who signs up wins a FREE WhisperVibeTM OR a FREE Rose toy with any WhisperTM order! https://www.bboutique.co/vibe/thefirstdegree-podcast

There is so much shit going on this week that we don't even know where to begin. Starting off with updates on Blake vs Justin, D4VD, the Hantavirus (plssss not another pandemic), and did Chandra Levy know about the UFOS?! THen we dive into the craziest case you've never heard of: the Biffle Family. It's a wild ride.

In September 2023, a 39-year-old man is attacked inside his home in the early morning hours while his family sleeps nearby. He is pronounced dead at the scene, the victim of a single, targeted act of violence, and surveillance footage captures an unknown individual arriving and leaving on a bike. As the investigation continues, no arrests are made, and his family is left searching for answers, trying to understand who would want to harm someone they love. In episode 401, Jac and Alexis examine the unsolved murder of Austin Kanuch, and a mother's unwavering love as she continues to fight for her son.

This week we have updates on the DV4D case (an arrest has finally been made thank GOD), finding out who really built Zorro ranch, there's somehow a second Gypsy Rose, Haley Beck's family is even more messed up than we thought, and we dig into how bizarre Get Him to the Greek was looking back on it (Diddy playing…Diddy???)

On January 28th, 2024, a 76-year-old man and his 69-year-old sister are murdered at their home in Palm Bay, Florida. The killer flees, engaging the police in a dramatic shootout that ends in more tragedy, with additional lives lost and officers risking their lives to bring an end to the carnage. The shooting of the initial male victim, a retired priest, stuns locals, who mourn his loss. How could a well-respected pillar of the community become the victim of such senseless violence? As the investigation continues, dark and disturbing secrets are exposed about the man everyone thought they knew. The shocking revelations cast a whole new light not just on the motivation behind his death, but the complicity of a system that actively protects predators. In episode 400, Jac and Alexis detail the case of Father Robert Hoeffner and discuss how, when evil goes unpunished in powerful institutions, it's the victims who continue to suffer as their alleged abusers walk free.

Another week of crazy headlines awaits us including D4VD finally being arrested, Michael Jackson's weird link to Epstein, and Gislaine Maxwell's possible pardon. And unfortunately we're back diving deep into the Haley Beck / Angela Burlaka scandal because a new bombshell drops every day. Texts, videos from other classmates, unsent notes from her phone. The list goes on and on and on.

You might know Clayton Echard as The Bachelor, but this time, he's sitting down to tell his side of the story. In this special interview episode, we're joined by Clayton Echard and Stephani Young of Love Trapped as we dig into the questions everyone's been asking. Nothing is off limits: Clayton opens up about the headlines, the controversy, and what it's really been like navigating the paternity scandal in real time. It's raw, unfiltered, and gives a deeper look at the story beyond what you've seen online.