Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

Theresa Cross Knor was jealous, controlling, and abusive to her partners and children. After murdering one husband and getting away with it, her children became her next targets.  She would make her children complicit in the murders of two of their siblings and would almost get away with murder again. Resources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_Knorr Theresa Knorr: The Mother Who Burned Her Daughter Alive, from The Lineup, May 9, 2019 Theresa Knorr: Murderpedia Mother’s Day, Denis McDougal, Ballentine Books, 1995.  Links: Website: www.truecrimepodcast.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

..1 eerie corn maze... ...9 haunting figures... ...9 spine-tingling tales... ...Will YOU find your way out? This holiday season, step into a labyrinth of shadows and suspense with Shane Waters as your guide. In this chilling collaboration, you'll encounter the hosts of 9 acclaimed true crime podcasts, each offering a dark tale and a life lesson to send shivers down your spine. This is not just a special episode; it's an immersive journey through a maze of twisted paths and unsolved mysteries. So, lift your lantern high and venture into 'Maze of Secrets'... ...but be warned... ...not everyone makes it to the end… Prepare to get lost in the stories, but find yourself in their lessons. It's an odyssey of crime, mystery, and eerie life lessons that you won't soon forget. This is Shane’s 5th holiday collaboration. If you dare to walk this twisted path with us, you're in for a night you'll never forget. Are you ready? Podcasts are listed here in order of appearance: Frightful (https://www.itsfrightful.org/) M

This week I’m continuing the series “A Family Affair,” detailing cases of a parent involving their children in murder plots.  This time a mother and daughter team up to murder family members for financial profit and to rid themselves of the “burden” of caring for them.  This is the case of Diane and Rachel Staudte aka “The Antifreeze Murders”.  Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a special bonus! I interviewed Laurah Norton, friend, and fellow podcaster, about her new book “Lay Them to Rest: On the Road with the Cold Case Investigators Who Identify the Nameless,” just released by Hachette Publishing. If you purchase “Lay Them to Rest” by October 17th, 2023, at 20% off the publisher’s price, use code LAYTHEMTOREST.  www.hachettebookgroup.com Resources:  “I Forgive Mom For What She Did…” The Springfield New-Leader, Springfield, Missouri, Jan 22, 2016. “20/20 Will Feature Diane Staudte…”, The Springfield New-Leader, Springfield, Missouri, Feb 25, 2022. “How Diane and Rachel Staudte Killed Their Famil

In this month’s series “A Family Affair,” I’ll share cases in which children are manipulated into involvement in criminal offenses - even murder - at the direction of a parent. First up, lust and greed spur a man to manipulate his 14-year-old daughter into committing murder.  Later, when facing a lengthy prison sentence, loyalty to her father causes Cinnamon Brown to keep her father’s secret…at first.  Resources: The Real Murders of Orange County: Stolen Youth, Season 3, Episode 9, July 21, 2023, Oxygen Network.  https://www.oxygen.com/the-real-murders-of-orange-county/season-3/episode-9/stolen-youth -  If You Really Loved Me, author Ann Rule, Simon and Schuster Books, 1991.  “An Almost Perfect Murder”, Los Angeles Times, August 19, 1990.  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-19-vw-3027-story.html - lots of details “The Tragic Story of Cinnamon Brown” All That’s Interesting,  May 17, 2023.   https://allthatsinteresting.com/cinnamon-brown “Girl in Brown Family Slaying Case Paroled After 8 Y

A 19-year-old college student dies as a result of a fraternity hazing incident at Pennsylvania State University in 2017. It will result in the largest criminal indictment of a fraternity in American history.  RESOURCE LINKS:  “Penn State is Still Keeping Secrets on Frat Row” - https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/penn-state-drinking/5a74f2a3f1cdb375f62d5ddd “What Happened the Night of Beta Theta Pi’s Bid Acceptance Night” -  https://onwardstate.com/2017/05/05/what-happened-the-night-of-beta-theta-pis-bid-acceptance-night/ “How a Fatal Frat Hazing Became Penn State’s Latest Campus Crisis” - https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/10/penn-state-fraternity-hazing-death Death of Tim Piazza - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tim_Piazza Pennsylvania State University Grand Jury Report on the Hazing Death of Tim Piazza - Released from the Court of Common Pleas, Centre County, Pennsylvania, December 15, 2017. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4329784-Grandjury-Report.html Links:  Once Upon a Crim

In this month’s series, I detail crimes that happened on school campuses. In 1996, a 14-year-old walked into his 8th-grade math class and opened fire.  This early school shooting would shock his community and spark a nationwide debate about violence in the media, school bullying, mental health, and gun control.  But what was the real reason Barry Loukaitis brought terror to his classroom?  Sources:  State v. Loukaitis, Appeal from the Superior Court for Grant County, Decided July 2, 1996.  https://casetext.com/case/state-v-loukaitis Teacher Tells Court Of Classroom Horror Witness Describes Negotiating With An Armed Loukaitis, Finally Subduing Him, The Spokesman-Review, Sept. 5, 1997.  https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/sep/05/teacher-tells-court-of-classroom-horror-witness/ A teacher and two students die in shooting rampage at Frontier Junior High School in Moses Lake on February 2, 1996, HistoryLink.org, 2/7/2020 https://www.historylink.org/File/20965 Full letter from Jon Lane, the teacher who ta

LIVE FROM U.K. Tune in to this special bonus episode. We're pleased to offer you this special episode in collaboration with the amazing and very popular true crime podcast Minds of Madness!  Esther and Tyler co-host this episode to unravel the mysteries surrounding this gruesome case from the U.K. Links:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s7-ep287-the-long-con-the-murder-of-mee-kuen-chong/  https://mindsofmadnesspodcast.com/listen/

In this month’s series, I detail crimes that happened on school campuses. In this episode,  A 14-year-old high school student commits a horrific act of rape and murder in a school bathroom.  Was Philip Chism mentally ill, as his defense would later claim, or was he faking it to get away with murder?  Sources:  https://allthatsinteresting.com/philip-chism https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2015/12/17/12-questions-about-the-philip-chism-trial-answered/ https://www.masslive.com/politics/2013/09/gov_deval_patrick_signs_law_to.html https://casetext.com/case/commonwealth-v-chism-6 https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/philip-chism-colleen-ritzer-murder-sentencing-danvers-high-school-teacher-victim-impact-statements/ Links:  Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, ad-free episodes, and members-only perks! www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

In this week’s episode, a successful, young entrepreneur gains a large following on Instagram by sharing her photos and videos of her life’s milestones over the years. Alexis Sharkey’s followers only saw the best times - fun with friends, professional achievements, and glamorous trips.  But, in 2020, her life quickly took a dark turn hidden behind the idyllic images posted on social media.  Sources:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10066217/Husband-influencer-killed-year-dead-gunshot-wound-head.html  https://www.newsweek.com/alexis-sharkey-husband-thomas-death-suicide-evade-houston-1636540 https://www.thedailybeast.com/instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkey-found-dead-along-houston-road  https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/alexis-sharkey-update-husband-found-dead-florida/285-2dd1fce8-6d0c-4930-8bee-7ace18141e65  https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-tom-houston-instagram-influencer-death/11100357/ -  Exploring the Truth About Alexis Sharkey's Final Days Before Her Death - E! Online - CA (eonli

This week, I’ll tell you about a rising singing star who began her career on YouTube before making it to Hollywood to compete on a nationally televised talent show.  Christina Grimmie had a bright future ahead of her as an entertainer in 2016 when an obsessed fan cut her career short with an unprovoked act of violence.   Resources:  The cold-blooded murder of Christina Grimmie was Orlando's most tragic and shocking crime ... for about 26 hours (orlandoweekly.com)  Christina Grimmie Murdered At Concert - Selena, Ariana & More React To Orlando Shooting (DHR) - YouTube Kevin Loibl: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com Singer Christina Grimmie was shot to death. Now, her family supports others impacted by gun violence | The Independent Links:  The Christina Grimmie Foundation - www.christinagrimmiefoundation.org Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

This month I’ll be detailing true crime cases that involved rising stars who made names for themselves in social media.  In this first episode, a young comedian boasts almost a million followers on TikTok alone.  But Ali Abulaban’s out-of-control jealousy and possessiveness will lead to a double murder charge instead of internet stardom.  Resources:  https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/tiktok-star-accused-of-double-murder-speaks-to-fox-5-from-jail/ https://lionessrue.medium.com/the-tiktok-star-freaked-out-after-finding-his-wife-with-another-man-then-shed-blood-a07408ad3716 https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/double-murder-suspect-killed-his-wife-da/2762676/ https://hollywoodunlocked.com/influencer-murders-wife-friend-after-spying-on-them-with-daughters-ipad/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/11/17/tiktok-stars-ali-ana-abulaban-seemed-perfect-hes-accused-murder/8623432002/ Links:  Once Upon a Crime Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

Sheila Davalloo made it a habit of looking outside her relationships for passion and sex.  But she soon turned cold toward her secret lovers once these relationships became routine.  That is until she met a man who rejected her for a new love interest. That’s when her attraction turned into a deadly obsession.   Sources:  Sheila Davalloo | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers Sheila Davalloo:Tangled Web, Love, Lies, Murder (wickedness.net) Murder of Anna Lisa Raymundo by Sheila Davalloo featured on Betrayed (dailycrime.com) Who Is Sheila Davalloo? Facts About The Convicted Female Murderer In Oxygen's Snapped: Behind Bars | YourTango Links:  Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730325570622505 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onceuponacrimepod/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ouacpod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@onceuponacrimepod

In this week’s episode, Lorena joins me to discuss another true crime that resulted from a love triangle. Betty Gore was brutally murdered with an axe in the summer of 1980 in her small town of Wylie, Texas.  The community would initially be terrified that a psychotic axe murderer was on the loose.  But the reality would shock them even more when it was discovered a respected and well-liked member of the local church choir had wielded the axe, killing Betty Gore with 41 whacks.  This is the case of “A Deadly Affair: Candy Montgomery.”   Resources Cited:  Candy (2022) - A Hulu Original Show -  https://www.hulu.com/series/candy-2ce80ed9-7ab6-44de-8434-f7dadb6ec11b Love and Death (2023) - Love and Death can be streamed on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.   Movie: A Killing in a Small Town (1990)  People Magazine Investigates: Candy and Betty - https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/video/people-magazine-investigates-investigation-discovery/candy-and-betty Book: Evidence of Love: A True Story of P

In this episode, two people in committed relationships become infatuated with one another.  When one of their spouses is murdered, investigators quickly zero in on the star-crossed lovers.  However, investigators will find it challenging to prove who killed Marlene Warren due to the baffling description of the attacker.  Sources:  A Clown At The Door | A Court TV Special Michael Warren Now: Where is Marlene Warren's Ex-Husband Today? Update (thecinemaholic.com) What happened to Marlene Warren? | The US Sun (the-sun.com)  True Crime: Clown killer accused of murdering Marlene Warren (palmbeachpost.com) Killer clown: Key players in the murder trial of Marlene Warren (palmbeachpost.com) Wellington clown murder case: Defense says state hid possible suspect (palmbeachpost.com) Killer Clown suspect Sheila Keen-Warren pleads guilty (WPTV West Palm Beach) https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/wellington/sheila-keen-warren-plea-deal Son of Killer Clown victim ‘relieved’ following Sheila Keen

In this episode we’ll revisit the Michael Peterson case aka “The Staircase Murder”.  My guest, author Tiddy Smith, will discuss an alternate theory to explain the death of Kathleen Peterson detailed in his new book Death by Talons.  Links:   Tiddy Smith’s Author Page: https://wildbluepress.com/death-by-talons-tiddy-smith-true-crime/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmithTiddy https://www.patreon.com/OnceUponACrime

On June 10th, 2021, an elderly woman vanished without a trace from her own home in Wembley, London. 16 agonizing days later, and a staggering 200 miles away, visitors exploring the seaside town of Salcombe stumbled across a horrific scene. There amidst the beauty of the coastal landscape, lay a headless body. Join us to unravel the mysteries surrounding this gruesome case.  We're pleased to offer you this special episode in collaboration with the amazing and very popular true crime podcast Minds of Madness!  Esther and Tyler co-host this episode to unravel the mysteries surrounding this gruesome case from the U.K. Research&Writing: Nicole Colin & Katherine Thomas - Epigram Literary Group Editing: Aiden Wolf Sources: en.wikipedia.org 1 en.wikipedia.org 2 en.wikipedia.org 3 en.wikipedia.org 4 theguardian.com theguardian.com 2 cbsnews.com bbc.com 1 bbc.com 2 abc.net.au dailytelegraph.com.au 1 dailytelegraph.com.au 2 dailytelegraph.com.au 3 lbc.co.uk metro.co.uk devonlive.com vice.com bi

We’re celebrating our 7th anniversary of the podcast by bringing you 7 case updates of crimes we’ve covered since 2016. Thank you all so much for making this crazy true crime ride possible! Episodes referenced: Episode 1: Lost and Found: Jaycee Dugard Date released: June 9, 2016 Link to episode:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-072-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-2/   Episode 71 & 72: The 12 Crimes of Christmas: Laci Peterson Date released: December 18, 2017 Links to episodes:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-071-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-1/ https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-072-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-2/ Episode 83: Unusual Criminal Defenses: The Affluenza Defense Date released: March 26, 2018 Link to episode:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-083-unusual-criminal-defenses-the-affluenza-defense/ Episode 126: Bad Sports: Sally “Killer” McNeil Date released: April 8, 2019 Link to episode:  https://ww

In this series, I share true crime cases that resulted in women being sentenced to Death Row.  In 2009, a woman victimized by a childhood of abuse and violence becomes immersed in anti-immigrant vigilante groups.  Her zeal and dedication to this cause result in a home-invasion plot that results in the murders of a Hispanic man and his young daughter.    Resources: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/shwna-forde-kid-killing-minutewoman-sentenced-to-65-years-in-prison-in-addition-to-death-sentence-6637423 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Raul_d_Brisenia_Flores https://murderpedia.org/female.F/f/forde-shawna.htm https://caselaw.findlaw.com/az-supreme-court/1655105.html Links:  CrimeCon UK - www.crimecon.co.uk - The ultimate true crime weekend will take place on June  9th and 10th in London.  Come out and meet me and all your favorite true crime podcasters, documentary filmmakers, authors, investigators, and more.  Use my offer code ONCEUPON to claim your discount at registration. You can meet me on

This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime)  as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrifices of mothers, but today we’ll be exploring the twisted tales that lurk behind the shadows.  Part 2: Once Upon A Crime [https://www.truecrimepodcast.com] PNW Haunts & Homicides [https://www.pnwhauntsandhomicides.com] The Trail Went Cold [https://www.trailwentcold.com] Coffee & Cases [https://tinyurl.com/pc25pzzs] Already Gone [https://www.alreadygonepodcast.com] Twisted and Uncorked [https://www.twistedanduncorked.com] Mystery Inc [https://www.itsmysteryinc.com] If you enjoyed this holiday collaboration special, check out the other collaboration specials: Deceptions & Resurrections [https://tinyurl.com/3a9d7yrf], Bloody Valentine [https://tinyurl.com/e6ynmzpr], and A Nightmare before Halloween [https://tinyurl.com/52jeh66d]. Until our next adventure, stay safe

This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime)  as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrifices of mothers, but today we’ll be exploring the twisted tales that lurk behind the shadows.  Podcasts are listed here in order of appearance: Part 1: Foul Play: Crime Series [www.itsfoulplay.com] Music City 911[https://musiccity911.com] Crimes from the East [https://tinyurl.com/37sx22bt] Cults, Crimes, Cabernet [https://www.cultscrimescabernet.com] A Nefarious Nightmare [https://tinyurl.com/y5nuezs5] Crimelines [https://linktr.ee/Crimelines] The Asian Madness Podcast [ https://tinyurl.com/5n8nv6ay