Let's Go To Court!

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with a wrongful conviction story unlike any we’ve ever covered. When Scott Hornoff was put on trial for the murder of Victoria Cushman, he had every conceivable advantage. The prosecution didn’t rely on junk science. There were no faulty eye witnesses. He had good legal representation. He was a police officer. He is white. But that didn’t stop the jury from finding against him.  Then Kristin tells us about the infamous chocolate candy murders. Back in the late 1800’s, a married woman named Cordelia Botkin met a married man named John Preston Dunning. Cordelia was immediately smitten. John was hot, smart, a great writer, and an all-around good time. The two immediately struck up an affair. After a few years, John broke the news that he was leaving Cordelia. He wanted to go back to his candy-loving wife. Cordelia decided to stop him. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, Kristin starts us off with a case that’s as awful as it is important. Emmett Till was just fourteen years old in 1955, when he traveled from his home in Chicago to visit relatives in rural Mississippi. Before he left, his mother warned Emmett that Chicago and Mississippi were two different worlds. The culture was different -- the racism more intense. He’d have to be careful. But no warning could prepare Emmett for what lay ahead of him in Mississippi.   Then Brandi tells us the infuriating, but ultimately positive story of Cyntoia Brown. From the moment she was born, Cyntoia faced incredible obstacles. By the time she was a teenager, Cyntoia had been sex trafficked by an older man. When she was 16, a 43-year-old real estate broker named Johnny Michael Allen approached her in a Sonic, looking for sex. The two went back to his house, where Cyntoia felt increasingly afraid.  And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kr

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Get ready for a wild ride. This week, we sat down with Toby Dorr, who made international headlines in 2006 when she helped an inmate escape from Lansing Federal Prison.  Back then, her name was Toby Young, and she had what seemed like a normal life. She was married. She had two kids. She had a demanding corporate job. But the truth was that Toby felt isolated and unhappy. Following a layoff and a battle with cancer, Toby wanted to live a more meaningful life. So she created the Safe Harbor Prison Dog program, where she brought dogs in to be trained by inmates at the Lansing Correctional Facility.  But while she was there, she fell in love with an inmate named John Manard. John was serving a life sentence for felony murder, due to his role in a fatal carjacking. Despite their differences, Toby felt a bond with John that she didn’t feel in her marriage. So on February 12, 2006, she helped John escape prison in a dog crate. Toby and John were

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In 2013, Matt Hoss created an exceptionally cringey YouTube video. He cast himself as the cool guy. He cast a hot young woman to act alongside him. He wrote a script where he gave himself all the good comebacks, and made the woman swoon for him. His video got millions of views. Then one day, YouTubers Ethan and Hila Klein of H3H3 productions created their own video reacting to Matt’s video. They gave him a bit of a roast, but ended on a respectful note. There was just one problem. Matt didn’t think their video was very funny. Then Brandi tells us about a case that took place in the summer of 1974. On her way home from the pool, thirteen-year-old Lizabeth Wilson cut through the parking lot of Shawnee Mission East High School. She was never seen again. Suspicion circled around the school’s janitor, John Henry Horton, but without concrete evidence, the case grew cold.    And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a b

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Dave Kroupa thought he’d hit the jackpot. He’d just met Cari Farver, a beautiful, intelligent woman who wasn’t looking for a long-term commitment. The two dated casually for a little while, but all of a sudden, Cari became much less easy going. She dumped him, via text and abruptly left town, leaving her son to fend for himself. For years afterward, she sent Dave countless verbally abusive texts. But over time, Cari’s family became suspicious. Had she really up and left?  Then Kristin tells us about an old timey kidnapping that took the state of California by storm. Brooke Hart had it all. At 22 years old, he was good looking, athletic, and wealthy. Really wealthy. His family owned the beloved Hart’s Department store. He was next in line to run the family business, but that all changed on November 9, 1933.  And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, we’re talking about cases profiled by America’s Most Wanted. Kristin starts us off with the story of David James Roberts -- the first fugitive featured in the pilot episode of America’s Most Wanted. Coincidentally, he was also the first fugitive ever captured thanks to America’s Most Wanted.  David James Roberts was a terrible dude. He murdered a husband and wife, set their house on fire, and left their infant to die in the home. When he was out on bond, he raped a woman twice, locked her in the trunk of her car, then set her infant son out to die in an Indiana winter. Juries were horrified by what they heard. He was ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison. But a few years later, he escaped. Then Brandi tells us about the murder of Ashley Peoples. Ashley was just 22. She was hard working and responsible. So when she suddenly stopped returning her mother’s phone calls and didn’t show up for work, her friends and family kn

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In the summer of 1984, a small fire broke out along a California highway. A driver pulled off the road to get a closer look at the blaze, but that closer look brought more questions than answers. What the hell was that awful smell? Soon, another driver arrived on the scene. He used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Once the smoke cleared, the two drivers made a disturbing discovery -- a burnt human body. Investigators learned that the body belonged to a woman -- and that she’d sustained multiple injuries over her lifetime. But it would take them years to discover who that woman was, and who had tortured her. Then Kristin tells us about a bright, talented young woman whose life was cut short by a total dirtbag. Yingying Zhang was beyond smart. Originally from Nanping, China, she attended one of the nation’s top universities. When it came time to earn her doctorate, she headed off to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She ha

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Matt Carrington wasn’t your typical frat boy. He was reserved. He didn’t drink much. But when a friend asked him to rush the Chi Tau fraternity at Chico State University, Matt said sure. He couldn’t have guessed what he was in for. Over the course of what is commonly referred to as “hell week,” Matt endured relentless hazing. The hazing ramped up as the week progressed. On the final night of hazing, Matt died. Then Brandi tells us about a brilliant, troubled young man named James Gordon Wolcott. James grew up in a small town in Texas. He excelled academically, but he struggled to fit in at home. His sister, Elizabeth had a Southern accent that grated on him. His father, a conservative professor at Southwestern University, disapproved of James’ more liberal politics. One day, in the summer of 1967, James had enough. He murdered his entire family. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with a story from her Johnson County, Kansas, bubble. Ed and Tyler Patton seemed like the perfect couple. In many ways, they were opposites. He was a partier, while she was more straightlaced. Their friends figured that Ed and Tyler’s differences were what made them a good match. But less than a year after they got married, Ed was murdered. Despite her many protests, Tyler seemed like the obvious culprit. Then Kristin tells us about legendary comedian and actress Carol Burnett. Carol is well known for being a hollywood trailblazer, but she’s also a trailblazer when it comes to fighting back against tabloids. It all started with a fun night out in January of 1976. Carol was out with some colleagues. She shared her dessert with a few nearby tables. On her way out, she said hello to Henry Kissinger. A few months later, when the National Enquirer wrote about Carol’s night out, they told an entirely different tale.  And now

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! We all know that Miranda rights are important. They’re a staple in every episode of Law & Order. They’re a quick and concise way of making a person aware of their rights. But how did we get Miranda rights? Well, it’s complicated. And it all started with a world-class douchebag named Ernesto Miranda.  Then, Kristin tells us about anchorwoman Christine Craft. Christine was good at her job. By the time she was hired to co-anchor the evening news in Kansas City, she’d proven herself as a talented reporter and a hard worker. But Christine was no dummy. She knew that women news anchors get unfairly judged for their looks. So before she took the job in Kansas City, she told the station management that she wasn’t looking for a makeover. They assured her they were hiring her for her journalistic talent. They were full of shit. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in h

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It’s time for a remix! In honor of the holiday season, we are re-releasing last year’s ridiculously fun holiday episode. But we’ve added some new stuff, too! There’s a new set of holiday-themed questions at the end, plus SUPREME COURT inductions. Plus: Someone’s mom bought them a SUPREME COURT induction for Christmas. Was it your mom? Listen to find out! Around the holidays, a lot of people bake cookies for their neighbors. It’s supposed to be a nice, friendly gesture. But boy, can it backfire! Teenagers Taylor Ostergaard and Lindsey Zellitti learned that lesson the hard way when they anonymously left a plate of cookies at Wanita Young’s house. Their late night cookie drop scared the crap out of Wanita. She was so shaken that she went to the hospital the next day, suffering from what appeared to be a heart attack. Then Brandi tells us about the time Santa robbed a bank. The robbery took place on December 23, 1927, in Cisco, Texas. A man dre

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Can you believe it? It’s our 100th episode! Holy sexy times! Thank you to everyone who joined us on this perilous journey. We hope you’ll stay with us for many episodes to come. If you don’t, we’ll send a Bob Moss after you. Or maybe a juvenile bigfoot.  In honor of our 100th episode, we are re-doing our very cringe-y first episode! Note: We’re not re-releasing the first episode. We’re completely redoing it. So sit back, relax, and let us tell you for a second time about the crimes that got us interested in lawsuits.  Kristin starts us off with the story of Robert Courtney, a Kansas City pharmacist who was caught diluting cancer drugs. Over the course of several years, Robert diluted everything from chemotherapy drugs to fertility treatments. His horrific crimes affected an estimated 4,200 patients.  Then Brandi tells us about the Tate-LaBianca murders, also known as the Manson Family murders. In the summer of 1969, members of Charles Mans

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Lowell Lee Andrews seemed like a brainy, well-behaved teenager. In fact, the local newspaper called him, “the nicest boy in Wolcott.” After he graduated from high school, he took off for the University of Kansas, where he majored in zoology. Lowell’s life seemed unremarkable in its normalcy. But then, during his Thanksgiving break in 1958, Lowell went home and murdered his entire family. Then Kristin tells us about Jessie Costello, a.k.a., the smiling widow. In the 1930s, Jessie Costello was really something. She was a flapper. She was a snappy dresser. But her life was a little dull. She was married to a stern firefighter named Bill Costello. She was the mother of four children. She didn’t work outside the home. But her life got a whole lot more interesting when she met a married policeman named Edward McMahon. The two started up an affair, and they weren’t exactly discreet about it. So, a few months later, when Bill Costello died of an app

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Celia was sick and tired. She was an enslaved woman, living in Missouri. It seemed the man who purchased her had done so for the sole purpose of raping her. For years, Robert Newsom raped Celia. She did everything she could to stop him. Then, after roughly five years of abuse, Celia reached her breaking point. Robert said he would come to her cabin that night. She warned him not to. She said she’d hurt him. She wasn’t kidding. Then Brandi tells us about the disappearance of Kelsey Berreth. Kelsey went missing on Thanksgiving Day, 2018. That weekend, she texted her boss at Doss Aviation to say she wouldn’t be in the next week. But that wasn’t like Kelsey. Her mom, Cheryl-Lee sensed that something was wrong. Kelsey had an infant daughter and an important career as a pilot. She wouldn’t have just taken off.  And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited v

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It was a seemingly normal day at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The biology department was holding their weekly meeting. Biology professor Amy Bishop was unusually quiet that day, but her coworkers didn’t seem to mind. She tended to dominate their meetings. Perhaps being denied tenure had made her less enthusiastic? Roughly 50 minutes into the meeting, Amy suddenly stood. She pulled out a gun and began firing.  Then, Kristin tells us about Winona Ryder’s shoplifting trial. In 2001, Winona Ryder was on top of the world. She’d been nominated for two Oscars. She’d guest starred in an episode of Friends. She was famous and wealthy. But in December of that year, she was caught shoplifting at Saks Fifth Avenue. People were stunned… but come on. A famous actress would surely get a plea deal, right? Not this time. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her ver

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Taylor Swift was doing her thing. Before her concert started, she stood backstage, greeting fans and posing for photos. It all seemed pretty normal. Then, a Denver morning radio DJ named David Mueller approached her with his then-girlfriend, Shannon Melcher. Taylor chatted with Shannon. But when it was time to take the photo, Taylor says that something shocking happened. David reached up the back of her dress and grabbed her bare ass. Then Brandi tells us about the senseless, horrifying murder of Ali Kemp. Ali was a 19-year-old college student working at an upscale neighborhood pool one summer when she was brutally murdered. Her body was discovered in the pool house, hours after she’d been attacked. But who could have done such a thing? Ali didn’t have any known enemies. For a while, it seemed like the case might go cold. But Ali’s dad, Roger Kemp, fought tirelessly to bring his daughter’s killer to justice. And now for a note about our pro

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with the ultimate mob boss, Al Capone. For years, Al Capone ran Chicago. He was the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Mafia, commonly known as the Chicago Outfit. During the Prohibition era, Capone made big money by operating illegal establishments. Anyone who threatened his businesses was promptly killed. Al did too many illegal things to list, but the most boring one is what took him down. He didn’t pay his taxes. Then Kristin tells us about Dutch Schultz. He may not be a household name today, but in his day, Dutch Schultz was very well known. He was violent, ruthless, and rich. He ran illegal lotteries, operated speakeasies and extorted restaurateurs. Oh yeah. And he didn’t pay taxes. Are we sensing a pattern?  And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. A

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Ten years ago, Skechers Shape-Ups took the world by storm. The shoes were a miracle. They melted our fat, sculpted our hips buns and thighs. And the best part? We didn’t have to do any extra work. All we had to do was put on a pair of Skechers Shape-Ups, and BOOM! Instant workout! Except… well, the shoes didn’t quite live up to the hype. Then Brandi tells us an alarming tale (doesn’t she always?). When Tina Herrmann didn’t show up for work one day, her boss immediately sensed that something was up. She went to Herrmann’s home, broke in, and discovered a grisly scene. There was blood everywhere. Tina, her two children, and her friend Stephanie Sprang were missing. Investigators rushed to the scene. The clues led back to a man named Matthew Hoffman, whose home was filled with leaves. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Jude Deveraux is a prolific romance writer. She’s a New York Times Bestseller and the author of more than 40 novels. One day, the celebrated novelist sought out the services of a psychic named Rose Marks. The two bonded immediately, and pretty soon, Jude found herself forking over millions upon millions of dollars. But was Rose really a psychic? Or was she a con artist? Then Kristin tells us about a horrific quadruple murder in a high-end Washington, D.C. neighborhood. When firefighters arrived at the Savopoulos family home, they though they were dealing with a house fire. When they got inside, they realized that the home was a crime scene. Savvas and Amy Savopoulos, their 10-year-old son Philip, and the family’s housekeeper, Veralicia Figueroa had all been retrained, beaten, and murdered. But who could have done such a thing? Investigators hit a breakthrough when they discovered leftover Domino’s pizza. And now for a note about our process

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! When Kevin Howard’s wife, Julie, announced that she wanted to separate, Kevin was stunned. They’d been married for twelve years. They had two children. He thought they were happy. Julie claimed she didn’t like how much time Kevin spent at work, but Kevin suspected he wasn’t getting the full story. So he hired a private investigator, who quickly discovered that Julie was having an affair with a coworker named Greg Jernigan. Kevin wanted revenge, and he got it thanks to an obscure, old timey law. Then Brandi tells us about a tragedy at an EB Games store in San Antonio, Texas. Amber Belken was the store’s manager. Amber had a reputation for being dependable, so when she didn’t answer her phone on January 29, 2007, other EB Games managers began to worry. When they arrived at the store, they encountered a grizzly scene. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very