Episodes

  • The Black Widow Murders: The Story of Septuagenarian Killers Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt
    Sep 3 2024

    Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt were sentenced in July of 2008 to life in prison for the murders of Paul Vados and Kenneth McDavid. The women, who were both in their 70s, appeared to be in the business of rescuing down-on-their-luck men in Los Angeles, but it was a deadly ruse. Instead, theymanipulated their marks with offers of free food and housing, and then manipulated them into helping them open life insurances policies – with the women listed as beneficiaries. Helen and Olga then killed these men in staged hit-and-run car accidents, on which they collected payouts totaling in the millions. Let's meet these Black Widow murderers and their victims.

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    33 mins
  • Paid Hitmen Stephen Caracappa + Louis Eppolito Were Also NYPD Detectives
    Aug 27 2024

    Federal prosecutor Daniel Wenner described the case as, “the bloodiest, most violent betrayal of the badge this city has ever seen.” Two decorated New York City police detectives, Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito, committed various illegal activities on behalf of the Five Families of the American Mafia, spanning from the mid-1980s to 1990. This is the story of how their moonlighting gig was discovered by efforts of the FBI, DEA, as well as prosecutors, investigators, and staff of the United States Attorney’s Office – and a woman named Betty Hydell.

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    34 mins
  • Ray and Faye Copeland: America's Oldest Serial Killers
    Aug 20 2024

    Ray and Faye Copeland were husband and wife serial killers and the oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States. Their known victims include at least five farmhands -- more men are still considered missing and likely also murdered, though their remains have not been found. This is a story about nearly a dozen hired laborers who disappeared from the Copeland farm in the 1980s.

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    27 mins
  • The Day the DeAutremont Brothers Bungled the Robbery of Southern Pacific Train No. 13
    Aug 13 2024

    Train robberies are often thought of as a 19th century problem, like when Jesse James and his gang of outlaws famously pulled off the world's first robbery of a moving train, on July 21, 1873, in Iowa. And, of course, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, who liked to rob banks and trains -- and famously blew up the a Union Pacific Railroad train the morning of June 2, 1899. The business of train robbery was BIG business in post-Civil War America. But robberies did continue into the 20th century. And we’re going to talk about three Oregon brothers who botched one, in an attempt to steal currency that may or may not have been on board. Let us introduce you to Ray, Roy, and Hugh DeAutremont.

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    25 mins
  • The Lonely Hearts Killers Lured Single Women to Their Death
    Aug 6 2024

    One of Truman Capote's most famously told anecdotes about his childhood involves his running away with his neighbor, Martha Seabrook, when he was about 10 years old and she, roughly 15. They made a break to a town near where they lived, but were returned home in a day or two. Thirteen years later, Martha met Raymond Fernandez and became one half of the murderous duo known in the press as, The Lonely Hearts Killers. Welcome to a brand new season of Criminalia, featuring partners in crime.

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    36 mins
  • Welcome to a New Season of Criminalia: PARTNERS IN CRIME
    Jul 30 2024

    Welcome to a brand new season of Criminalia, where we'll be talking about criminal duos. Partners in crime. Now, your partner in crime could be platonic; others may be romantic. They're someone who has your back no matter what. This season's partners in crime wait outside in the getaway car. They plot and commit illegal acts with you.In this season, it's fair to say, it’s someone you'll probably be arrested and go to prison with. We’ll see you there, not only with some very real stories about some very shady things, but also with the cocktails and mocktails made to go with them.

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    3 mins
  • Welcome to the Season Finale of Criminalia: 'THE SNAKE OIL SALESMEN'
    Jul 30 2024

    Welcome to the final episode of our season exploring worthless and often dangerous remedies that were promoted as good for whatever may ail you – and, by extension, the patent medicine salesmen, a bunch of quacks and rip-off artists, who advertised and peddled those fraudulent goods. We went into this season assuming the worst; and … it was pretty bad news, to be honest. Listen as Holly and Maria share their favorite shows and drinks from snake oil season.

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    42 mins
  • Pinkham's Cure for 'Female Complaints' and Other Remedies for Women
    Jul 23 2024

    In the Victorian era, the menstrual cycle was considered a disease. A Victorian era woman going through menopause was considered to be emotionally unstable, and a physician would likely have prescribed bloodletting to treat its symptoms. He also would have advised her against reading novels, going to parties, and dancing. If you were a 45- to 50-year-old woman in the 19th century, developing this “madness” was considered inevitable. The lucky underwent bloodletting; the unlucky were confined to what were then-called ‘insane asylums’. Where conventional medicine failed the so-called weaker sex, the Victorian view of females as weak, fragile, and childlike actually served as both cause and effect when it came to .., that's right: patent medicines.

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    31 mins