Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

In this Most Notorious holiday re-release, we revisit an interview that got a lot of attention when it first aired. This is my interview with Lise Pearlman about the fascinating research she did in the infamous 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping, and her jaw-dropping conclusions about who was really behind it all.More information on Lise and her books can be found at her website here: www.lisepearlman.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most colorful criminals in 19th-century California history was a man that you may not have ever heard of - Charley Flynn, aka Charles Mortimer. Flynn was a charmer and a ne'er-do-well whose life was something right out of a movie - a seemingly non-stop series of dramatic robberies and daring escapes. Flynn's activities turned terribly violent, however, after partnering with fellow criminal Carrie Jones, and culminated in two horrific murders and his eventual execution.My guest is author and editor of the Wild West History Association Journal, Matthew Bernstein. He joins me to talk about his book "Hanging Charley Flynn: The Short and Violent Life of the Boldest Criminal in Frontier California".More about the author and his work here: https://www.unmpress.com/9780826365040/hanging-charley-flinn/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a chilly December night in 1956 when young Barbara and Patricia Grimes, dedicated fans of Elvis Presley, set out to watch "Love Me Tender" for the eleventh time. Their disappearance sparked a desperate search, fueled by countless sightings and reports. Yet, despite the intense media frenzy and police efforts, the case was riddled by confusion, misinformation, and potential corruption that have obscured the truth for decades.In this episode, we discuss the web of possible suspects, including the enigmatic figure of Benny Bedwell, the rumors of sex trafficking rings, and the disturbing confessions that only added layers to this mystery. Author and historian Troy Taylor is my guest, and he offers his insights from his book "The Two Lost Girls: The Mystery of the Grimes Sisters". The author's website: https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, February 13, 1905, eight- year-old Kenneth Beasley walked to the back of his school’s playground and into the melting snow of the woods beyond. He never returned. A massive search was undertaken for the North Carolina state senator’s son, and a reward was offered. Despite clues, rumors and even a ransom note, he was never found.A year and a half later, a political rival hurriedly was charged. Accused of the most bizarre and twisted of plots, he faced a courtroom overflowing with jurors, star lawyers, spectators and newspaper reporters. The eventual verdict and stunning aftermath would rip apart two families and shock a state ... yet leave a mystery unsolved.My guest is former criminal defense attorney Charles Oldham, author of "THE SENATORS SON: The Shocking Disappearance, The Celebrated Trial, and The Mystery That Remains A Century Later." More about the author and his work here:  https://beachglassbooks.com/books/the-senators-sonThis episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to https://www.hellofresh.com/notoriousfree to get free breakfast for life! (One breakfast item per box while subscription is active.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few American criminals have captured the imagination of Hollywood like Charles Starkweather, a red-haired James Dean wannabe who murdered eleven people in 1957 and 58.  With him during most of his killing spree was his girlfriend (and possible accomplice) Caril Ann Fugate. Among the victims were Caril's own mother, step-father and little sister.My guest, Edgar award winner and bestselling author Harry N. MacLean, knew the Starkweather family as a boy in Lincoln, Nebraska. One of his main goals in writing his book, "Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree that Changed America", was to examine more closely the question of whether 14-year-old Caril was complicit in the murders, or instead coerced by Starkweather to participate. The author's website:   https://www.harrymaclean.com/This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Brighten the season and go to https://www.betterhelp.com/notorious to get 10% off of your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In my final interview of this Ripper series, I chat with Sarah Bax Horton, author of a recently published book called "One-Armed Jack: Uncovering the Real Jack the Ripper". Her prime suspect is Hyam Hyams, whose distinctive physical characteristics (including a stiff arm) match period eye-witness descriptions of the killer. She also has a personal connection to the story - her great-great grandfather was a police sergeant in Whitechapel during the Ripper murders.The U.S. Amazon link to the author's book:  https://www.amazon.com/One-Armed-Jack-Uncovering-Real-Ripper/dp/178929536XMore about the author and her book here:  https://www.mombooks.com/book/one-armed-jack/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was the real identity of Jack the Ripper a Whitechapel horse slaughterer named James Hardiman? And if so, could he have committed the Thames Torso Murders as well? My guest is Dr. Drew Gray, who along with Andrew Wise wrote the book "Jack and the Thames Torso Murders: A New Ripper?" He makes the case for Hardiman as our Jack the Ripper limited series continues. Drew Gray's blog: https://thepolicemagistrate.blog/Amazon link to his Jack the Ripper book: https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Thames-Torso-Murders-Ripper/dp/1445687763/Amazon link to his book "Murder Maps": https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Maps-Revisited-Phrenology-Fingerprint/dp/0500252459/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron Kosminski is one of the more well known suspects in the Whitechapel murders. Some of the major police officials of the era, in fact, were seriously concerned about his potential involvement in the brutal Autumn of Terror slayings.My guest, Robert House, has studied Aaron Kosminski for years, and shares details of his investigation with us. He is the author of "Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect".The author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100051505763425You can purchase the book here:  https://www.amazon.com/Ripper-Scotland-Yards-Prime-Suspect/dp/0470938994 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prolific author M.J. Trow returns to Most Notorious to kick off a series of interviews about the Jack the Ripper. In his 2009 book "Jack the Ripper: Quest for a Killer", he argues that a mortuary attendant named Robert Mann stalked Whitechapel during the Autumn of Terror, and presents his case that Mann had motive, means and opportunity to murder. M.J. Trow's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/M.-J.-Trow/author/B001H9U1B6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is my favorite John Dillinger expert, Ellen Poulsen. She returns to regale us with a colorful account of the Dillinger Gang's ill-fated Tucson, Arizona vacation in January of 1934.Ellen is the author of "Chasing Dillinger", "Don't Call Us Molls" and "The Case Against Lucky Luciano", and is back for her fourth visit to Most Notorious. More about Ellen and her books here: https://www.ellenpoulsen.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices