Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

George Lowther was a mutineer and a pirate, one of the most prolific during the golden age of piracy. His first mate, Edward "Ned" Low, went on to establish himself as perhaps the most sadistic and depraved of all pirate captains. Virtually all popular sources specify Lowther's death being by suicide in 1723, while marooned on the small island of Blanquilla, off the coast of Venezuela. While researching the War of Jenkins' Ear, historian Craig Chapman found repeated references to "Lowther the Pirate" in primary source material. This Lowther was pardoned and commissioned as a Royal Navy lieutenant in 1741. Further research revealed that this was indeed George Lowther, and therefore, that the date and place of his death had been reported erroneously. Military historian and author Craig Chapman shares the story of how Lowther became a pirate, some of his most notable and notorious actions, and his astonishing resurfacing years after his purported death. His book is called "The Resurrected Pirate: The Life, Death, and Subsequent Career of the Notorious George Lowther". The author's website: https://craigschapman.com/ The author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CraigSChapmanAuthor/ Hungry? Support the show here! Get started with Factor here to get 50% off plus FREE shipping on your first box!: http://factormeals.com/notorious50off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Original pub. date: 9/27/2018) Catherine Pelonero, author of "Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences", is my guest. She walks us through the murder of Kitty Genovese in Kew Gardens, New York in 1964 and its aftermath. The horrific crime is especially infamous because no one called police or stepped in to help, despite being witnessed by dozens of people. Note: I normally post a link to an author's website, but a listener just notified me that Catherine's no longer exists. Her Wikipedia page hasn't been updated yet with news of her passing, but here is the link to that page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Pelonero Hungry? Support the show here! Get started with Factor here to get 50% off plus FREE shipping on your first box!: http://factormeals.com/notorious50off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Cowlam stands out as one of the most remarkable con artists of nineteenth-century America. He talked his way into receiving pardons from both President Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. Through deception, he secured a role investigating Lincoln’s assassination. He preyed on lonely widows, attempted to manipulate a Florida election, and created a secret society to steal money. His cons were as bold as they were relentless. My guest, Frank W. Garmon Jr., has written the definitive book on this colorful charlatan. It's called A Wonderful Career in Crime: Charles Cowlam’s Masquerades in the Civil War Era and Gilded Age. The author's website: https://www.frankgarmon.com/ The author's publisher page: https://lsupress.org/9780807182161/a-wonderful-career-in-crime/ Hungry? Support the show here! Get started with Factor here to get 50% off plus FREE shipping on your first box!: http://factormeals.com/notorious50off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November 1945, James Newton, a young World War II veteran, was shot four times—twice in the back—in his room at an Abingdon, Virginia boardinghouse owned by Helen Clark. She would soon stand trial for his murder, as speculation swirled about the true nature of their relationship. Was she a protective, motherly figure trying to prevent Jimmy from taking his own life, or had she killed him in a fit of jealousy? Greg Lilly joins me to disuss the case. He is the author of "Abingdon's Boardinghouse Murder". More about the author and his work on his website: https://www.greglilly.com/ His publisher page: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781467157322 Get started with Factor here to get 50% off plus FREE shipping on your first box!: http://factormeals.com/notorious50off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much like the wheel, the boat, and the telephone, the axe is a transformative piece of technology―one that has been with us since prehistory. And just as early humans used the axe to chop down trees, hunt for food, and whittle tools, they also used it to murder. Over time, this particular use has endured: as the axe evolved over centuries to fit the needs of new agricultural, architectural, and social development, so have our lethal uses for it. Rachel McCarthy James, who wrote "The Man From the Train" with her father Bill James, returns to the show to talk to share some of the history of this iconic tool and weapon. She shares examples of how it's been used for violence over the centuries - from the Vikings to Henry VIII to Lizzie Borden. Her new book, out on May 13, called "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder". The author's website: http://rmccarthyjames.com/ The author's publisher page: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250276735/whackjob/ Get started with Factor here to get 50% off plus FREE shipping on your first box!: http://factormeals.com/notorious50off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American sailing vessel Adriatic collided with the French steamship Le Lyonnais on November 2, 1856, off the coast of Nantucket in what can best be described as a maritime hit-and-run. Adriatic’s captain, Jonathan Durham, rendered no aid and left the passenger steamship to fend for herself. 114 people died in the collision and in the days that followed. My guest is shipwreck hunter Jennifer N. Sellitti, author of "The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-and-Run off the Coast of Nantucket". In this episode of Most Notorious, she recounts the tragic tale of the incident and the dramatic efforts by France to bring Captain Durham to justice. She also shares details of her quest to uncover the long-lost wreck of the Le Lyonnais. Atlantic Wreck Salvage's website: https://dvtenacious.com/ The author's publisher page: https://www.schiffermilitary.com/products/the-adriatic-affair More on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dvtenacious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just in time for summer! This is an introduction and excerpt from the Slaycation Podcast, hosted by Kim and Adam "Tex" Davis and Jerry Kolber. Pack your body bags for a darkly comic, true crime podcast that looks at murders, mysterious deaths and whodunits that happened while people were on vacation. More here! https://www.slaycation.wtf/ Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/6m5al8OnkyVCunFq56qwRE Apple link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slaycation-true-crimes-murders-and-twisted-vacations/id1714880880 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(original pub date 7/19/23) David "Stringbean" Akeman was a singer, clawhammer banjo player and an early Grand Ole Opry star, known for his lanky build and comedic personality. And as a cast member of the nationwide television show Hee-Haw, he was at the height of his popularity when he and his wife Estelle were murdered in their rural Tennessee home in November of 1973. My guest this week is Professor Taylor Hagood, author of "Stringbean: The Life and Murder of a Country Music Legend". He walks us through the fascinating life of this unique musician, the murders that left the nation reeling, and the investigation that led police to the killers. The author's website: ⁠https://www.taylorhagood.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 24, 1964, twenty-four-year-old Matthew Kerry Smith disguised himself with a mask and a Beatle wig, hoisted a semi-automatic rifle, then held up a bank in North York, Ontario. The intelligent but troubled son of a businessman and mentally ill mother, Smith was a navy veteran with a young Indigenous wife and a hazy plan for violent revolution. Outside the bank, Smith was confronted by Jack Blanc, a former member of the Canadian and Israeli armies, who brandished a revolver. During a wild shootout, Blanc was killed, and Smith escaped ― only to become the object of the largest manhunt in the history of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force. My guest is journalist and author Nate Hendley. He joins me to talk about his book, The Beatle Bandit: A Serial Bank Robber's Deadly Heist, a Cross-Country Manhunt, and the Insanity Plea that Shook the Nation. More about the author and his books on his website: https://natehendley.ca/ The author has included these links for those interested in purchasing The Beatle Bandit: Amazon.ca: https://amzn.to/3KQZ90P Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/3Bh5HCF Apple Books: https://tinyurl.com/3xkb7w5t Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/6h2p7epz Walmart: https://tinyurl.com/4bdksr8h Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American government was faced with an unprecedented challenge: where to house the nearly 400,000 German prisoners of war plucked from the battlefield and shipped across the Atlantic. On orders from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Department of War hastily built hundreds of POW camps in the United States. Today, traces of those camps—which once dotted the landscape from Maine to California—have all but vanished. Forgotten, too, is the grisly series of killings that took place within them: Nazi power games playing out in the heart of the United States.My guest today is William Geroux, a World War II expert and author of "The Fifteen: Murder, Retribution, and the Forgotten Story of Nazi POWs in America". He discusses the origins of the German prisoner-of-war camps, the daily lives of the men held there, and the deep divisions between hardline Nazis and less political prisoners—tensions that ultimately led to a series of murders and the prosecution of fifteen POWs.The author's publisher page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725017/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices