

True Murder: The Most Shocking Killers
Dan Zupansky
Every week host Dan Zupansky will interview the true crime authors that have written about the most shocking killers of all time.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 2, 2015 • 1h 22min
ROBERT DURST: MURDER OF A MAFIA DAUGHTER-Cathy Scott
Susan Berman grew up in Las Vegas luxury as the daughter of Davie Berman, casino mogul and notorious mafia leader. After her father died she learned about his mob connections. Susan then dedicated her life to learning about Vegas and its underworld chiefs. Her life took a bizarre turn in l982 when Kathie Durst—the wife of her good friend, Robert Durst, mysteriously disappeared. Durst was a prime suspect but the case was never solved. After the Kathie Durst case was reopened, the DA was about to question Susan Berman about what she knew regarding a phone call Kathie supposedly made to her medical school dean saying she was sick and wouldn’t be at school. The call was placed the day after she had vanished. Soon after the Kathie Durst case was reopened, Susan Berman was found dead, shot in the back of head. No forced entry, no robbery, nothing missing from her home.The book covers what led to Durst’s capture. Police records placed him in California at the time of his good friend Susan Berman’s murder. HBO filmmakers discovered a letter unknown before, written by Durst to Susan, a dead-on match to the cadaver letter police say the killer sent before Susan’s body was discovered. MURDER OF A MAFIA DAUGHTER: The Story Behind The Suspicions Robert Durst Murdered Susan Berman-Cathy ScottNATUREBOX-Snack Smarter-Start a Free Trial-For Delicious Details: http://www.naturebox.com/offer/free/sampler/?utm_source=truemurder&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=2014_podcast&afid=truemurder Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Apr 27, 2015 • 1h 25min
JONESTOWN-Will Savive
November 18, 1978, was a tragically unprecedented day in U.S. history that will forever be woven into the fabric of this country. It is the day that leader of Peoples Temple (PT), James Warren Jones, ordered the assassination of U.S. Congressman Leo J. Ryan and others at the Port Kaituma airstrip in South America, then led his congregation on what Guyana's police chief, Skip Roberts, testified was a "mass suicide." Decades later, however, the depth of this story is still unknown, and many scholars and former members who have continued their exploration of the incidents have found that there is still plenty of evidence as well as plenty of sinister connections that contradict the official version of this story. Jonestown: "Don't Drink the Kool-Aid" is the chronological story of the rise and fall of Peoples Temple and its leader Jim Jones-from his early years in Indianapolis and California, to the tragic ending in the jungle of South America that claimed the lives of 918 Americans. Jonestown: "Don't Drink the Kool-Aid" comprehensively details the many links that Jones and his compound had with the CIA and their MKULTRA experiments. Through a comprehensive analysis of Jones' life, Peoples Temple, and the investigation and the aftermath of the mass murder/suicides; this book is designed to be the quintessential marking piece that will re-introduce this story to society and serve as a reminder of the infamous mantra that hung in the pavilion in Jonestown: "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it." JONESTOWN: DON'T DRINK THE KOOLAID-The Complete Story Behind the Mysterious Jim Jones and His Exodus to Guyana-Will Savive Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Apr 16, 2015 • 1h 27min
BLUEBEARD-Valerie Ogden
Bluebeard is the story documenting the history behind the reign of terror imposed on Europe by Gilles de Rais, the infamous Bluebeard. The author brings the reader into the castles, pageants, battles and dungeons of medieval Europe to explore the enigma that was the life of the man, who fought bravely and valiantly alongside Joan of Arc in pursuit of a higher cause then descended into the dark depths of sexual exploitation of children which made him an historical monster. But what is it that causes a man to develop to being such a person? The author focuses on the man s life and the foundation set for his mental and intellectual development, then explores his life subsequent to the sword clashing, blood-letting battles alongside Joan of Arc. She raises questions, presents hypotheses from genetic disposition to PTSD to explain the demonic action of the man. It is a book that gives the reader a breath-taking experience and presents thought-provoking possibilities as to why a man who led a life of valor as a brave warrior could descend into the dark depths of depravity. BLUEBEARD-Brave Warrior, Brutal Psychopath-Valerie OgdenNATUREBOX-Snack Smarter-Start a Free Trial-For Delicious Details: http://www.naturebox.com/offer/free/sampler/?utm_source=truemurder&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=2014_podcast&afid=truemurder Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Apr 9, 2015 • 1h 29min
FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW-Charles Lachman
Sycamore, Illinois. Christmas was three weeks away, and seven-year-old Maria Ridulph went out to play. Soon after, a figure emerged out of the falling snow. He was very friendly. Minutes later, Maria vanished, leaving behind an abandoned doll and footsteps in the snow.In April, a spring thaw gave up Maria’s body in a nearby wooded area. The case attracted national attention, including that of the FBI and President Eisenhower. In all, seventy-four men and three women fell under suspicion. But no one was ever charged with the crime.Incredibly, fifty-five years later, the coldest case in the history of American jurisprudence would be reopened. It happened after a seventy-four-year-old former neighbor of the Ridulphs named Eileen Tessier made a stunning deathbed confession to her family about a dark past, and a darker secret they knew nothing about. Two families would be joined by despair and retribution, and in an astounding turn of events, Maria Ridulph’s killer would finally be brought to justice. FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW-One Shocking Crime. Two Shattered Families. And the Coldest Case in U.S. History-Charles Lachman Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Apr 2, 2015 • 1h 37min
FLESH COLLECTORS-Fred Rosen
Misfit Jeremiah Rodgers, 21, and racist devil worshipper Jonathan Lawrence, 23, were serving time for petty crimes when they met in a Florida penal system mental hospital. A friendship grew from their shared lust for sadistic brutality, and once released, they teamed up to hunt human prey. In March, 1998, in Pensacola, Florida, while quietly watching TV, Leighton Smitherman was shot in the back by assailants hiding outside his home. Amazingly, he survived, not knowing that he'd been chosen at random by would-be-thrill-killers. Their next target wasn't so lucky.Justin Livingston, 20, died from multiple stab wounds - some more than six inches deep. The horror peaked on 7 May 1999, when Rodgers went on a 'date' with pretty Jennifer Robinson, 18, with Lawrence tagging along. The young woman was drugged and assaulted first by Rodgers, then Lawrence, before Rodgers shot her execution-style. But the worse was yet to come, an unspeakable act of mutilation that followed in the bloody footsteps of one of the most infamous serial killers of our time...FLESH COLLECTORS-Cannibalism and Further Depravity on the Redneck Riviera-Fred RosenNATUREBOX-Snack Smarter-Start Free Trial-For Delicious Details: http://www.naturebox.com/offer/free/sampler/?utm_source=truemurder&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=2014_podcast&afid=truemurder Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Mar 26, 2015 • 1h 33min
THE BANK HOLIDAY MURDERS-Tom Wescott
Jack the Ripper stalked the streets of London’s East End from August through November of 1888 in what is dubbed the ‘Autumn of Terror’. However, the grisly ripping of Polly Nichols on August 31st was not the first unsolved murder of the year. The April murder of Emma Smith and the August murder of Martha Tabram both occurred on bank holidays. They baffled the police and press alike and were assumed by the original investigators to have been the first murders in the series. Where they correct? In this provocative work of literary archeology, author Tom Wescott places these early murders in their proper historical context and digs to unearth new evidence and hard facts not seen in over 125 years. The Bank Holiday Murders is the only book of its kind. It eschews the tired approach of unsatisfying ‘final solutions’ in favor of solid research, logical reasoning and new information. The clues followed are not drawn from imagination but from the actual police reports and press accounts of the time. The questions asked by Wescott are ones first suggested by the original investigators but lost to time until now. The answers provided are compelling and sometimes explosive. Among the revelations are: • New information linking the murders of Smith & Tabram to the same killer(s). • Proof that the police did not believe key witnesses in either case. • Proof that at least one of these witnesses was working with the murderer. • New evidence connecting many of the victims that may lead to their actual slayers. • Information on Emily Horsnell, the ACTUAL first Whitechapel murder victim. • The hidden truth of ‘Leather Apron’ and its role in unraveling the Ripper mystery. • Proof of a corrupt police sergeant who thwarted the investigation. Was he protecting the Ripper? THE BANK HOLIDAY MURDERS: The True Story of the First Whitechapel Murders-Tom Wescott. Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Mar 19, 2015 • 1h 27min
IT'S ME-John A. Cameron
Edwards, a misguided boy, vowed to be the best criminal ever. He killed scores and scores of people of all ages over a sixty-six-year period, and was never caught (for murder). Included are some of the most famous murder cases in the past century. IT'S ME-EDWARD WAYNE EDWARDS-The Serial killer You never Heard Of-John A. Cameron Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Mar 12, 2015 • 1h 14min
SERIAL KILLER QUARTERLY-Lee Mellor
Dr. Katherine Ramsland wades through the heavy fog surrounding the“Moors Murders”: a series of high-profile child killings committed by Scottish sadist Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. Kim Cresswell churns the stomach with her unbelievable account of the atrocities committed by Fred and Rosemary West Carol Anne Davis looks at one of the greatest abuses of police power in English history: the entrapment of Colin Stagg for the 1992 ripper-style murder of blonde beauty Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common. Meanwhile, the real killer, Robert Napper, was already confined to Broadmoor asylum for the 1993 evisceration murder of Samantha Bisset and the rape and deadly suffocation of her infant daughter. To top it all off, Edgar-Award winning author Burl Barer makes his SKQ debut, lending his highly original voice to an intriguing re-examination of the murders ascribed to “Yorkshire Ripper” Peter Sutcliffe, and the phenomenon of homicidal fame.Robert J. Hoshowsky, Aaron Elliott, and Kim Cresswell also look at three comparably notorious historical London slayers in their pieces on creepy old John Christie, “Acid Bath Vampire” John George Haigh, and Jack the Ripper suspect and bride poisoner George Smith. SERIAL KILLER QUARTERLY-Lee Mellor Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Mar 5, 2015 • 1h 26min
PRETTY LITTLE KILLERS-Daleen Berry
In Pretty Little Killers, journalist Daleen Berry and investigator Geoffrey Fuller expand upon their New York Times bestselling ebook The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese to give you even more information behind one of the most horrific and shocking murders of our time. Including over 100 pages of new material, Pretty Little Killers shares the latest theories and answers the questions that have left many people baffled.After killer Shelia Eddy pled guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison and Rachel Shoaf was sentenced to thirty years for second-degree murder, family, friends, investigators, and other key sources reveal the facts you would have learned if the case had gone to trial.Including specific details drawn from Rachel’s confession, Pretty Little Killers looks at the crime through the eyes of the victim and killers, providing intimate testimony from the pages of Rachel’s personal journal, Skylar’s diary and school papers, and court records.Berry and Fuller examine all this, including previously unreported details about Rachel and Shelia’s rumored lesbian relationship and explain why more than one investigator believes Skylar’s murder was a thrill kill.Most important, Pretty Little Killers provides a satisfying answer to Skylar’s final question: “Why?” PRETTY LITTLE KILLERS-The Truth Behind the Savage Murder of Skylar Neese-Daleen Berry Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com

Feb 28, 2015 • 1h 18min
BUSINESS OR BLOOD-Peter Edwards
Until Vito Rizzuto went to prison in 2006 for his role in a decades-old Brooklyn triple murder, he ruled the Port of Montreal, the northern gateway to the major American drug markets. A master diplomat, he won the respect of rival mafia clans, bikers and street gangs, and criminal business thrived on his turf. His family prospered and his empire grew--until one of North America's true Teflon dons finally lost his veneer. As he watched helplessly from his Colorado prison, the murders of his son and father made international headlines; the killings of his lieutenants and friends filled the pages of Canadian news; and the influence of the 'Ndrangheta, the Calabrian Mafia, spread across Montreal faster than the blood of Rizzuto's crime family. In 2012, Vito Rizzuto emerged from prison, a 66-year-old man who could carefully rebuild his criminal empire or seek bloody revenge and damn the consequences. From the events leading to his imprisonment to his shocking death in December 2013, Business or Blood is the final chapter of Vito's story. BUSINESS OR BLOOD-Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto's Last War-Peter Edwards Follow and comment on Facebook-TRUE MURDER: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064697978510Check out TRUE MURDER PODCAST @ truemurderpodcast.com