

The First Degree
Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek
Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows... you may be our next guest. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 10, 2022 • 43min
BONUS: KILLING TIME- VALENTINE VAMPIRES
This week the girls and the goth get in the romantic mood and get to the bottom of the dark history of Valentine’s Day! They debate sending carnations in elementary school, buying yourself flowers just cuz….and why is Billy so obsessed with sexy vampires?
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 9, 2022 • 54min
Episode 182: Charlie Oppenneer & Brooke Slocum
An eight month pregnant teenager and her boyfriend post an ad on Craigslist, hoping to trade sex for cash. A user named “Mike's Hard” reaches out, and they make plans to meet at a local park. The couple leave their apartment and drive to the park, but they never return home. Four days later, the boyfriend is found decapitated in the park, near his abandoned car. The pregnant girlfriend is nowhere to be found. Investigators track down Mike's Hard, but they’re too late - he’s already taken the girlfriend's life, along with his own. But that’s not where this story ends - once investigators step inside Mike's Hard’s house, they discover a scene ripped straight out of a horror movie. In episode 182, Jac, Alexis, and Billy examine the relationship between Brooke Slocum and Charlie Oppenneer, and how they crossed paths with the deranged Brady Oestrike.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 3, 2022 • 43min
BONUS: KILLING TIME- THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED
This week the girls and the goth learn about the spooky circumstances surrounding Buddy Holly and the Day The Music Died. They debate bands “selling out”, gen-z TikTok trends, and the atrocity that is fake pockets. Now go throw on “American Pie” for old times sake!
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 2, 2022 • 56min
Episode 181: Alyssa Bustamante
A 9 year old girl goes to play with her 6 year old neighbor. She’s supposed to be home by 6:00pm, but she never comes back. Hundreds of people search for the girl in 60 acres of dense woods located behind the girl’s home, but there’s no sign of her. Investigators start focusing on the neighbor’s 15 year old sister as a suspect in the disappearance. They bring her in for questioning, and she confesses to killing the girl for a reason that is beyond belief. In episode 181, Jac, Alexis, and Billy explore the senseless and brutal murder of Elizabeth Olten.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 27, 2022 • 49min
BONUS: KILLING TIME- DANTE'S INFERNO
This week the girls and the goth go to hell, literally! In this Inferno themed episode, they travel through the 9 circles of hell, and throw out which celebs they’d like to meet in each. They debate the “we need to talk text”, being a traitor to small businesses, and crying on Instagram. Which circle of hell do you think you’ll go to??
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 26, 2022 • 59min
Episode 180: Kaila Tran
A 26 year old Winnipeg woman leaves her apartment and walks to her car. As she opens the door, she is attacked by a man with a knife and stabbed over 30 times. The attacker flees, the woman dies, and a police search ensues. A few days later, a man calls the police and says he was with the killer when the woman was murdered - she was killed to pay off a large drug debt, and the person who ordered the hit was the woman’s boyfriend. Police arrest the killer and the woman’s boyfriend, but none of their stories add up. Who is telling the truth? In episode 180, Jac, Alexis, and Billy explore what happened to Kaila Tran and try to make sense of why she was the target of such a brutal attack.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 20, 2022 • 44min
BONUS: KILLING TIME: ONE MORE SONG!
This week the girls and the goth discuss all of the bizarre ways live shows can go wrong. They debate the concept of mosh pits, taking videos of the concert to post on Instagram, and Alexis’ disdain for t-shirt guns. Also, bet ya didn’t know that Ozzy Osbourne prefers doves over bats!
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 19, 2022 • 53min
Episode 179: The Gainesville Ripper Part 3
While awaiting trial, Danny Rolling confesses to the five Ripper murders. He sits down with authorities and explains how he brutally murdered the college students in their own homes. Later, Danny pleads not guilty and a trial date is set, but right before proceedings begin, Danny has a change of heart and pleads guilty. He is subsequently sentenced to death, and eventually executed. In episode 179, Jac, Alexis, and Billy conclude their three part series on the Gainesville Ripper, the killer who inspired the movie Scream.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 13, 2022 • 48min
BONUS: KILLING TIME: OH, THE HORROR!
This week the girls and the goth take a cute little road trip to the Amityville Horror house! They chat about the mass murder that took place, the paranormal activity that ensued, and who the hell was Jodi the pig?? Plus, debates about celebrity tequila brands, the gloriousness of teledoc, and how bare feet on planes make us wanna hurl.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 12, 2022 • 48min
Episode 178: The Gainesville Ripper Part 2
Florida investigators are working around the clock to track down and apprehend the Gainesville Ripper, who brutally murdered five college students over the course of four days. After a few months, investigators find the Ripper…in jail. As investigators get a closer look into the man behind the mask, they discover that he is responsible for many other unsolved crimes including the massacre of a family and multiple armed robberies. In episode 178, Jac, Alexis, and Billy lay out the details of how one of Florida’s largest manhunts of all time led authorities to 36 year old Danny Rolling.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


