

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

Dec 2, 2021 • 49min
KILLING TIME: ANOTHER YEAR CLOSER TO DEATH
This week the girls and the goth celebrate the birthday of their very own Alexis Linkletter! She takes a trip down memory lane to share some past dark birthday moments, and they debate surprise parties, sharing gift wish lists, and decorating before Thanksgiving.
🎟 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

Dec 1, 2021 • 50min
Episode 172: Generro Sanchez
Jeana West received a call that is every mother's worst nightmare. Her son, Generro, who was off at college, was dead. From that moment, she began fighting an uphill battle to secure justice for her son and hold his murderer accountable. In episode 172, Jac, Alexis & Billy share the story of Generro Sanchez, and his mother's unrelenting quest to protect others from the suffering her family endured.
🎟 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

Nov 25, 2021 • 44min
KILLING TIME: GOBBLE GOBBLE
This week the girls and the goth bitch about all things Turkey day. They learn about Thanksgiving murders over the years, and debate turducken, cranberry sauce, and keeping the TV on during dinner.
🎟 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

Nov 24, 2021 • 50min
Episode 171: Thanksgiving 2021
On this very special Thanksgiving episode of The First Degree, the gang chats about the forensic advancements, solved cold cases, and justice served that they are thankful for this year. They then hand the mic over to their amazing listeners (aka Firsties) to share what they are thankful for!
🎟 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

Nov 18, 2021 • 48min
KILLING TIME: DRINK THE KOOL-AID
This week the girls and the goth get culty and talk all things Jonestown, from Jim Jones’ “F*ck Schedule” to his pet monkey Mr Bubbs. They debate cult uniforms, over-wearing sunglasses, and how we all know it was Flavor Aid.
🎟 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

Nov 17, 2021 • 57min
Episode 170: Lola Blanc
A woman of LDS faith is excommunicated from her church. After three years of repentance, the woman moves halfway across the country to Utah with her daughter and sons. In Utah, the woman attends an LDS singles dance, and that’s where she meets a man claiming to be the true prophet. After indoctrinating the woman and her daughter, the woman is forced into sex trafficking, which lasts for months until a “customer” realizes what’s really going on. The “customer” gets the woman out of the horrifying situation, and she and her daughter leave the cult. In episode (170), Jac, Alexis, and Billy talk to Lola Blanc about how she and her mother, Christine, believed in a false prophet, and how that affected their lives.
🎟 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

Nov 11, 2021 • 49min
KILLING TIME: PISTORIUS
This week the girls and the goth are analyzing the infamous Oscar Pistorius case, from the step by step recap of what happened on Feb 14, 2013, to why it’s so hard to prove intent in court. They debate table cloths, demolishing historic buildings, and the annoyance of lawn mowers.
🎟 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

Nov 10, 2021 • 45min
Episode 169: Modern Day Bonnie & Clyde
Once the quintessential cheerleader in high school, a 30 year old woman’s life is nothing like it used to be. The husband she had a tumultuous relationship with has died, and she’s turned to drugs. She starts dating another 30 year old drug user, and while she has a prior criminal history, it’s nothing like her boyfriend’s. Within five days of becoming Facebook official, the new couple heads off on a 10 day multi-state crime spree. Along the way, they acquire the nickname “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde”. In episode 169, Jac, Alexis, and Billy delve into why Brittany Harper was willing to risk her life to join Blake Fitzgerald on a crime spree ending in tragedy.
🎟 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

Nov 4, 2021 • 47min
KILLING TIME WITH BAILEY SARIAN
This week the girls and the goth interrogate the iconic Bailey Sarian! They chat about Bailey’s introduction to true crime as a kid, debate who killed JonBenet, and she confesses the worst thing she’s ever done!
🎟 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

Nov 3, 2021 • 52min
Episode 168: Brandon Brown
A senior in high school suffers an injury that puts an end to his dream of playing college basketball. His life spirals out of control, and one night in 2008, he finds himself pointing a gun at a bouncer outside a Portland, Maine bar. He fires one shot, hitting the bouncer, a sniper with the Marines, in the chest. The bouncer is left paralyzed below the waist, and the shooter goes to prison for attempted murder. While there, the shooter becomes the first inmate to enroll in a graduate program, where he starts a groundbreaking study into rehabilitating prisoners. By 2020, the shooter has made so many strides, that the bouncer supports the shooter’s application for clemency. In Episode 168, Jac, Alexis, and Billy recount the story of Brandon Brown’s redemption after he shot and paralyzed James Sanders.
🎟 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


