Minnesota's Most Notorious: Where Blood Runs Cold

The upscale Highland Park neighborhood in Saint Paul in the late 1940s was a fun place to grow up in. But there was a dark side to the area as well. A trio of gruesome murders of young women happened in a fifteen month period, which shocked the respectable community. The most memorable for the author was the 1948 murder of seventeen-year-old Geraldine Mingo.My guest, David Butwin, shares childhood stories from his memoir, "A Minnesota Kid: In Search of Heroes and Ghosts". Information about his book can be found at his website here: https://www.davidbutwin.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, I get a little more informal than usual, as I chat with Deborah Frethem, long time tour guide at the Wabasha Street Caves (the old Castle Royale Nightclub). We swap tour guide and ghost stories, in honor of the sad, recent closing of the Caves.Deborah, along with Cynthia Schreiner Smith, are co-authors of a book called "Alvin Karpis and the Barker Gang in Minnesota".More about the author at her website: https://deborahfrethem.com/# Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest, Rob Feeney, suddenly found himself the middle of one of the most fascinating criminal investigations in Minnesota history - the theft of one of the famous pairs of Ruby Slippers, worn by Minnesota native Judy Garland in the classic film The Wizard of Oz, out of a Grand Rapids museum in 2005. Rob talks about the historical significance of the shoes, the theft itself, and shares his own experience helping investigators track them down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 1887, Thomas Tollefson was shot to death as he operated his mule-drawn streetcar in the Cedar Avenue-Lake Street neighborhood of Minneapolis. Police settled on two brothers as the murderers - members of a family that ran a notorious saloon nearby called The Hub of Hell.My guest is Beverly J. Porter, author of "The Hub of Hell: A True Story of a Nineteenth-Century Neighborhood, Murder, and Trial". She offers details of not only the murder itself, but the flimsy investigation, trial, and eventual execution of Tim and Pete Barrett.Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before the early 1960s, when much of Minneapolis was razed to make way for ugly parking ramps and office buildings, another world existed. Decrepit 19th century buildings in an area of downtown called Skid Row housed lowbrow bars and flophouses, and a man named John "Johnny Rex" Bacich, owner of the Sourdough Bar, reigned supreme over a gaggle of brawlers, migrant workers, prostitutes and drunks.My guest is Star Tribune editor James Eli Shiffer and his book is called "The King of Skid Row: John Bachich and the Twilight Years of Old Minneapolis". With the help of John Bacich's memories and photographs, he documents and shares the fascinating history of this bygone era of Minneapolis.More about the author here: https://jamesshiffer.com/Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The F.B.I. refers to the 1972 Virginia Piper kidnapping as the most successful kidnapping in American history. In July of that year, Virginia Piper, socialite wife of Bobby Piper, the CEO of Piper, Jaffray and Hopwood, was abducted from her home, taken to Jay Cooke State Park near Duluth, and tied to a tree. The ransom demand was one million dollars.My guest, William Swanson, with help from the Piper family, has meticulously researched a case that many Minnesotans still remember in vivid detail. The product of his hard work is the book "Stolen From the Garden: The Kidnapping of Virginia Piper".Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest is Jerry Kuntz, author of "Minnesota's Notorious Nellie King: Wild Woman of the Closed Frontier". He tells the story of a larger-than-life and beautiful young con-artist, pretend detective, singer and cross-dresser, who lights up Twin Cities papers with her outrageous exploits.He also explains how he was able to track down her elusive past history, and discover her real identity.More about the author here: https://jerrykuntz.org/Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the gripping twists of the 1912 Alice Matthews murder case, focusing on the unsettling confessions of suspect Alfred Driskell. His troubled mental state raises questions about the validity of his admissions. Intriguingly, a man adopts a false identity to elaborate on the case, adding layers of intrigue and madness. As investigators sift through conflicting narratives, the community's turmoil becomes palpable, revealing the deep psychological scars left in the aftermath of the crime.

In March 1912, the murder of 21-year-old Alice Matthews sent shockwaves through Minneapolis. The podcast unravels the heart-wrenching details of her final evening, revealing the turmoil of her family life. Neighbors’ harrowing accounts of distressing screams paint a chilling picture of that night. As the investigation unfolds, conflicting witness statements emerge, raising tensions within the community. Mysterious confessions add further intrigue and uncertainty, leaving listeners eager to uncover the truth behind this disturbing case.

Join author Jack El-Hai, known for 'The Lost Brothers,' as he revisits the chilling 1951 disappearance of the Klein brothers in Minneapolis. He shares the heart-wrenching story of their family's unwavering belief in a more sinister fate beyond the police's drowning conclusion. El-Hai discusses the emotional toll on the Klein family and ongoing efforts to reopen the case, shedding light on historical community context. Prepare for a deep dive into a haunting mystery and the quest for truth in a cold case that refuses to be forgotten.