True Crime Brewery

When British nurse Lucy Letby went on trial in 2023, the case against her seemed overwhelming. She was charged with 22 murders and attempted murders in the neonatal unit where she worked at Countess of Chester Hospital. The case centered on an abnormally high number of deaths between June 2015 and June 2016. Although no one ever saw Lucy harming a baby and the coroner did not find foul play in any of their deaths, thousands of pieces of evidence were gathered to convict her. In August of 2023, Lucy was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.Join us at the quiet end for Lucy Letby: The Common Denominator, Part One. At her sentencing, the judge said that Lucy had committed a cruel, calculated, and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children. A public inquiry was ordered to discern how Lucy Letby was able to commit her crimes and how the hospital failed to protect babies. But she maintains that she is innocent and there are questions about the statis

The van Breda family enjoyed wealth, travel, and the love of friends and family. They travelled together, had apparently enviable relationships, and the children were educated at some of the best schools from around the world. All five family members were living what seemed like a dream life in a high-security, luxury estate just outside Stellenbosch, South Africa. But everything changed for them overnight in late January of 2015.Join us at the quiet end for What Marli Forgot: The van Breda Axe Murders. The gruesome murders of patriarch Martin, his wife Teresa, and their adult son Rudi shocked South Africa. A bloody axe, identified as coming from the van Breda residence, was recovered at the scene. But there was no indication of forced entry or an outside assailant. Could it have been that a member of the family was responsible for the violence that night? The youngest child, 16-year-old Marli, had no recollection of what happened that night. But her 20-year-old brother, Henri, who remembered details from tha

When 15-year-old Holly Harvey’s grandparents forbade her from spending time with her 16-year-old lover, Sandy, both Holly and Sandy grew bitter and antagonistic. Carl and Sarah Collier loved their out-of-control granddaughter, who they were raising while her mother was in prison. Carl and Sarah did not give up on Holly, but then they began to fear her.Join us at the quiet end for To-Do List. Holly and Sandy plotted against her grandparents. They asked around for a gun, made a to-do list, and told their friends about their horrific plans. Then, one hot summer night, the two teens put their plans into action. There was nothing spontaneous about the horrors they unleashed that night. In fact, their cold-blooded acts even shocked the most seasoned detectives on the case.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Just three years after Thomas Keir told everyone that his first wife Jean had left him and their young son behind to be with another man, his second wife Rosalina was found dead and severely burned on her bed. Keir’s claims to be unlucky and grief-stricken were questioned by investigators as well as family, friends, and members of the media. Could the suspicious deaths of two wives be just bad luck or a strange coincidence?Join us at the quiet end for The Two Wives of Thomas Keir. Thomas Keir was a man so jealous that he had hated for even his own child to touch his wife. His possessiveness was expressed with threats that he would cut her up and feed her to the dogs if she ever left him. Police finally found seven small fragments of Jean’s bones buried under the same house in which Rosalina died. This is the story of two wives, two murders, and a long, difficult fight to get justice for them and their families.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/sup

The human body is a miracle. But when it’s not working, it can be the stuff of nightmares. On this new series from master storyteller MrBallen, we’re sharing medical horror stories and diagnostic mysteries that are surgically calibrated to make your blood run cold.From bizarre, unheard-of diseases and miraculous recoveries to strange medical mishaps and unexplainable deaths — you’ll never hear the phrase “heart-stopping” in the same way again. MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between MrBallen and Wondery, the award-winning company behind Dr. Death.Listen to MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries wherever you get your podcasts: http://wondery.fm/MBMM_TCBBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

On the afternoon of June 26, 2010, a Pennsylvania State Trooper witnessed a car driving erratically. It sped past him and crashed into a tree. Stopping to help, he found the driver alive and covered in blood. When asked what happened, the man answered: "I just killed everybody."Join us at the quiet end for Evil Out on Parole. Not far from the accident, police found a gruesome massacre. Then they learned that the man responsible had already been convicted of murder before and had been out on parole for just two months. Now, convicted killer Michael Ballard had used his freedom to murder four more innocent people, including an ex-girlfriend who had become his obsession.SourcesDeath Penalty 101: Why it's (almost) impossible to execute someone in Pennsylvania, and what's next, Billy Penn, 1/15/2015Fatal Jealousy by Colin McEvoyMan Who Stabbed 4 People Should Have Been in Prison: DA says four people would still be alive if suspect served a full sentence, NBCPhiladelphia.com, Teresa Masterson, 6/27/2010Northampton

Back in the winter of 1985, two friends from Detroit set out on a hunting trip in rural Michigan. Brian Ognjan and David Tyll, both 27-years-old, had been looking forward to this trip and had planned it for weeks. But somewhere along the way, the hunters became the hunted. They vanished somewhere in the bitter cold, leaving behind a legacy of grief and confusion.Join us at the quiet end for Into the Cold. On November 22, Brian and David headed out for David's family cabin in White Cloud. David picked up Brian, Brian cashed a check, and they left. They thought that they might stop to visit a friend along the way. But they never arrived at the cabin or the friend's home. In fact, they were never seen again. And David's vehicle, a 1980 black Ford Bronco, has never been found either.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

July 27th, 1996. Atlanta, Georgia. During a free concert at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, security guard Richard Jewell spotted an abandoned backpack. Authorities soon discovered that it contained a live bomb. The bomb detonated minutes later, but Jewell’s actions saved countless lives. Days later, he became the main suspect in the bombing. The public would immediately associate him with the bombing and some would continue to believe he was responsible even after the actual perpetrator confessed.Listen to Generation Why: The Olympic Park Bombing on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting http://wondery.fm/GW_TCB now. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Back in the summer of 1973, the Houston Police were called to a home where a 33-year-old man named Dean Corll had been shot to death. This crime scene led them to search a shed he had been renting and a wooded area nearby. Finally, the community would learn what had happened to their missing boys. And the details would haunt them for the rest of their lives.Join us at the quiet end for The Candy Man Killer and the Lost Boys of Houston Heights. In December 1970, two teenaged boys disappeared from the Heights neighborhood in Houston. Then more went missing, one after another. As the number of missing kids grew, people had no idea that a sadistic serial killer and his teenage accomplices were living among them. The police had been telling parents not to worry—their sons had simply run away to join a commune or find work. But the truth was heartbreaking, and the impact is still felt today.SourcesEffort Continues to Identify Last Known Victim in Killing Spree, Houston Chronicle, Monica Rohr, 2014.Filmmakers May ha

Carol Montecalvo was a devoted Christian who married her prison pen pal. Once he was released, they seemed happy. But on the evening of March 31, 1988, Carol and her husband Dan were shot. Dan survived. Carol was killed. After Carol’s death, Dan told police that, on the night of the shooting, he and Carol went for a walk together around the neighborhood. When they returned to the house, Carol was shot to death by an intruder. Dan suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.  Join us at the quiet end for Death of a Prison Bride. Dan claimed that he found his wife bleeding on the floor of their home that night. And evidence in the Montecalvo home seemed to support a burglary gone wrong--- until it didn’t. Investigators became suspicious of Dan when they learned of his extensive criminal past, his large gambling debts, and the $600,000 in life insurance he held on Carol’s life. So, did Dan find God or did Carol just find herself an evil man? Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!Record a

Emile Cilliers tried to murder his wife Victoria by sabotaging her parachute, but that was not his first attempt to kill her. Emile had a long history of lying, stealing, and having extramarital affairs. He also had a temper. Victoria knew that her husband was often dishonest and emotionally closed off, but she desperately wanted to keep her family together for the sake of their children. She could not even imagine that the father of her children would want her dead.Join us at the quiet end for The Parachute Murder Plot. Things were far from ideal in the Cilliers marriage, but Victoria was in love and unaware of much of what was going on behind her back. Emile liked to spend money on anonymous sex, frivolous luxuries, and vacations with his girlfriend. He took out high interest payday loans and skimmed money from Victoria’s bank account, all the while gaslighting her into thinking she was emotionally unstable. But as Victoria worried about her troubled marriage, Emile gave her bits of hope. He used her love f

Christa Worthington was a Vassar grad from a prominent family, living on her own on Cape Cod. She had left behind her career as a fashion writer for a simpler life, having a daughter on her own and raising her on the Cape. Then, in January 2002, forty-six-year-old Christa was found stabbed to death in the kitchen of her cottage with her toddler daughter clinging to her body but unharmed.Join us at the quiet end for The Burden of Bias. After Christa’s murder, suspicions pointed toward several local men she’d known. But in 2005, investigators arrested Christopher McCowen, a thirty-four-year-old African American garbage man. According to the police, McCowen gave inconsistent stories. He was convicted in a trial that was filled with conflicting testimony and police misconduct. But in January 2008, a hearing was held to determine whether racism was a factor in the jury’s decision to convict McCowen. Three jury members testified that fellow jurors made racist remarks during deliberations, raising questions about wh

Sandra Bridewell lived a life of privilege throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s. In fact, her life could have been described as near perfect if not for the trail of dead bodies left in her wake. Her first husband, a prominent dentist, died in their home in 1975. Her second husband, a real estate developer, died of cancer in 1982. Shortly after his death, his oncologist’s wife was found shot to death in her car just hours after giving Sandra a ride to the airport. Three years after that, Sandra’s third husband Alan was found shot to death in his car where he was last seen driving to meet her. And six months after that, Alan’s cousin was found shot to death in his garage.Join us at the quiet end for Death Followed Her. Sandra Bridewell had a way about her, especially when it came to men. She was a confessed con artist and a skilled liar. But finding her legally responsible for the suspicious deaths of the people around her would prove next to impossible for law enforcement. Under suspicion, Sandra would elud

In 2008, single mother Susan Bailey was working two jobs to make sure that her children, 17-year-old Jennifer and 13-year-old David, had everything they needed. But on September 26th, when Susan didn’t show up for work, her employer called Susan’s mother, Kate, in Minnesota. Susan’s mother hadn’t heard from her daughter or her two grandchildren.  She tried all of their phones repeatedly but no one was answering. Eventually, Kate called the police to go out to her daughter’s Roanoke, Texas home and do a welfare check. The police went to the house, but all was quiet and they saw no signs of trouble. No one answered the door and Susan’s car wasn’t there. What the police and Kate didn’t know was that Jennifer was obsessed with her boyfriend, Paul Henson, and that Paul and Jennifer had made plans to run away together.Join us at the quiet end for Killer Kids. At 3:30 in the morning on September 28, a police officer in South Dakota pulled over three teenagers travelling in Susan’s car. The teens were taken into cust

In 2015, 35-year-old Kendra Hatcher became a victim of a murder-for-hire plot fueled by jealousy. Kendra was a pediatric dentist living in Dallas who was in a romantic relationship with dermatologist Ricky Paniagua. She was in love with Ricky, but she didn’t know that Ricky had a jealous ex who was stalking her and eventually wanted her dead.Join us at the quiet end for Fatal Jealousy. Ricky’s ex-girlfriend Brenda Delgado had been devastated since he broke up with her in an email that June. That summer, Kendra and Ricky had gone out to dinner, taken trips, and posted smiling photos of themselves on Facebook. Then, on September 2, the day before Ricky and Kendra were to fly to Cancun for a long weekend, someone walked up to Kendra in her apartment parking garage and shot her in the back of her head. No one could imagine who would have a motive to kill Kendra—until investigators spoke with Brenda’s co-conspirators and learned of her obsession with Ricky and her simmering hate for Kendra.Become a supporter of th

California physicians Deepti Gupta and Kevin Paul Anderson were starting their own pediatric practice together when they had an affair. Both were married to other people. Anderson was loved by his patients and had been a mentor to Deepti, who was ten years younger. The day before she was murdered, Deepti had finished all her requirements to become a fully-licensed pediatrician in the State of California and she was certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. But Deepti had a secret---she was pregnant with Anderson’s child.Join us at the quiet end for Dr. Killer. With his career and marriage at risk if news of Deepti’s pregnancy got out, Anderson asked her to meet him in the San Gabriel Mountains to talk. That same night, Deepti’s car and body were found at the bottom of a steep cliff. After recovering her body, it was determined that she had been strangled, her body and car doused with gasoline, and shoved over the cliffside. It was clear that Anderson was responsible, but was this premeditated first-degre

Just after midnight on Christmas Eve 1945, Jennie Sodder woke up to the smell of smoke. The home she shared with her husband, George, and nine of their children, was going up in flames. It would be over seven hours before the fire department arrived. By then, the two-story house had burned to the ground — and five of the Sodder children were missing. In fact, to this day, no one knows what happened to the Sodder children. Their family never saw them again and their remains were never found.Join us at the quiet end for The Missing Sodder Children. Although authorities determined that the children — Maurice, 14; Martha, 12; Louis, 10; Jennie Irene, 8; and Betty, 5 — had died in the fire, their family was not convinced. How could they have perished in the fire without any bones being found? Because of the strange events before, during, and after the tragic fire as well as a stunningly incompetent investigation, the case continues to be one of history’s most disturbing and intriguing unsolved mysteries.Support th

As fraternal twins, Betty and Peggy were together from the very beginning. As adults, they were very different people but remained best friends.  Then, in 1992, they either conspired together to have Betty’s husband killed or fought together to prove their innocence.Join us at the quiet end for Split Decision. After Betty’s husband, Dr. Jack Wilson, was brutally murdered in his own home, suspicions turned to Betty.  Betty was an outspoken, hard-headed woman who had engaged in numerous extramarital affairs. Her promiscuity, alcoholism and an adulterous affair with a black man in racist Alabama may have turned the police, and eventually a jury, against her. If the prosecution’s theory was that Betty and Peggy conspired together to kill Jack, then why was Betty found guilty while Peggy was acquitted? It may have been just been the result of prejudice against Betty, the wild one, and appreciation for the sweet and amiable Peggy.Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment infoSupport the show

17-year-old Karla Homolka met 23-year-old Paul Bernardo in 1987. Some saw their meeting as love at first sight, but the two had a dangerous attraction which would drive them to commit abductions, sexual assaults, and even murder. This good-looking couple became obsessed with each other. And Paul was very controlling of Karla. But Paul Bernardo’s crimes were not all his own.  Evidence, including videotapes, would show that Karla was a willing participant, despite her claims that she was just another one of Paul’s victims.Join us at the quiet end for Killer Couple: Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo. The most basic question asked about serial killers is why.  This becomes much more complicated and difficult to answer when murders are committed by more than one person. Today we’re analyzing one of the most notorious couples in modern history. What role did Karla play in Paul’s violent sex crimes and how did her gender affect the disparity in their charges and sentencing?Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to updat

On a weekday afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, fifteen-year-old Paula Cooper stabbed 78-year-old Ruth Pelke to death. In a city with a history of racism, Ruth was a white, beloved bible teacher who refused to move out of her overwhelmingly black neighborhood. When Paula and her friends showed up at Ruth’s door that day asking about bible studies, Ruth had happily invited them in.Join us at the quiet end for Death Sentence: The Murder of Ruth Pelke & the Punishment of Paula Cooper. When Paula was sentenced to death, few argued against the state’s impending execution of a tenth grader. But when the victim’s grandson forgave the girl, the media brought the story to the forefront and millions signed petitions in support of Paula. This case raises questions about the value of a human life and whether our justice system is made for rehabilitation or retribution.SourcesA Clear Scientific Consensus that the Death Penlty Does Not Deter, Amnesty International, retrieved 3/14/2024, https://www.amnestyusa.org/updat