True Crime Brewery

The ostensibly charmed marriage of Kelley and Jim Cannon became something like a bad lifetime movie after years of drug addiction and domestic disturbances. Judging from outward appearances, the two were a successful and happy couple raising a young family. Jim was a law school graduate and a well-liked businessman. Kelley was a housewife and mother of three, remembered by her old classmates as a good student and a popular cheerleader. But then, one night in 2008, Jim’s dead body was found inside of a bedroom closet in their Nashville home.Join us at the quiet end for A Body in the Closet. When Jim was found dead, his three children were missing. Police found Kelley Cannon in a nearby condo with the children. She explained that Jim had called her, acting crazy, and asked her to take care of the kids. But an injunction had prevented Kelley from entering the family’s home, so was she telling the truth or was Kelley somehow responsible for her estranged husband’s death?SourcesGreen Hills Mom Who Strangled Husban

Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero were hitchhiking on their way to the Rainbow Family Gathering in June, 1980, when they disappeared. This was an annual gathering of hippies and free-thinking people where they would celebrate harmony, peace, and freedom at Monongahela National Forest. But after the two young women accepted a ride from a quiet young man driving a Chevy Nova, they were never seen alive again.Join us at the quiet end for The Rainbow Girls Murders. Someone murdered Nancy and Vicki in cold blood, leaving their bodies to be found on a remote mountainside. But twelve years into the investigation, an innocent man was charged and convicted of their killings. This man would spend years in prison before the real killer could be brought to justice. Today, we’ll talk about this fascinating case and discuss why the wrong man was sent to prison and a cold-blooded killer was left free to kill again.SourcesMan who confessed to 'Rainbow Murders' is executed, The Associated Press, 11/19/2013Life Without Mercy by

Neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch had little in his background to predict the trail of surgical atrocities he would commit in his short-lived career. Before he was finally stopped, Duntsch had caused serious neurological injuries to most of his patients and killed two of them. In fact, of the 38 surgeries he performed, 33 were catastrophic.Join us at the quiet end for Dissecting Dr. Death. After his residency in Tennessee, Christopher Duntsch moved to Dallas to start his neurosurgery practice. Despite rumors that he had been using cocaine, LSD, and prescription opiates while in training, he had excellent references. But once he began performing surgeries in Dallas, Duntsch was immediately recognized as incompetent by other surgeons and OR staff. And, with no indication that he would stop or seek out additional training, it became obvious that he was intentionally harming his patients. But the big question is why?

After a 911 call came in late at night on August 2, 2006, paramedics were dispatched to a high-end Washington D.C. townhouse. Inside, the home was very neat with expensive electronics and other valuables in plain sight. On the second floor, 32-year-old attorney Robert Wone was found lying flat on his back in a t-shirt and gym shorts. He had three stab wounds to his torso. Mr. Wone was a houseguest that night and the three permanent residents claimed to have no idea who had stabbed him. But the home had absolutely no signs of forced entry or a burglary.Join us at the quiet end for Murder Mystery on Swann Street. From the time they arrived, police officers and paramedics were struck by the incongruous scene. All three residents of the home were together in the living room, freshly showered and wearing crisp, white robes. The bed where Mr. Wone was found appeared strikingly undisturbed. And, despite having suffered three deep knife wounds, there was very little blood on Mr. Wone or the bedding. The lack of an in

As far back as Brian Stidham could remember, he wanted to be a doctor and work with children. As an exceptional student, he graduated from Harvard Medical School. Then he began his residency in pediatric ophthalmology. Eventually, Brian married, had two children, and moved to Tucson, Arizona. As one of very few specialists in the area, he was in high demand. But as Brian’s star was rising, his life would be taken by a man whose own life was crashing and burning.Join us at the quiet end for Eye to Eye: The Murder of Dr. Brian Stidham. While working at a practice with ophthalmologist Bradley Schwartz, Brian noticed that the doctor was behaving erratically. After Schwartz was indicted on drug charges, Brian made plans to open his own practice. But Schwartz was infuriated when his patients went to Brian. And Brad Schwartz was not the forgiving type.SourcesAn Eye for an Eye, 48 Hours, 7/8/2008Office Visit, Forensic Files, 5/17/2018Murder Conspiracy Case Grabs Media Glare, American Medical News, 7/10/2006Tucson Cit

The Murder of Diane PikulDiane Whitmore grew up in the Midwest. She was a smart girl and, as she matured, she was looking forward to an exciting life as an independent, sophisticated woman. But when it came to men, Diane had a bad picker. Diane married Joe Pikul after meeting him at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. He was exciting to her: wealthy and outgoing but emotionally unstable with a terrible temper. By the time the couple had children, they were fighting regularly. Joe’s behavior had progressed from emotionally to physically abusive.Join us at the quiet end for One Last Family Weekend. Diane’s friends feared for her safety, so they were all relieved when she finally decided to leave Joe. But, at the same time, they worried about Diane taking unnecessary risks. Her brave exterior could no longer cover up how frightened she had become of her husband. Joe asked Diane to meet him at their vacation home in the Hamptons for one last family weekend. She knew this was a bad idea, but she felt obligated to go

The Murder-for-Hire of Dan MarkelOn July 18, 2014, 41-year-old law professor Dan Markel dropped off his two young sons at preschool, worked out at the gym, and returned home to his quiet Tallahassee, Florida home. It was a Friday and Dan was looking forward to a relaxing weekend. But as soon as he pulled into his garage, someone shot him at point-blank range.Join us at the quiet end for Conspiracy: The Murder-for-Hire of Dan Markel. This is a story of a divorce and custody battle spun out of control and a family hell-bent on revenge. The investigation into Dan’s murder went on for two years before two career criminals were arrested for driving 10 hours from Miami to stalk and kill Dan. They had no known connection to Dan, but Dan’s ex-wife had family in the Miami area. The family hated Dan, who was getting in the way of Wendi and her children moving closer to them. It was difficult to believe that the Adelsons were behind a murder-for-hire plot, but no one else had a motive to want Dan dead.Sources20/20, Over

Jana and Bruce Koklich were the ideal couple in many ways. Jana was a smart and attractive woman whose father had been an influential California state senator. Bruce was her dedicated, hard-working, and charming husband. Together, they ran a successful California real estate business and owned several valuable properties. But after going to an Eric Clapton concert with a friend in August of 2001, Jana disappeared.Join us at the quiet end for Never Seen Again. Bruce Koklich, as Jana’s concerned husband, appeared on the news and pleaded for her to return home safely. But some friends and family members felt like something was off. Bruce’s business and personal choices were scrutinized, leading some to suspect that he was involved in his wife’s disappearance. But Jana had not been with Bruce on the night she disappeared, so was it possible that she had left her husband to start a new life or had she been a target of foul play?

Back on July 2, 1970, tourists visiting Loch Ard Gorge, Australia, found a crashed car teetering on the edge of an oceanside cliff. It looked like the car could plunge into the water at any moment. After investigators were called to the scene, the mystery grew deeper. The car’s license plate was traced to a family living over 100 miles away.Once the car was towed from the cliff’s edge, the inside was inspected. Investigators were horrified to find four dead bodies, including three young children. The back seat of the car had been removed and someone had attached a hose leading from the tailpipe to the front window, suggesting suicide. This find sent waves of grief and confusion throughout Australia. There were so many questions and very few answers.Join us at the quiet end for Fugitive Father, a dialogue about a terrible crime which has become an enduring mystery. The victims in the car were identified as members of the Crawford family from 136 Cardinal Road, but the father was missing. It seemed possible tha

After 18-year-old Kaitlyn Arquette was murdered in 1989, the Albuquerque police department believed it was a random act of violence. But as details were released, possible motives for her murder came to light.Join us at the quiet end for Who Killed Kaitlyn? Kaitlyn had argued with her boyfriend on the night she was killed. She also had knowledge of a gang-related insurance scheme. But despite her family’s efforts and an extensive police investigation, Kaitlyn’s case went cold. Until early last year, when a suspect was indicted.SourcesAlbuquerque Journal Archives 1988-2022Kaitlyn Arquette Website https://kaitarquette.arquettes.com/One to the Wolves by Lois DuncanPaul Apodaca indicted for high profile murder of Kaitlyn Arquette, KOAT7, Laflin, Nancy, 2/23/2022Who Killed My Daughter? by Lois Duncan

Registered Nurse Julie Keown had goals for her life: start a family, purchase a home, advance in her career. She just needed to stay the course while her husband completed his MBA at Harvard and they would be all set. But sadly, Julie’s life was cruelly cut short and she didn’t live to see the future which she had worked and planned for all her life.Join us at the quiet end for Sweet Talker. Julie and her husband James moved from Missouri to Massachusetts after James was accepted into Harvard Business School’s MBA program. Julie was able to work from home setting up hospitals with medical software and she believed that their finances were on the upswing. But James had secrets. He was fired from his job for lying, he had racked up thousands in credit card debt, his car was repossessed, and there were issues with his education. From all angles, James’ life was falling apart. We’ll never know how much Julie knew about James’ lies, but we do know how far he was willing to go to save himself from financial and soc

McKay Everett was the adored only child of Paulette and Carl Everett. The tight-knit family of three lived a comfortable life in an upscale subdivision in Conroe, Texas, a town just a few miles north of Houston. Crime was uncommon in the Everett’s neighborhood, but they still took precautions, including the installation of a home security system. Join us at the quiet end for A Killer at the Door: The Abduction and Murder of McKay Everett. At 12-years-old, McKay knew all about stranger danger. But kidnapping by a complete stranger is rare. And one of the rarest murders of all is a murder committed in the course of a kidnapping. In this case, McKay was taken from his home by someone he knew, someone who had lured McKay’s parents out of their home to get them out of the way. So, how did McKay know his killer and what was the motive behind this inconceivable betrayal?

The Heather Rich StoryHeather Rich was only 16-years-old when she was brutally victimized by people she knew and trusted. A petite and pretty girl with translucent gray-blue eyes, Heather liked to laugh and she enjoyed the attention of her peers. But adolescence is not everything that they make it out to be in the movies. As a cheerleader and a nominee for homecoming queen, Heather was also a troubled girl who was testing her own limits.Join us at the quiet end for The Body in Belknap Creek. It’s true that Heather made a poor decision when she snuck out of her home on October 3, 1996, but the decisions made by her killers were careless, cruel, and just plain evil. When Heather was reported missing, the police dismissed her as a runaway who would return home in a day or two. But her parents knew better. The search for Heather would last one week, but it took much longer for investigators to reveal the shocking truth of what happened to her on the night of October 3rd.

The disappearance of Scottish mother-of-two Arlene Fraser in April of 1998 alarmed her loved ones and set off rumors and theories throughout her community.  After all, she’d waved goodbye to her children as they went off to school one morning and was never seen again. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. But, of course, she hadn’t.Join us at the quiet end for From Missing to Murdered: Arlene Fraser.  When Arlene didn’t return home, her husband Nat told everyone that she had been drinking to excess, using drugs, and sleeping around.  Therefore, she must have run off with one of her lovers.  Some believed him, but those familiar with Arlene and her husband’s relationship didn’t.  Then things became complicated. It came to light that Arlene had recently visited a solicitor about divorcing her husband. But Nat had an ironclad alibi.  Had Arlene been unhappy enough to leave behind her children and start over somewhere else or had Nat hired someone to make her disappear? Let’s discuss!SourcesBBC News Archiv

Rick Anderson and his girlfriend Chantina Ginn were carnies, following a travelling carnival from Kansas to Arkansas in September of 1980.  At the campground where the two slept, they met another couple. The two men, strung out on uppers and looking for cash, made plans to rob a jewelry store. Of course, their intended victims had no idea of what was coming.Join us at the quiet end for The Staton Jewelry Store Slayings. Kenneth Staton opened his family store for the last time on September 10.  His youngest daughter, Suzanne, was working with him that day. It wasn’t until that evening, when Suzanne and Kenneth didn’t show up for dinner and no one answered the store’s phone, that the rest of the Staton family realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

Barbara Weaver was raised in a strict Amish community where she learned to be caring and obedient.  She knew her future husband, Eli Weaver, from childhood.  They courted according to their church rules. But after marriage, Eli did not live up to the expectations of a devoted husband.  He left the community more than once and was repeatedly unfaithful, making life miserable for Barbara.Join us at the quiet end for The Amish Stud. In 2009, Barbara Weaver was living in a marriage with her five young children and a callous man.  But in the Amish community, divorce is virtually unheard of.  As Barbara tried to hold it all together, Eli became abusive.  He had several girlfriends and broke the Amish rules by using computers, cell phones, and even online dating apps.  But Eli’s behavior was not only hurtful and dismissive, it put a target on Barbara’s back.

Bruce Cleland was a shy, intelligent man who, at age 41, had very little experience with women.  Rebecca Salcedo was younger, extremely manipulative, and very experienced with men. When the two came together as a couple, it was a complete disaster. Bruce adored Rebecca and would do anything to please her.  Unfortunately, there was no pleasing Rebecca.Join us at the quiet end for Despicable She: The Plot to Kill Bruce Cleland.  After winning Bruce’s love, Rebecca began making demands.  An opulent home, no sex before marriage, a Mercedes, a boat, an unlimited line of credit, and the wedding of her dreams.  As an engineer who had always been frugal, Bruce was able to provide everything.  Sadly, no matter how much he gave to her, Rebecca was unfaithful, dismissive, and cruel. But Bruce never predicted how far Rebecca would go to get rid of him and to keep his all of his money for herself.SourcesHoneymoon with a Killer by Don Lasseter & Ronald E. BowersThe People v Rebecca Cleland et al., Court of Appeal of th

In a classic Keith episode of Dateline, a rural Michigan community searches for a young woman last seen at a Halloween party.  The party took place on acres of farmland with hard rock bands, plenty of alcohol, and no guest list.  22-year-old Chelsea Bruck went to the party with her girlfriends, but they left without her.  She had been so excited about having fun in her homemade Poison Ivy costume, but the party did not go as planned.  Alone, crying, and without transportation in a crowd of hundreds of partiers, Chelsea was a vulnerable target for a predator. Join Keith as he leads us through the investigation, finding her killer, and reliving the real horrors of Chelsea Bruck's last party.Happy Halloween and be careful out there, kids!

Richard Marc Evonitz had already abducted three girls from their front yards in Virginia before he took 15-year-old Kara Robinson from her friend’s house in South Carolina. Evonitz had a troubling history of criminal sexual behavior, but his friends and neighbors knew him as a good-looking, intelligent, and compassionate person living an ordinary middle-class life. Only his victims, teenage girls who were used to fulfil his twisted sexual fantasies, knew the monster inside of him.Join us at the quiet end for One Lived to Tell: The Victims of Richard Marc Evonitz. On June 24, 2002, Evonitz imprisoned Kara Robinson in his apartment for 18 hours and repeatedly sexually assaulted her.  After Kara managed to escape, Evonitz fled to Florida. In the end, it was Evonitz’s sister who tipped off the police, setting off a high-speed chase which would end his life of cruelty and violence.SourcesEnd Came with Love, Fear, Horror, Fredricksburg.com, Hall & Pugh, 6/16/2002Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, Oxyg

Vicki Bader’s divorce from her attorney husband Seth Bader was beyond contentious.  Alimony and child custody issues persisted well after the break up. Vicki, emotionally fragile and at times suicidal, endured months of harassment and gaslighting by Seth and his toxic accomplices. But when Seth decided to involve their oldest son in his campaign to destroy Vicki, things took an ominous turn.Join us at the quiet end for Gaslighting: The Extermination of Vicki Bader. Seth Bader was a terrible human being who would stop at nothing to destroy his ex-wife.  After getting custody of their children, he withheld alimony payments, had her tires slashed, and even cooked her beloved parakeets in her oven.More than anyone, the Bader’s oldest son Joey was put in the middle of his parents’ conflicts.  Turned against his mother and living in fear of his father, Joey’s life would be upended by his own actions, done on behalf of Seth Bader. The plot to kill Vicki Bader included several people who either hated her or expected