Plead The Belly
By Plead The Belly
We are a True Crime podcast about women and the crimes they commit. Join us twice a month as we use a sense of humor to analyze the bad things women have done throughout history.
Plead The BellySep 15, 2018
00:00
44:17
Good Bye and Thank you!
The podcast has come to an end, but the love has not.
May 01, 202007:24
040- PTB discusses Pet Stockholm Syndrome, the Science of Reattaching Limbs and Lorena Bobbitt
Lorena Bobbitt was born October 31, 1970 in Bucay, Ecuador. Not much is documented about her life until she married John Bobbitt in 1989.
On June 23, 1993 Bobbitt claimed that her husband raped her. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence and she had suffered other forms of physical and mental abuse from him.
That night, after he went to sleep, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a carving knife. She then returned to her bedroom and cut off his penis.
Bobbitt then left the apartment with the severed appendage and drove away. After a while she threw it out of the window then stopped to call 911, telling the police what happened. The appendage was later found and reattached.
Bobbitt was tried for her crimes. During the trial vendors sold shirts that said “Love hurts” and penis-shaped candy.
John was charged with marital sexual assault. During this time period, marital rape was a relatively new crime and the law made it almost impossible to prove. He was arrested several more times and has served jail time for assault.
In court she testified that he sexually, physically, and emotionally abused her during their marriage. Her attorneys claimed that all the abuse made her snap and that because of the abuse she was suffering from depression and PTSD.
John denied the claims but, during cross examination his statements would conflict.
John was later acquitted of rape and she was found not guilty due to insanity. As a result she had to undergo a 45 day evaluation at Central State Hospital, after which she was released.
In 1995 the two divorced.
John went on to form a band and star in two porn films. He was also a regular on the Howard Stern show.
This case received a lot of media attention. Terms like the "Bobbittized punishment" and "Bobbitt Procedure" became common and the Bobbitt worm was named after this case.
After Lorena served a short sentence in a mental hospital she went back to her life as a manicurist. She remarried and had one child. She also formed a charity called Lorena’s Red Wagon which helps survivors of domestic violence.
On June 23, 1993 Bobbitt claimed that her husband raped her. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence and she had suffered other forms of physical and mental abuse from him.
That night, after he went to sleep, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a carving knife. She then returned to her bedroom and cut off his penis.
Bobbitt then left the apartment with the severed appendage and drove away. After a while she threw it out of the window then stopped to call 911, telling the police what happened. The appendage was later found and reattached.
Bobbitt was tried for her crimes. During the trial vendors sold shirts that said “Love hurts” and penis-shaped candy.
John was charged with marital sexual assault. During this time period, marital rape was a relatively new crime and the law made it almost impossible to prove. He was arrested several more times and has served jail time for assault.
In court she testified that he sexually, physically, and emotionally abused her during their marriage. Her attorneys claimed that all the abuse made her snap and that because of the abuse she was suffering from depression and PTSD.
John denied the claims but, during cross examination his statements would conflict.
John was later acquitted of rape and she was found not guilty due to insanity. As a result she had to undergo a 45 day evaluation at Central State Hospital, after which she was released.
In 1995 the two divorced.
John went on to form a band and star in two porn films. He was also a regular on the Howard Stern show.
This case received a lot of media attention. Terms like the "Bobbittized punishment" and "Bobbitt Procedure" became common and the Bobbitt worm was named after this case.
After Lorena served a short sentence in a mental hospital she went back to her life as a manicurist. She remarried and had one child. She also formed a charity called Lorena’s Red Wagon which helps survivors of domestic violence.
Feb 18, 202031:29
039- PTB discusses fears of needles, what it means to be self made and Elizabeth Holmes
Elizabeth Holmes was born on born on February 3, 1984 in Washington D.C. Her mother worked as a congressional staffer while her dad was employed by Enron and later worked for government agencies like the United States Agency for International Development.
She was considered to be a bright child and, at age seven, tried to invent a time machine. She filled notebooks with notes and ideas.
At age nine she told her family that she wanted to be a billionare when she grew up. She was known to be very competitive.
In high school she was a straight A student and started a business where she sold C++ compilers, a type of software that translates computer code, to schools in China. She also participated in a summer program at Stanford.
After graduating she went to Stanford to study chemical engineering. She spent the summer after her freshman year interning at the Genome Institute in Singapore.
In her sophomore year she went to one of her professors, Channing Robertson, and asked him if he wanted to start a company with her. With his help she founded Real-Time Cures, later changing the company's name to Theranos and filed a patent for a "Medical device for analyte monitoring and drug delivery”. She then dropped out of college to work at her company full time.
She claimed to be developing a machine that could run a variety of tests from a small drop of blood for things like high cholesterol and cancer.
Some of the early Theranos investors were Larry Ellision, who founded Oracle, and Tim Draper, founder of VC firm, Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Holmes was able to raise over 700$ million dollars from investors.
Holmes began to model her style and speech after her icon, Steve Jobs and was known to dress like him. She also dropped her voice to a lower tone.
She began dating the president and COO of Theranos, Sunny Balwani, who was 20 years older than her. They had met during Holmes' third year in Stanford’s summer Mandarin program, the summer before she went to college.
In 2008 the Theranos board attempted to remove Holmes to replace her with someone more experiences. After a two hour meeting Holmes convinced them to let her stay on.
As Theranos gained in fame so did Holmes. She was on the cover of Fortune and Forbes, gave a TED Talk, and spoke on panels with Bill Clinton and Alibaba's Jack Ma. Theranos also began partnering with other companies such as Capital Blue Cross and Cleveland Clinic. They made a deal with Walgreens to open testing centers in their stores.
Holmes became the world’s youngest self made female billionaire with a net worth of around $4.5 billion but no one in the outside world knew how her company worked. Anyone who visited Theranon had to sign NDAs and was escorted everywhere by security.
In 2015 Ian Gibbons, a chief scientist at Theranos, warned Holmes that the tests weren’t ready to take public and that there were issues with the technology. Others began voicing their concerns too.
In August of that year the FDA began investigating the company and found "major inaccuracies" in their testing.
Then in October John Carreyrou, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, published his investigation. He had discovered that the blood testing machine wasn’t giving accurate results and that they were running their samples through traditional blood testing machines. He spoke to ex-employees and retrieved official company documents.
Theranos threatened to sue if he published the story but did it anyway.
Holmes denied all allegations and appeared on CNBC’s Mad Money to defend herself and her company, saying that "This is what happens when you work to change things, and first they think you're crazy, then they fight you, and then all of a sudden you change the world.”
By 2016 the FDA, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and SEC were all looking into Theranos. In January Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent Theranos a warning letter that talked about issues with staff, procedures an
Feb 04, 202041:59
038- PTB discusses the legality of law and order and Andrea Yates
Andrea Yates was born in Hallsville Texas in 1964. She started to show signs of depression at age 17. She graduated from high school in 1982 as class valedictorian, captain of the swim team, and an officer in the National Honor Society. She went on to get her nursing degree from the University of Texas and then worked as a nurse until she married Rusty Yates on April 17, 1993.
Jan 22, 202034:39
037 - PTB discussess ye olden dating practices, trespassing laws and Bell Gunness
In 1883 she immigrated to Chicago to live with her sister while her brother stayed in Norway.
In 1884 she married Mads Albert Sorenson and they had four kids and one foster child. Her husband owned a candy store.
In 1890 their house burned down and in 1895 the store burned down and they received insurance money for both. During this time two of their children died from acute colitis.
Interestingly acute colitis and strychnine poisoning share some common symptoms, such as abdominal pain and this will come into play later in Gunness’ life.
Her husband also died in this time period on the one day that his two life insurance policies overlapped. His family demanded an inquiry but no charges were filed. The family thought that it was strychnine poisoning but her doctor overruled them and ruled it as heart failure.
With the insurance payout, Gunness bought a farm with more than 40 acres near La Porte, Indiana. She remarried Peter Gunness, who had two children. He suspected that something wasn’t right and sent his oldest daughter to live with relatives. She is the only child who survived Gunness. Peter and his younger daughter both died shortly after.
After this Gunness began posting in a singles column in the local paper. Many men answered the posting. She demanded that the men sell everything they had before coming to see her.
In July 1907 Gunness hired Ray Lamphere to be farm hand and began sleeping with him. He didn’t like all of her suitors but she refused to be with him because of his gambling problem.
She began a long distance relationship with Andrew Helgelien from South Dakota. They wrote each other for 16 months before meeting. He arrived in January 1908 with $2839 to build a new life with her.
Shortly after Gunness and Lamphere got into a fight and she kicked him off the property. She complained to the sheriff that she saw him through her windows and had him arrested and fined for trespassing.
During this time Helgelien’s brother Asle began to worry about him. One of their farmhands found their letters and Asle became suspicious of her motives when he read the she asked him to withdraw all of his money and come to her.
He wrote to Gunness and asked where his brother was. She claimed that he left for Chicago and speculated that he may go to Norway. Alse didn’t think that that sounded like his brother.
Gunness was still worried about Lamphere and in April went to a lawyer and had a will drawn up. After the meeting, she went shopping and came home with cakes, a toy train, and two gallons of kerosene. She treated her family that evening to a large meal of meat and potatoes and spent the night sitting on the floor, playing with her children and their new toy train.
The following morning her house had burned down. Four burnt bodies were found, three were children and the last was an adult female. The woman’s corpse was headless. It was assumed that the woman’s body was Gunness’. Lamphere was arrested immediately and when Alse read this in the paper he rushed to Indiana.
Alse went to the sheriff’s office and the sheriff drove him to the house to search for clues. A week later and the skull of the woman’s body had yet to be found. Some assumed that Lamphere had hidden it.
Since they weren’t having luck digging through the rubble Asle suggested that they look in the hog pen. There they a gunny sack Inside were two hands, two feet, and one head. Asle recognized the withered, rotten face: It was his brother. Then the men digging realized that there were dozens of slumped depressions in Gunness’s yard. As the property was searched more body parts were found. Between 14 to 40 bodies were recovered.
Each body was butchered into six parts: The legs chopped at the knee, the arms hacked at the shoulder, and the head decapitated. Most of the remains could not be identified. The skulls had evidence of blunt force trauma. The bodies that were still in tact had evidence of rat poison.
Gunness was nicknamed th
In 1884 she married Mads Albert Sorenson and they had four kids and one foster child. Her husband owned a candy store.
In 1890 their house burned down and in 1895 the store burned down and they received insurance money for both. During this time two of their children died from acute colitis.
Interestingly acute colitis and strychnine poisoning share some common symptoms, such as abdominal pain and this will come into play later in Gunness’ life.
Her husband also died in this time period on the one day that his two life insurance policies overlapped. His family demanded an inquiry but no charges were filed. The family thought that it was strychnine poisoning but her doctor overruled them and ruled it as heart failure.
With the insurance payout, Gunness bought a farm with more than 40 acres near La Porte, Indiana. She remarried Peter Gunness, who had two children. He suspected that something wasn’t right and sent his oldest daughter to live with relatives. She is the only child who survived Gunness. Peter and his younger daughter both died shortly after.
After this Gunness began posting in a singles column in the local paper. Many men answered the posting. She demanded that the men sell everything they had before coming to see her.
In July 1907 Gunness hired Ray Lamphere to be farm hand and began sleeping with him. He didn’t like all of her suitors but she refused to be with him because of his gambling problem.
She began a long distance relationship with Andrew Helgelien from South Dakota. They wrote each other for 16 months before meeting. He arrived in January 1908 with $2839 to build a new life with her.
Shortly after Gunness and Lamphere got into a fight and she kicked him off the property. She complained to the sheriff that she saw him through her windows and had him arrested and fined for trespassing.
During this time Helgelien’s brother Asle began to worry about him. One of their farmhands found their letters and Asle became suspicious of her motives when he read the she asked him to withdraw all of his money and come to her.
He wrote to Gunness and asked where his brother was. She claimed that he left for Chicago and speculated that he may go to Norway. Alse didn’t think that that sounded like his brother.
Gunness was still worried about Lamphere and in April went to a lawyer and had a will drawn up. After the meeting, she went shopping and came home with cakes, a toy train, and two gallons of kerosene. She treated her family that evening to a large meal of meat and potatoes and spent the night sitting on the floor, playing with her children and their new toy train.
The following morning her house had burned down. Four burnt bodies were found, three were children and the last was an adult female. The woman’s corpse was headless. It was assumed that the woman’s body was Gunness’. Lamphere was arrested immediately and when Alse read this in the paper he rushed to Indiana.
Alse went to the sheriff’s office and the sheriff drove him to the house to search for clues. A week later and the skull of the woman’s body had yet to be found. Some assumed that Lamphere had hidden it.
Since they weren’t having luck digging through the rubble Asle suggested that they look in the hog pen. There they a gunny sack Inside were two hands, two feet, and one head. Asle recognized the withered, rotten face: It was his brother. Then the men digging realized that there were dozens of slumped depressions in Gunness’s yard. As the property was searched more body parts were found. Between 14 to 40 bodies were recovered.
Each body was butchered into six parts: The legs chopped at the knee, the arms hacked at the shoulder, and the head decapitated. Most of the remains could not be identified. The skulls had evidence of blunt force trauma. The bodies that were still in tact had evidence of rat poison.
Gunness was nicknamed th
Jan 07, 202040:25
036 - PTB discusses our 1-10 gruesomeness scale, the lack of Indian crime coverage and the Sinister Sisters
In Nasik, Pune India a mother, daughter, Seema Mohan Gavit, and step daughter, Renuka Kiran Shinde, trio teamed up to commit crimes. The daughters were in their twenties when they started pick pocketing people.
In 1990 they realized that they could use children to creat a diversion. Shinde was caught pickpocketing outside a temple and her son was with her. She used him as a defense, convincing the crowd that a woman with a child couldn’t be a thief.
Shortly after this the women began abducting children and using them as a front. Most of the kidnappings took place in busy places such as temple compounds and fair grounds in cities like Nasik, Kolhapur and Pune. They were nicknamed the Sinister sisters by the news.
Kiran Shinde drove the getaway car, a Fiat. Most of the kidnapped children were from poor families.
The first victim was a beggar woman's one-year-old son, Santosh. The sisters used him as a distraction, if they were caught the woman carrying the child would throw them on the floor, creating a commotion while the other escaped.
If the child cried or complained they would kill them. The mother was usually the one in charge of this.
The sisters were caught when they visited Mohan to kidnap his second daughter in October 1996. His second wife had filed a complaint against them and their mother when her elder daughter went missing. During questioning the police found evidence of the other murders. The women were arrested on November 19, 1996.
The police were able to get Shinde to crack and tell them everything, though later the women denied all the charges.
On June 29, 2001, The women were charged with thirteen cases of kidnapping and nine murders. The first court found them guilty of kidnapping and murdering of six children. The high court found them guilty in five of those cases and gave them the death sentence. They did not convict them of the murder of Gavit’s son.
The mother died while awaiting trail. The two daughters have exhausted their appeals, in 2014 the President of India rejected their mercy appeal.
In 1990 they realized that they could use children to creat a diversion. Shinde was caught pickpocketing outside a temple and her son was with her. She used him as a defense, convincing the crowd that a woman with a child couldn’t be a thief.
Shortly after this the women began abducting children and using them as a front. Most of the kidnappings took place in busy places such as temple compounds and fair grounds in cities like Nasik, Kolhapur and Pune. They were nicknamed the Sinister sisters by the news.
Kiran Shinde drove the getaway car, a Fiat. Most of the kidnapped children were from poor families.
The first victim was a beggar woman's one-year-old son, Santosh. The sisters used him as a distraction, if they were caught the woman carrying the child would throw them on the floor, creating a commotion while the other escaped.
If the child cried or complained they would kill them. The mother was usually the one in charge of this.
The sisters were caught when they visited Mohan to kidnap his second daughter in October 1996. His second wife had filed a complaint against them and their mother when her elder daughter went missing. During questioning the police found evidence of the other murders. The women were arrested on November 19, 1996.
The police were able to get Shinde to crack and tell them everything, though later the women denied all the charges.
On June 29, 2001, The women were charged with thirteen cases of kidnapping and nine murders. The first court found them guilty of kidnapping and murdering of six children. The high court found them guilty in five of those cases and gave them the death sentence. They did not convict them of the murder of Gavit’s son.
The mother died while awaiting trail. The two daughters have exhausted their appeals, in 2014 the President of India rejected their mercy appeal.
Dec 17, 201936:54
035- PTB discusses our MN roots, rusty water and the Glensheen Mansion Murders
In 1908 the family moved into the house. That was also the year that Chester won a House a Representative seat in the State Congress.
He died at 63 of a heart attack. When he died he was the richest person in Minnesota.
The adult children later all moved out of the house and Clara remained, living a less lavish lifestyle. She was still involved in the community but it was less public.
Their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, dropped out of college to stay with Clara when her dad died. Elizabeth never married but adopted two daughters to live with her at the estate.
Clara died in 1950 at age 96.
Elizabeth suffered a stroke in 1964 and required a full time nurse.
The murders took place on June 27th, 1977. Someone broke into the mansion and killed the 67 year old nurse, Velma Pietila, on the stairway with a candlestick. The killer then went upstairs and smothered Elisabeth Congdon with a satin pillow. The next day it was discovered that a watch and a ring she was wearing were missing, along with other pieces of jewelry and a wicker suitcase.
Suspicion immediately fell to Marjorie Caldwell, one of Elisabeth’s adopted daughters, and her husband, Roger for several reasons. First, in 1949 she had been diagnosed as a sociopath. In 1973 her mother had to be hospitalized after eating a sandwich with Caldwell’s homemade marmalade. She survived, but hospital staff were unable to explain the high level of tranquilizers found in her system.
Also Caldwell and her husband were desperate for money. Caldwell was in line to inherit 8$ million when her mother passed. A month before Elisabeth was killed Caldwell had asked the Congdon trustees for $750,000 so they could buy a horse-breeding ranch. They’d been denied.
After the funeral the two went to the Twin Cities where Roger collapsed. He was taken to the hospital and it was found that he had a high dose of sedatives in him, similar to the ones found in Elisabeth’s body in 1973.
While Roger recovered the police searched the couple’s hotel toom and found the diamond watch, sapphire ring, and wicker suitcase, leading to them being charged.
Roger was found guilty and given two life sentences. Caldwell was also charged with conspiring to kill her mother. Many thought that she was the mastermind behind the crimes.
During Caldwell’s trial she would knit at the defense table. She also brought a birthday cake for one of the lawyers. People believe this helped lead to her being acquitted.
Two years after Roger was found guilty two new pieces of information -a disputed fingerprint and changed witness testimony- lead to him getting a new trial. Prosecutor’s didn’t want to risk a not guilty verdict so they gave him a deal. Roger confessed to the murders and was freed after serving five years in jail. He later committed suicide.
After being acquitted Caldwell left Minnesota. She later served two prison terms for arson and was accused of murdering her third husband after he died of a drug overdose.
She is still alive and lives in Arizona.
The house is open for public tours but they won’t discuss the murders.
He died at 63 of a heart attack. When he died he was the richest person in Minnesota.
The adult children later all moved out of the house and Clara remained, living a less lavish lifestyle. She was still involved in the community but it was less public.
Their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, dropped out of college to stay with Clara when her dad died. Elizabeth never married but adopted two daughters to live with her at the estate.
Clara died in 1950 at age 96.
Elizabeth suffered a stroke in 1964 and required a full time nurse.
The murders took place on June 27th, 1977. Someone broke into the mansion and killed the 67 year old nurse, Velma Pietila, on the stairway with a candlestick. The killer then went upstairs and smothered Elisabeth Congdon with a satin pillow. The next day it was discovered that a watch and a ring she was wearing were missing, along with other pieces of jewelry and a wicker suitcase.
Suspicion immediately fell to Marjorie Caldwell, one of Elisabeth’s adopted daughters, and her husband, Roger for several reasons. First, in 1949 she had been diagnosed as a sociopath. In 1973 her mother had to be hospitalized after eating a sandwich with Caldwell’s homemade marmalade. She survived, but hospital staff were unable to explain the high level of tranquilizers found in her system.
Also Caldwell and her husband were desperate for money. Caldwell was in line to inherit 8$ million when her mother passed. A month before Elisabeth was killed Caldwell had asked the Congdon trustees for $750,000 so they could buy a horse-breeding ranch. They’d been denied.
After the funeral the two went to the Twin Cities where Roger collapsed. He was taken to the hospital and it was found that he had a high dose of sedatives in him, similar to the ones found in Elisabeth’s body in 1973.
While Roger recovered the police searched the couple’s hotel toom and found the diamond watch, sapphire ring, and wicker suitcase, leading to them being charged.
Roger was found guilty and given two life sentences. Caldwell was also charged with conspiring to kill her mother. Many thought that she was the mastermind behind the crimes.
During Caldwell’s trial she would knit at the defense table. She also brought a birthday cake for one of the lawyers. People believe this helped lead to her being acquitted.
Two years after Roger was found guilty two new pieces of information -a disputed fingerprint and changed witness testimony- lead to him getting a new trial. Prosecutor’s didn’t want to risk a not guilty verdict so they gave him a deal. Roger confessed to the murders and was freed after serving five years in jail. He later committed suicide.
After being acquitted Caldwell left Minnesota. She later served two prison terms for arson and was accused of murdering her third husband after he died of a drug overdose.
She is still alive and lives in Arizona.
The house is open for public tours but they won’t discuss the murders.
Dec 03, 201941:49
034 - PTB tries to avoid discussing Gertrude Baniszewski by talking about Mama June, Losing Streak Louis and anything else
Baniszewski was born September 19, 1929 as Gertrude Wright, She was very close to her father but had a strained relationship with her monther. When Baniszewski was 11 she watched her dad die of a heart attack.
She dropped out of school at 16 to marry 18 year old John Baniszewski. They had four kids together and he was abuse. Eventually Baniszewski divorced him. She then married someone new, divorced them and remarried Baniszewski and have two more kids. The pair was permanently divorced in 1963.
Baniszewski then began to have an affair with a 23 year old named Dennis Lee Wright. He was also abusive. Baniszewski went on to have one more child with him.
As she aged Baniszewski’s health declined. She was ill with a number of unidentified illnesses.
She moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in the 1960s. She was very poor and would make money by watching neighborhood kids. This was how she ended up watching Sylvia Likens and her younger sister, Jenny. Their parents were on the road trying to make money and would leave the kids with her for months at a time. Sylvia was 16 at the time.
Syliva was abused from the beginning, likely because she was attractive. She was punished for eating candy they she purchased, called a slut or whore while being kicked in the genitals. She would be given only scraps to ear or was forced to eat rotten food.
Baniszewski also convinced other people in the neigborhood to engage in the torture. Baniszewski’s daughter, Paula, and a boy from the neighborhood, Randy, force fed her hot dogs and when she vomited they made her eat the vomit. At one point Paula hit Sylvia so hard that she broke her own wrist and then used the cast to keep beating her. The kids also practiced brutal judo moves on her.
Baniszewski made Sylvia hit her own sister if she didn’t comply with any of the orders.
Sylvia was also raped with an empty soda bottle, her gentials were cut up and mutilated.
At one point, because she had nothing to wear, Sylvia stole clothes from school. She was then beat with a belt for her actions.
The sisters were scared to report the abuse because they thought it would make things worse. Jenny was threatened that she would be beaten as well if she said anything.
When their parents visited they didn’t see any signs of mistreatment. Baniszewski would stay with the girls, not letting them be alone with their parents.
The two girls had an older sister that they did tell but she thought that they were exaggerating.
Sylvia became incontient due to all of this abuse but wasn't allowed to use the bathroom. If she soiled herself she was punished.
Eventually Baniszewski tied Sylvia up in the basement. She was kept down there naked and rarely fed or given water. People from the neighborhood could apy five cents to see her body and mutilate her. Salt was rubbed in her wounds and her screams were muffled. Baniszewski and her son rubbed urine and feces in her mouth. Her son then made her eat soup with her fingers but took the bowl away when she tried.
Baniszewski then allowed Sylvia to sleep upstairs, on the condition that she not wet herself. Jenny secretly gave her sister water and Sylvia wet herself. She was punished by being made to mastrubrate with a soda bottle and was then put back in the basement.
Baniszewski then branded the words "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT" on her abdomen with a heated needle. She then instructed one of the neighborhood children who was present at the time to finish. He would later claim that he only lightly etched the remaining letters.
She continued to torture the girl, branding her more and taunting her.
Baniszewski made Sylvia write a letter saying that she had run away with a group of boys and implying that they had tortured her. The plan was to take Sylvia into the woods and dump her body.
On October 25th Sylvia tried to escape but Baniszewski caught her. She was then beat again and put back in the basement.
By the morning of the 26th Sylvia couldn’
She dropped out of school at 16 to marry 18 year old John Baniszewski. They had four kids together and he was abuse. Eventually Baniszewski divorced him. She then married someone new, divorced them and remarried Baniszewski and have two more kids. The pair was permanently divorced in 1963.
Baniszewski then began to have an affair with a 23 year old named Dennis Lee Wright. He was also abusive. Baniszewski went on to have one more child with him.
As she aged Baniszewski’s health declined. She was ill with a number of unidentified illnesses.
She moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in the 1960s. She was very poor and would make money by watching neighborhood kids. This was how she ended up watching Sylvia Likens and her younger sister, Jenny. Their parents were on the road trying to make money and would leave the kids with her for months at a time. Sylvia was 16 at the time.
Syliva was abused from the beginning, likely because she was attractive. She was punished for eating candy they she purchased, called a slut or whore while being kicked in the genitals. She would be given only scraps to ear or was forced to eat rotten food.
Baniszewski also convinced other people in the neigborhood to engage in the torture. Baniszewski’s daughter, Paula, and a boy from the neighborhood, Randy, force fed her hot dogs and when she vomited they made her eat the vomit. At one point Paula hit Sylvia so hard that she broke her own wrist and then used the cast to keep beating her. The kids also practiced brutal judo moves on her.
Baniszewski made Sylvia hit her own sister if she didn’t comply with any of the orders.
Sylvia was also raped with an empty soda bottle, her gentials were cut up and mutilated.
At one point, because she had nothing to wear, Sylvia stole clothes from school. She was then beat with a belt for her actions.
The sisters were scared to report the abuse because they thought it would make things worse. Jenny was threatened that she would be beaten as well if she said anything.
When their parents visited they didn’t see any signs of mistreatment. Baniszewski would stay with the girls, not letting them be alone with their parents.
The two girls had an older sister that they did tell but she thought that they were exaggerating.
Sylvia became incontient due to all of this abuse but wasn't allowed to use the bathroom. If she soiled herself she was punished.
Eventually Baniszewski tied Sylvia up in the basement. She was kept down there naked and rarely fed or given water. People from the neighborhood could apy five cents to see her body and mutilate her. Salt was rubbed in her wounds and her screams were muffled. Baniszewski and her son rubbed urine and feces in her mouth. Her son then made her eat soup with her fingers but took the bowl away when she tried.
Baniszewski then allowed Sylvia to sleep upstairs, on the condition that she not wet herself. Jenny secretly gave her sister water and Sylvia wet herself. She was punished by being made to mastrubrate with a soda bottle and was then put back in the basement.
Baniszewski then branded the words "I'M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT" on her abdomen with a heated needle. She then instructed one of the neighborhood children who was present at the time to finish. He would later claim that he only lightly etched the remaining letters.
She continued to torture the girl, branding her more and taunting her.
Baniszewski made Sylvia write a letter saying that she had run away with a group of boys and implying that they had tortured her. The plan was to take Sylvia into the woods and dump her body.
On October 25th Sylvia tried to escape but Baniszewski caught her. She was then beat again and put back in the basement.
By the morning of the 26th Sylvia couldn’
Nov 19, 201951:34
033-PTB discusses Anna Sorkin, whether Gucci is passe and tips for being your own sugar daddy
Anna Sorokin is a Russian Immigrant. Her father was a truck driver in Russia who later ran a heating and cooling business in Germany. Sorokin moved to Paris for an internship at Purple magazine and then moved to New York in 2014.
From here she began to embed herself in high society. She wasn't as rich as many of the people in her social circle so she began to run a scam to trick banks and shops into paying for a more extravagant lifestyle.
She began telling people that her name was Anna Delvey and that she was a German heiress so she could open a members only arts club on Park Avenue South. She told her friends that Delvey was her mother’s maiden name, which wasn’t true, and that her dad was a diplomat, oil executive or a solar panel magnate. She began buying expensive brands and living in fancy hotels. She would hired private planes and buy expensive gifts for her friends.
She also met some members of high society. She became friend with Gabriel Andres Calatrava who is an architect and the son of famous architect. She nearly got him to agree to build her private club.
She paid for all of this by getting loans from banks. City National Bank gave her 100,000$ and let her overdraft her account. With this money she went on a shopping spree at Apple and Net-a-Porter.
All of this was going well until she took a trip to Morocco with one of her close friends, Rachel DeLoache Williams, who was a former Vanity fair editor and her friend. The two stayed in a five star resort and racked up a 62,000$ bill. When Sorokin’s card got decline she convince Williams to pay the bill, promising to pay her back.
When Sorokin didn’t repay her Williams went to the police.
Sorokin was first arrested in July 2017 for skipping out on thousands of dollars of bills at the Beekman and W New York hotels and a lunch bill of less than $200 at a restaurant at the Le Parker Meridien hotel. She was released but then arrested again in October.
Before her trial Sorokin was offered a plea deal with a sentence of three to nine years in prison but she considered that too long and instead took her chances at trial.
At her trial Williams, her friend, testified against her.
The jury deliberated for only two days and, on April 25th 2019, returned a guilty verdict. She was found guilty on multiple fraud charges, including second-degree grand larceny and theft of services. She was, however, found not guilty on two other charges: one of two counts of attempted grand larceny, and one for allegedly stealing more than $60,000 from Williams.
She was sentenced to four to twelve years in prison and ordered to pay almost $199,000 in restitution, as well as a fine of $24,000.
During the trial Sorokin seemed unconcerned. The district attorney commented that she, "more seriously her clothing than anything else."
Sorokin has not since expressed any sadness or remorse over her actions. She is quoted as saying: “The thing is, I’m not sorry. I’d be lying to you and to everyone else and to myself if I said I was sorry for anything. I regret the way I went about certain things.”
After her release Sorokin hopes to move to London but will likely be deported to Germany.
Williams is writing a book about her time with Sorokin and Netflix has acquired the right to a TV show on her.
From here she began to embed herself in high society. She wasn't as rich as many of the people in her social circle so she began to run a scam to trick banks and shops into paying for a more extravagant lifestyle.
She began telling people that her name was Anna Delvey and that she was a German heiress so she could open a members only arts club on Park Avenue South. She told her friends that Delvey was her mother’s maiden name, which wasn’t true, and that her dad was a diplomat, oil executive or a solar panel magnate. She began buying expensive brands and living in fancy hotels. She would hired private planes and buy expensive gifts for her friends.
She also met some members of high society. She became friend with Gabriel Andres Calatrava who is an architect and the son of famous architect. She nearly got him to agree to build her private club.
She paid for all of this by getting loans from banks. City National Bank gave her 100,000$ and let her overdraft her account. With this money she went on a shopping spree at Apple and Net-a-Porter.
All of this was going well until she took a trip to Morocco with one of her close friends, Rachel DeLoache Williams, who was a former Vanity fair editor and her friend. The two stayed in a five star resort and racked up a 62,000$ bill. When Sorokin’s card got decline she convince Williams to pay the bill, promising to pay her back.
When Sorokin didn’t repay her Williams went to the police.
Sorokin was first arrested in July 2017 for skipping out on thousands of dollars of bills at the Beekman and W New York hotels and a lunch bill of less than $200 at a restaurant at the Le Parker Meridien hotel. She was released but then arrested again in October.
Before her trial Sorokin was offered a plea deal with a sentence of three to nine years in prison but she considered that too long and instead took her chances at trial.
At her trial Williams, her friend, testified against her.
The jury deliberated for only two days and, on April 25th 2019, returned a guilty verdict. She was found guilty on multiple fraud charges, including second-degree grand larceny and theft of services. She was, however, found not guilty on two other charges: one of two counts of attempted grand larceny, and one for allegedly stealing more than $60,000 from Williams.
She was sentenced to four to twelve years in prison and ordered to pay almost $199,000 in restitution, as well as a fine of $24,000.
During the trial Sorokin seemed unconcerned. The district attorney commented that she, "more seriously her clothing than anything else."
Sorokin has not since expressed any sadness or remorse over her actions. She is quoted as saying: “The thing is, I’m not sorry. I’d be lying to you and to everyone else and to myself if I said I was sorry for anything. I regret the way I went about certain things.”
After her release Sorokin hopes to move to London but will likely be deported to Germany.
Williams is writing a book about her time with Sorokin and Netflix has acquired the right to a TV show on her.
Nov 05, 201931:14
032 - PTB discusses the 40 Elephants, our love of pockets and why this group should be taught in business school
The Forty Elephants got their name from the Forty Thieves, a similar male gang. They were different in that they were comprised entirely of women and instead of breaking into stores they would steal while the stores were open.
They were in existence from at least 1873 through the 1950s but it’s possible they were around longer.
They ran the largest shoplifting operation in Britain and made special coats, cummerbunds, muffs, skirts, bloomers and hats with hidden pockets to stuff the stolen goods into. They would enter a store and steal from it, never keeping the goods but instead selling them off at a merchant’s.
They eventually became so well known that they needed to spread out because panic would erupt as they neared.
They would also sleep with wealthy men and then blackmail them to stay quiet and get maids positions in wealthy houses in order to rob them.
As technology advanced they invested in cars and would also leave empty suitcases on trains to deposit the stolen goods into.
If caught, they were freed using a fund that the women set up for exactly that.
Their leaders were known as Queen and their most renowned queen was Alice Diamond, she lead the group starting in 1912 after coming from a criminal background herself.
Her second in command was Margaret Hughes. Diamond would use a local male gang to ensure that her blackmail was paid. She also kept razors and diamond rings on her to use as a weapon.
Their decline started with a woman in the group named Marie Britten. She fell in love with a man outside of the group, which was against their rules. She was summoned to Diamond and brought her dad along with her. Britten refused to stop seeing the man and Hughes attacked Britten’s dad with a razor. The two escaped but Diamond went after them.
Members of the gang hurled rocks through Britten’s windows, injuring several people. The police were called and many members of the gang were arrested- Diamond and Hughes escaped though. At trial they were the only ones charged and were convicted and sentenced to hard labor.
When Diamond returned to the gang they had weakened and she gave up her leadership. They crumbled after that.
They were in existence from at least 1873 through the 1950s but it’s possible they were around longer.
They ran the largest shoplifting operation in Britain and made special coats, cummerbunds, muffs, skirts, bloomers and hats with hidden pockets to stuff the stolen goods into. They would enter a store and steal from it, never keeping the goods but instead selling them off at a merchant’s.
They eventually became so well known that they needed to spread out because panic would erupt as they neared.
They would also sleep with wealthy men and then blackmail them to stay quiet and get maids positions in wealthy houses in order to rob them.
As technology advanced they invested in cars and would also leave empty suitcases on trains to deposit the stolen goods into.
If caught, they were freed using a fund that the women set up for exactly that.
Their leaders were known as Queen and their most renowned queen was Alice Diamond, she lead the group starting in 1912 after coming from a criminal background herself.
Her second in command was Margaret Hughes. Diamond would use a local male gang to ensure that her blackmail was paid. She also kept razors and diamond rings on her to use as a weapon.
Their decline started with a woman in the group named Marie Britten. She fell in love with a man outside of the group, which was against their rules. She was summoned to Diamond and brought her dad along with her. Britten refused to stop seeing the man and Hughes attacked Britten’s dad with a razor. The two escaped but Diamond went after them.
Members of the gang hurled rocks through Britten’s windows, injuring several people. The police were called and many members of the gang were arrested- Diamond and Hughes escaped though. At trial they were the only ones charged and were convicted and sentenced to hard labor.
When Diamond returned to the gang they had weakened and she gave up her leadership. They crumbled after that.
Oct 15, 201928:25
031 - PTB discusses Six Miscellaneous Madames
Yoselyn Ortega
Yoselyn Ortega was a nanny for a New York family. The family had three children, Lucia, Leo and Nessie. On October 25th, 2012 Marina Krim, the mother, went to their apartment with her youngest child, Nessie, because Ortega hadn’t showed up at the other daughter’s ballet lesson.
This is when she discovered the bodies of her two other children in the tub surrounded by blood and with multiple stab wounds. When Krim went to confront Ortega the nanny began to stab herself with a kitchen knife.
Ortega claimed that she had killed the children because she wanted more money and that when she asked her employers about it they suggested that she could do housework.
In November of 2012 Ortega was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder. She plead not guilty, using a psychiatric defense but was found guilty of both first and second degree murder on April 18th, 2018.
Claudia Ochoa Felix
Felix is the alleged leader of a Mexican Cartel, Los Antrax, and also a famous instagram model. She is said to have taken over after her significant others was arrested in January 2014. She is often compared to Kim Kardasian in appearance.
Felix denies leading the cartel but has often posed with a pink AK- 47. Recently a hit was attempted on her when gunmen grabbed a woman who looked like Felix. Her body was later found behind a school and she had been tortured to death. Felix denies the connection and claims that fake social media accounts have been used to frame her. Since the incident she has made all her accounts private.
Fred and Rose West
Fred and Rose West were renowned serial killers. They met when Rose was 15 and Fred was 27 and began dating later that year. She was pregnant at 16 and Fred ended up going to jail after she gave birth, leaving her with her child and two of his to raise.
While he was away she murdered one of his kids, Charmaine, and then the pair buried the body. When Charmaine’s mom came to look for her they murdered her as well.
After this Rose became a prostitute and forced several of their kids into it as well.
Between April of 1973 and August of 1979 they murdered several other people including Shirley Robinson- whom they dismembered and removed her fetus- Heather, Fred’s Daughter, and eight others. To hide their tracks Fred would pretend to be doing home improvement projects.
In August of 1992 Fred was arrested and charged with raping his daughter. Rose was arrest then as well for child cruelty.
She denied it, claiming that it was entirely her husband. Fred committed suicide in January of 1995 and Rose’s trial began in November of 1995. She was found guilty of ten murders and sentenced to life in prison.
Winona Ryder
In 2001 Winona Ryder stole $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Ryder said that she did it because, “Psychologically, I must have been at a place where I just wanted to stop. I won’t get into what happened, but it wasn’t what people think.”
She has been open about her struggle with mental illness and spoke about it in an interview with Diane Sawyer. She talked about managing her depression and anxiety while also acting. She admitted to buying into the ‘tortured artist’ idea and thought that depression would make her a better actor.
She was found guilty of two counts of shoplifting and vandalism and sentenced to community service.
Mary Frances Creighton
Her Wikipedia page reads:
Mary Frances Creighton (July 29, 1899 – July 16, 1936), was a housewife, who along with Everett Applegate, a 36-year-old former American Legion official, was executed in Sing Sing Prison's electric chair, Old Sparky, for the poisoning of Applegate's wife, Ada, in Baldwin, New York on September 27, 1935. She had passed out before the execution, and was executed in an unconscious state
We hope to investigate further.
New Zealand Vampires - Xenia Gregoriana Borichevsky
These are about a string of vampire attacks in New Zealand.
In February 2
Yoselyn Ortega was a nanny for a New York family. The family had three children, Lucia, Leo and Nessie. On October 25th, 2012 Marina Krim, the mother, went to their apartment with her youngest child, Nessie, because Ortega hadn’t showed up at the other daughter’s ballet lesson.
This is when she discovered the bodies of her two other children in the tub surrounded by blood and with multiple stab wounds. When Krim went to confront Ortega the nanny began to stab herself with a kitchen knife.
Ortega claimed that she had killed the children because she wanted more money and that when she asked her employers about it they suggested that she could do housework.
In November of 2012 Ortega was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder. She plead not guilty, using a psychiatric defense but was found guilty of both first and second degree murder on April 18th, 2018.
Claudia Ochoa Felix
Felix is the alleged leader of a Mexican Cartel, Los Antrax, and also a famous instagram model. She is said to have taken over after her significant others was arrested in January 2014. She is often compared to Kim Kardasian in appearance.
Felix denies leading the cartel but has often posed with a pink AK- 47. Recently a hit was attempted on her when gunmen grabbed a woman who looked like Felix. Her body was later found behind a school and she had been tortured to death. Felix denies the connection and claims that fake social media accounts have been used to frame her. Since the incident she has made all her accounts private.
Fred and Rose West
Fred and Rose West were renowned serial killers. They met when Rose was 15 and Fred was 27 and began dating later that year. She was pregnant at 16 and Fred ended up going to jail after she gave birth, leaving her with her child and two of his to raise.
While he was away she murdered one of his kids, Charmaine, and then the pair buried the body. When Charmaine’s mom came to look for her they murdered her as well.
After this Rose became a prostitute and forced several of their kids into it as well.
Between April of 1973 and August of 1979 they murdered several other people including Shirley Robinson- whom they dismembered and removed her fetus- Heather, Fred’s Daughter, and eight others. To hide their tracks Fred would pretend to be doing home improvement projects.
In August of 1992 Fred was arrested and charged with raping his daughter. Rose was arrest then as well for child cruelty.
She denied it, claiming that it was entirely her husband. Fred committed suicide in January of 1995 and Rose’s trial began in November of 1995. She was found guilty of ten murders and sentenced to life in prison.
Winona Ryder
In 2001 Winona Ryder stole $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Ryder said that she did it because, “Psychologically, I must have been at a place where I just wanted to stop. I won’t get into what happened, but it wasn’t what people think.”
She has been open about her struggle with mental illness and spoke about it in an interview with Diane Sawyer. She talked about managing her depression and anxiety while also acting. She admitted to buying into the ‘tortured artist’ idea and thought that depression would make her a better actor.
She was found guilty of two counts of shoplifting and vandalism and sentenced to community service.
Mary Frances Creighton
Her Wikipedia page reads:
Mary Frances Creighton (July 29, 1899 – July 16, 1936), was a housewife, who along with Everett Applegate, a 36-year-old former American Legion official, was executed in Sing Sing Prison's electric chair, Old Sparky, for the poisoning of Applegate's wife, Ada, in Baldwin, New York on September 27, 1935. She had passed out before the execution, and was executed in an unconscious state
We hope to investigate further.
New Zealand Vampires - Xenia Gregoriana Borichevsky
These are about a string of vampire attacks in New Zealand.
In February 2
Oct 01, 201938:53
030 - PTB discusses Kim Saenz, bleach and our origin story
Kim Saenz was born in Fall River, Massachusetts 1973. In 2007 she moved to Lufkin, Texas and was hired as a nurse at DaVita's dialysis clinic. She was hired despite a poor employment history. She had been fired from four health care jobs for stealing medical and cheating on a urine test.
She had also been arrested for public intoxication and criminal trespass after a 2007 domestic disturbance with her husband, though the two later reconciled. She has two children.
In the spring of 2008 the clinic that Saenz worked for saw a spike in patients falling seriously ill. Paramedics were called to the clinic 30 times in April (double the previous years).
Patients also went into cardiac arrest , In one instance one patient, Thelma Metcalf, had to go the ER several times due to getting too much blood thinner and later died.
DaVita sent one of its clinical coordinators, Amy Clinton, to Lufkin to find out what was wrong. She instituted several changes to minimize risk and protect against death. Nurses were reassigned to different tasks and hours.
On April 28, 2008, Saenz showed up to work and was told by Clinton that she had been reassigned for the day to work as a patient care technician. Saenz didn’t like this and felt like it was beneath her. She was rude to coworkers and clients. Several coworkers passed their concerns onto their superiors. A department official wrote the state health inspectors and asked them to investigate.
Patients Linda Hall and Lurlene Hamilton testified that they saw Saenz draw a bleach solution into two syringes, then inject the substance into dialysis lines.
When confronted Saenz said she was cleaning an unused dialysis machine and used a syringe to get a precise measurement–a method that was contrary to policy.
The bucket and syringes both tested positive for bleach and the police were called in. The clinic was shut down for two weeks and several other syringes she used were tested. When the results came back positive she was fired and her license was suspended.
Saenz then applied to work as a receptionist in a Lufkin medical office, in violation of her bail.
A search of her hard drive revealed searches for whether or not bleach could kill. When questioned by the cops she said she used bleach to clean the needles and claimed there were no measuring cups available.
She was then arrested on five counts of capital murder and five counts of aggravate assault with a deadly weapon.
The local police, having no way to test for bleach in deceased patients, contacted Mark Sochaski, an analytical chemist and bioterrorism expert. He was developing a test for measuring chlorine exposure by measuring the presence of chlorotyrosine, an amino acid formed from exposure to chlorinating agents like bleach. He tested several samples sent to him by investigators and found that chlorotyrosine peaks in nine samples–something that could only be explained by exposure to bleach.
When the bleach entered the patients' bloodstream, it causes blood cells to explode, which in turn released iron. This process, called hemolysis, caused them to go into cardiac arrest and die.
In March 2012 Saenz was convicted of murdering five patients and injuring five others. Prosectors sought the death penalty but she was sentenced to life in prizon with no possibility of parole.
She had also been arrested for public intoxication and criminal trespass after a 2007 domestic disturbance with her husband, though the two later reconciled. She has two children.
In the spring of 2008 the clinic that Saenz worked for saw a spike in patients falling seriously ill. Paramedics were called to the clinic 30 times in April (double the previous years).
Patients also went into cardiac arrest , In one instance one patient, Thelma Metcalf, had to go the ER several times due to getting too much blood thinner and later died.
DaVita sent one of its clinical coordinators, Amy Clinton, to Lufkin to find out what was wrong. She instituted several changes to minimize risk and protect against death. Nurses were reassigned to different tasks and hours.
On April 28, 2008, Saenz showed up to work and was told by Clinton that she had been reassigned for the day to work as a patient care technician. Saenz didn’t like this and felt like it was beneath her. She was rude to coworkers and clients. Several coworkers passed their concerns onto their superiors. A department official wrote the state health inspectors and asked them to investigate.
Patients Linda Hall and Lurlene Hamilton testified that they saw Saenz draw a bleach solution into two syringes, then inject the substance into dialysis lines.
When confronted Saenz said she was cleaning an unused dialysis machine and used a syringe to get a precise measurement–a method that was contrary to policy.
The bucket and syringes both tested positive for bleach and the police were called in. The clinic was shut down for two weeks and several other syringes she used were tested. When the results came back positive she was fired and her license was suspended.
Saenz then applied to work as a receptionist in a Lufkin medical office, in violation of her bail.
A search of her hard drive revealed searches for whether or not bleach could kill. When questioned by the cops she said she used bleach to clean the needles and claimed there were no measuring cups available.
She was then arrested on five counts of capital murder and five counts of aggravate assault with a deadly weapon.
The local police, having no way to test for bleach in deceased patients, contacted Mark Sochaski, an analytical chemist and bioterrorism expert. He was developing a test for measuring chlorine exposure by measuring the presence of chlorotyrosine, an amino acid formed from exposure to chlorinating agents like bleach. He tested several samples sent to him by investigators and found that chlorotyrosine peaks in nine samples–something that could only be explained by exposure to bleach.
When the bleach entered the patients' bloodstream, it causes blood cells to explode, which in turn released iron. This process, called hemolysis, caused them to go into cardiac arrest and die.
In March 2012 Saenz was convicted of murdering five patients and injuring five others. Prosectors sought the death penalty but she was sentenced to life in prizon with no possibility of parole.
Sep 17, 201933:10
029 - PTB discusses Loretta Valezquez, Spy v. Spy and Mulan
Loreta Velazquez was born in Cuba on June 26, 1842 to a wealthy family. In 1849 she moved to New Orleans for school. At age fourteen she married an office of the Texas army and when he joined the confederate army she wanted to join to. He refused so she made a uniform and join the army under the name of Harry T. Buford. She joined as lieutenant and gathered a group of soldiers under her command and took them to Florida for her husband.
His reaction to this is unknown because he was shot and killed the next day.
Velazquez decided to head North as an independent solider. She joined up with a regiment to fight at the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run) and the Battle of Ball’s Bluff.
After this she changed back into female attired and went to Washington DC, where she began to gather intelligence for the Confederacy. She claimed to have arranged meetings with Secretary of War Simon Cameron and President Abraham Lincoln.
She then returned South and was made an official member of the detective corps. Disguised as Lieutenant Buford she went to Tennessee to join another regiment. She fought in the Battle of Fort Donelson on Feb, 11 1862. She was wounded and didn't want her gender to be discovered so she fled back to New Orleans.
While in New Orleans she was arrest for being a possible union spy but was released with a fine for impersonating a man.
Velazquez then went back Tennessee and found the regiment that she had recruited for her husband. She fought with them in the Battle of Shiloh on April 6-7, 1862. While on burial detail, she was wounded in the side by an exploding shell, and an army doctor discovered her true gender. Velazquez decided at this point to end her career as a soldier, and she returned to New Orleans.
She volunteered her services as a spy and was able to travel freely in the North and South as she donned both female and male disguises.
After the war, Velazquez married, Major Wasson, and immigrated to Venezuela. After he died, she moved back to the United States, where she traveled extensively in the West, and gave birth to a baby boy.
In 1876 Velazquez needed money to support her child and decided to publish her memoirs. The book is titled ‘he Woman in Battle: A Narrative of the Exploits, Adventures, and travels of Madame Loreta Janeta Velázquez, Otherwise Known as Lieutenant Harry T. Buford, Confederate States Army’.
The reaction to the book was mixed and Confederate General Jubal Early claimed that it was pure fiction with no proof throughout. There is still a debate today about the accuracy of the book.
Early claimed that there were several inconsistencies and some of what she claimed was impossible. He also claimed that because she didn’t use full names it was impossible to verify her claims. He interviewed Velazquez and was even more convinced after that she had lied. In May of 1878 she wrote him a letter protesting his defamation. Velazquez maintained that her story was true and that every story of the war would be different.
Also, please follow this link for more information about cross dressing and the history of it.
His reaction to this is unknown because he was shot and killed the next day.
Velazquez decided to head North as an independent solider. She joined up with a regiment to fight at the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run) and the Battle of Ball’s Bluff.
After this she changed back into female attired and went to Washington DC, where she began to gather intelligence for the Confederacy. She claimed to have arranged meetings with Secretary of War Simon Cameron and President Abraham Lincoln.
She then returned South and was made an official member of the detective corps. Disguised as Lieutenant Buford she went to Tennessee to join another regiment. She fought in the Battle of Fort Donelson on Feb, 11 1862. She was wounded and didn't want her gender to be discovered so she fled back to New Orleans.
While in New Orleans she was arrest for being a possible union spy but was released with a fine for impersonating a man.
Velazquez then went back Tennessee and found the regiment that she had recruited for her husband. She fought with them in the Battle of Shiloh on April 6-7, 1862. While on burial detail, she was wounded in the side by an exploding shell, and an army doctor discovered her true gender. Velazquez decided at this point to end her career as a soldier, and she returned to New Orleans.
She volunteered her services as a spy and was able to travel freely in the North and South as she donned both female and male disguises.
After the war, Velazquez married, Major Wasson, and immigrated to Venezuela. After he died, she moved back to the United States, where she traveled extensively in the West, and gave birth to a baby boy.
In 1876 Velazquez needed money to support her child and decided to publish her memoirs. The book is titled ‘he Woman in Battle: A Narrative of the Exploits, Adventures, and travels of Madame Loreta Janeta Velázquez, Otherwise Known as Lieutenant Harry T. Buford, Confederate States Army’.
The reaction to the book was mixed and Confederate General Jubal Early claimed that it was pure fiction with no proof throughout. There is still a debate today about the accuracy of the book.
Early claimed that there were several inconsistencies and some of what she claimed was impossible. He also claimed that because she didn’t use full names it was impossible to verify her claims. He interviewed Velazquez and was even more convinced after that she had lied. In May of 1878 she wrote him a letter protesting his defamation. Velazquez maintained that her story was true and that every story of the war would be different.
Also, please follow this link for more information about cross dressing and the history of it.
Sep 03, 201933:23
028 -PTB discusses Cassie Chadwick, Amelia's alternate career plans and how great our state is
Cassie Chadwick as born as Elizabeth Bigley in Eastwood, Ontario, Canada in 1857.
When she was 14 years old she moved to Woodstock, Ontario, where she opened a bank account using a suspicious letter from a fake uncle. With the account she managed to pass dozens of worthless checks around the city. In 1870 the police discovered her scheme and arrested her for forgery. She escaped because she was a minor and people thought she was mentally ill.
After this Chadwick moved to the Cleveland to live with her sister. She married Dr. Wallace but the marriage ended after 11 days when he discovered her background. They were divorced in 1883 after he paid her debts.
Chadwick became a fortune teller known as Lydia Scott and then as Madame Lydia DeVere. She opened a small shop and funded it by pawning her sister furniture.
She married again, this time to John R. Scott, a farmer in Ohio. This marriage was also short lived and she sued him for adultery.
In 1897 she married Dr. Leroy Chadwick. She introduced herself as Mrs. Hoover and claimed she ran a boarding house.
Her husband was well respected in the community and lived on a street known as Millionaires Row.
From 1897- 1905 Chadwick began to borrow large amounts of money from local banks by claiming to be the heir of Andrew Carnegie. She convinced people of this by first going to Carnegie’s house with a lawyer and pretending to speak with him. Then she dropped a fake promissory note in from of the lawyer that had Carnegie’s signature.
From here she managed to convince other banks to loan her money, including the Oberlin bank. She would convince people that she was related to Andrew Carnegie by inviting them over and showing them a picture of a man hung on her wall. She would then explained that the man was her uncle who used to supply her family with money and on his deathbed told her that she was related to Andrew Carnegie. She claimed there was proof in a safety deposit box in New York but would never reveal the name of the bank.
She also claimed that there was $7 million in promissory notes tucked away in her Cleveland home, and she was to inherit $400 million upon Carnegie's death. She said that she could contact Baldwin, a man who worked at the bank, to get the money. He was completely made up.
Eventually people caught on and the bankers took her to New York. She then told them that she left the papers back in Ohio.
They followed her back home where she tried to avoid them for several days, until they insisted on seeing her.
She accumulated over $1 million in debts, and was exposed on November 2, 1904 when one of the bankers brought suit to recover $190,800. She fled to New York but was brought back to stand trail. On March 10, 1905 she was found guilty of 7 counts of conspiracy against the government and conspiracy to wreck the Citizens Natl. Bank of Oberlin. Chadwick was sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined $70,000. Chadwick was jailed on January 12, 1906, and died a year later.
When she was 14 years old she moved to Woodstock, Ontario, where she opened a bank account using a suspicious letter from a fake uncle. With the account she managed to pass dozens of worthless checks around the city. In 1870 the police discovered her scheme and arrested her for forgery. She escaped because she was a minor and people thought she was mentally ill.
After this Chadwick moved to the Cleveland to live with her sister. She married Dr. Wallace but the marriage ended after 11 days when he discovered her background. They were divorced in 1883 after he paid her debts.
Chadwick became a fortune teller known as Lydia Scott and then as Madame Lydia DeVere. She opened a small shop and funded it by pawning her sister furniture.
She married again, this time to John R. Scott, a farmer in Ohio. This marriage was also short lived and she sued him for adultery.
In 1897 she married Dr. Leroy Chadwick. She introduced herself as Mrs. Hoover and claimed she ran a boarding house.
Her husband was well respected in the community and lived on a street known as Millionaires Row.
From 1897- 1905 Chadwick began to borrow large amounts of money from local banks by claiming to be the heir of Andrew Carnegie. She convinced people of this by first going to Carnegie’s house with a lawyer and pretending to speak with him. Then she dropped a fake promissory note in from of the lawyer that had Carnegie’s signature.
From here she managed to convince other banks to loan her money, including the Oberlin bank. She would convince people that she was related to Andrew Carnegie by inviting them over and showing them a picture of a man hung on her wall. She would then explained that the man was her uncle who used to supply her family with money and on his deathbed told her that she was related to Andrew Carnegie. She claimed there was proof in a safety deposit box in New York but would never reveal the name of the bank.
She also claimed that there was $7 million in promissory notes tucked away in her Cleveland home, and she was to inherit $400 million upon Carnegie's death. She said that she could contact Baldwin, a man who worked at the bank, to get the money. He was completely made up.
Eventually people caught on and the bankers took her to New York. She then told them that she left the papers back in Ohio.
They followed her back home where she tried to avoid them for several days, until they insisted on seeing her.
She accumulated over $1 million in debts, and was exposed on November 2, 1904 when one of the bankers brought suit to recover $190,800. She fled to New York but was brought back to stand trail. On March 10, 1905 she was found guilty of 7 counts of conspiracy against the government and conspiracy to wreck the Citizens Natl. Bank of Oberlin. Chadwick was sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined $70,000. Chadwick was jailed on January 12, 1906, and died a year later.
Aug 20, 201939:50
027 - PTB discusses Lizzie Borden, old timey murders, and mother goose
Lizzie Borden took an axe,
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
Lizze Borden was born on July 19th, 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts to Sarah Anthony and Andrew Jackson Borden. She also had an older sister, Emma. Initially Mr. Borden struggle financially but the n got his big break selling furniture and caskets. The Casket business lead him to becoming a successful property developer. His estimated value at time of death was 300,000 (equivalent to $8,370,000 in 2018).
As a young woman Borden was religious and taught Sunday school to immigrant children. She also became involved in the women's temperance movement.
Borden’s mom died and three years after her death Andrew married Abby Durfee Gray. Lizzie was indirect about her feelings for her step mom but she rarely ate dinner with the family and it seemed like there were tensions in the house. Lizzie’s dad also showered her in gifts while being very frugal with the sisters.
Their stepmother's sister received a house and the sisters were mad and demanded that they receive a rental property from their father. They bought the house they grew up in from their father for $1. A week before the murder they sold it back to their father for $5000 (139,000 in today’s money).
Lizzie also kept pigeons and one day her father killed all of her pet pigeons.
A family argument in July or 1892 prompted the sisters to take an extended vacation in New Bedford. They returned home a week before the murders and Lizzie choose to stay in a local rooming house.
One August 4 1892 the Bordens were murdered. The day before they had had an overnight guest and then Andrew went out for his morning walk.
Abby was killed first and was facing her killer. She was hit on the side of the head with a hatchet. This cut her just above the ear, causing her to turn and fall face down on the floor. The collision with the floor caused contusions on both her nose and forehead (her face was smashed). She was struck 17 times.
When Andre came back from his walk his key didn’t work and their servant had to let him in. The servant, Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, claimed to have heard laughter that sounded like Lizzy coming from upstairs but Lizzie would later deny this.
Lizzie stated that she had then removed Andrew's boots and helped him into his slippers before he lay down on the sofa for a nap (an anomaly contradicted by the crime scene photos, which show Andrew wearing boots)
Andrew was found slumped on a couch in the downstairs sitting room, struck 10 or 11 times with a hatchet-like weapon. One of his eyeballs had been cut in two, suggesting that he had been asleep when attacked. His still-bleeding wounds suggested a very recent attack and that he was killed after his wife.
At first the police suspect a Portuguese immigrant.
Lizzie claimed that she came into the house from the barn and saw the bodies then called for their servant, quote, "Maggie, come down! Come down quick; Father's dead; somebody came in and killed him."
Lizzie told the servant to go get their family doctor but he wasn’t home so she sent Maggie further away to get a different doctor, leaving her alone.
When the police came Borden initially claimed that she heard a groan, or a scraping noise, or a distress call before she entered the house, but two hours later she told police she had heard nothing and entered the house not realizing that anything was wrong. Much of Lizzie’s story kept changing, causing her to be a prime suspect.
An office also discovered that Lizzie had tried to buy prussic acid, which it deadly, the day before the murder.
In the basement the police found two hatchets, two axes, and a hatchet-head with a broken handle
Lizzie was arrested on August 11, a week after the murders. She was confined to a small cell for nine months. Many women’s groups flocked to her side and showed up at the trial to support her.
The trial began on June 5, 1893. Alice Rus
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
Lizze Borden was born on July 19th, 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts to Sarah Anthony and Andrew Jackson Borden. She also had an older sister, Emma. Initially Mr. Borden struggle financially but the n got his big break selling furniture and caskets. The Casket business lead him to becoming a successful property developer. His estimated value at time of death was 300,000 (equivalent to $8,370,000 in 2018).
As a young woman Borden was religious and taught Sunday school to immigrant children. She also became involved in the women's temperance movement.
Borden’s mom died and three years after her death Andrew married Abby Durfee Gray. Lizzie was indirect about her feelings for her step mom but she rarely ate dinner with the family and it seemed like there were tensions in the house. Lizzie’s dad also showered her in gifts while being very frugal with the sisters.
Their stepmother's sister received a house and the sisters were mad and demanded that they receive a rental property from their father. They bought the house they grew up in from their father for $1. A week before the murder they sold it back to their father for $5000 (139,000 in today’s money).
Lizzie also kept pigeons and one day her father killed all of her pet pigeons.
A family argument in July or 1892 prompted the sisters to take an extended vacation in New Bedford. They returned home a week before the murders and Lizzie choose to stay in a local rooming house.
One August 4 1892 the Bordens were murdered. The day before they had had an overnight guest and then Andrew went out for his morning walk.
Abby was killed first and was facing her killer. She was hit on the side of the head with a hatchet. This cut her just above the ear, causing her to turn and fall face down on the floor. The collision with the floor caused contusions on both her nose and forehead (her face was smashed). She was struck 17 times.
When Andre came back from his walk his key didn’t work and their servant had to let him in. The servant, Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, claimed to have heard laughter that sounded like Lizzy coming from upstairs but Lizzie would later deny this.
Lizzie stated that she had then removed Andrew's boots and helped him into his slippers before he lay down on the sofa for a nap (an anomaly contradicted by the crime scene photos, which show Andrew wearing boots)
Andrew was found slumped on a couch in the downstairs sitting room, struck 10 or 11 times with a hatchet-like weapon. One of his eyeballs had been cut in two, suggesting that he had been asleep when attacked. His still-bleeding wounds suggested a very recent attack and that he was killed after his wife.
At first the police suspect a Portuguese immigrant.
Lizzie claimed that she came into the house from the barn and saw the bodies then called for their servant, quote, "Maggie, come down! Come down quick; Father's dead; somebody came in and killed him."
Lizzie told the servant to go get their family doctor but he wasn’t home so she sent Maggie further away to get a different doctor, leaving her alone.
When the police came Borden initially claimed that she heard a groan, or a scraping noise, or a distress call before she entered the house, but two hours later she told police she had heard nothing and entered the house not realizing that anything was wrong. Much of Lizzie’s story kept changing, causing her to be a prime suspect.
An office also discovered that Lizzie had tried to buy prussic acid, which it deadly, the day before the murder.
In the basement the police found two hatchets, two axes, and a hatchet-head with a broken handle
Lizzie was arrested on August 11, a week after the murders. She was confined to a small cell for nine months. Many women’s groups flocked to her side and showed up at the trial to support her.
The trial began on June 5, 1893. Alice Rus
Aug 06, 201937:15
026 - PTB discusses Allison Mack, Amelia's tip for recognizing a cult and Hermione Granger
NXIVM was founded in 1998 as a multi-level marketing company that offered "Executive Success Programs" and self improvement seminars. Keith Raniere was one of the founders and he said the purpose of the company was to "have people experience more joy in their lives."
It was a pyramid scheme where those involved called each other Nxians. In 1996 the company said that it wasn’t a pyramid scheme but agreed to pay a 40,000$ fine and was permanently banned from "promoting, offering or granting participation in a chain distribution scheme".
In 2003 nearly 3,700 people had taken their classes.
Details began to emerge in October 2017 when the New York Times wrote an article about DOS, a secret sisterhood within NXIVM where the female members were referred to as ‘slaves’ and were branded with the initials of the founders. They were also beaten and required to hand over nude photos as collateral. DOS stood for a Latin phrase meaning “Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions” women were slaves and had masters and were ordered to do sexual things with Keith Ranier the group's leader.
Allison Mack was recruited by another actress and got heavily involved in the cult. She became close with Nancy Salzman, one of the co-founders of NXIVM and she began to recruit other members, including young women. One of these women was Nicole. At the time of the recruitment, Nicole did not know that the all women's group was a group of sex slaves headed up by Keith Ranier, or that she would be branded with his initials. She testified that once she was a part of the group she was told to seduce Ranier and was blindfolded, tied down and told to have oral sex with someone but she had no idea what their identity was. She claimed to have had physical punishments and required to have close up photos of her vulva. Once she was in the group she had to refer to Mack as "master" and always have her phone on for "readiness drills" where if her master texted her she would have to immediately respond.
Mack later plead guilty to conspiracy, extortion and forced labor charges, but not sex trafficking.
Clare Bronfman, the heiress to Seagram, also paid the the legal fees of her accused fellow sex cult members. She was on NXIVM’s executive board and was accused of spending 100 million dollars to fund the cult. She ended up pleading guilty on two counts- conspiracy to conceal and harbor illegal immigrants for financial gain, and fraudulent use of identification.
It was a pyramid scheme where those involved called each other Nxians. In 1996 the company said that it wasn’t a pyramid scheme but agreed to pay a 40,000$ fine and was permanently banned from "promoting, offering or granting participation in a chain distribution scheme".
In 2003 nearly 3,700 people had taken their classes.
Details began to emerge in October 2017 when the New York Times wrote an article about DOS, a secret sisterhood within NXIVM where the female members were referred to as ‘slaves’ and were branded with the initials of the founders. They were also beaten and required to hand over nude photos as collateral. DOS stood for a Latin phrase meaning “Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions” women were slaves and had masters and were ordered to do sexual things with Keith Ranier the group's leader.
Allison Mack was recruited by another actress and got heavily involved in the cult. She became close with Nancy Salzman, one of the co-founders of NXIVM and she began to recruit other members, including young women. One of these women was Nicole. At the time of the recruitment, Nicole did not know that the all women's group was a group of sex slaves headed up by Keith Ranier, or that she would be branded with his initials. She testified that once she was a part of the group she was told to seduce Ranier and was blindfolded, tied down and told to have oral sex with someone but she had no idea what their identity was. She claimed to have had physical punishments and required to have close up photos of her vulva. Once she was in the group she had to refer to Mack as "master" and always have her phone on for "readiness drills" where if her master texted her she would have to immediately respond.
Mack later plead guilty to conspiracy, extortion and forced labor charges, but not sex trafficking.
Clare Bronfman, the heiress to Seagram, also paid the the legal fees of her accused fellow sex cult members. She was on NXIVM’s executive board and was accused of spending 100 million dollars to fund the cult. She ended up pleading guilty on two counts- conspiracy to conceal and harbor illegal immigrants for financial gain, and fraudulent use of identification.
Jul 23, 201931:48
025 - PTB Discusses the Kardashians, Shylohs love of Trash TV and Alice Marie Johnson
Johnson was a single mom who was arrested in 1993 for her nonviolent involvement in a Memphis cocaine trafficking organization. She became involved in the drug trade after she lost her long time job at FedEx. Johnson had a rough like. She had a gambling addiction, got a divorce and lost her youngest son in a motorcycle accident.
For the drug trade she acted as a go-between, delivering coded messages by phone but says that she never make the drug deals or sold drugs. The drug trade was connected to Colombian drug dealers that operated out of Texas.
Once caught she was convicted of money laundering and structuring. The second crime because she bought her house using a down payment structured to avoid hitting a $10,000 reporting threshold.
Over a dozen people were arrested at the same time as Johnson.
In the indictment she was described as a leader in a multi-million dollar cocaine ring, and detailed dozens of drug transactions and deliveries.
In 1997 Johnson received a life sentence without parole plus 25 years. She was a first time offender. At her sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Julia Gibbons said that Johnson was "the quintessential entrepreneur" in an operation that dealt in 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine, with a "very significant" impact on the community.
However, co-defendants who testified against Johnson were given sentences ranging from probation without jail time to 10 years.
Johnson applied to Obama's clemency program in 2014 but was denied. During her time in prison she wrote an op-ed for CNN. From this she got a bunch of media interviews and got in trouble with the prison because her permit didn’t cover that type of media outlet.
She wrote a book titled, “After Life: My Journey From Incarceration to Freedom.”
On June 13th 2019 Kim Kardashian went to the White House to promote efforts helping those who were affected by the First Steps act. She is working to help people be successful once they are home.
The First Step Act reforms the federal prison system of the United States of America, and seeks to reduce recidivism. The act was signed by President Trump in December of 2018.
With Kim’s help Johnson was released. She was 63.
For the drug trade she acted as a go-between, delivering coded messages by phone but says that she never make the drug deals or sold drugs. The drug trade was connected to Colombian drug dealers that operated out of Texas.
Once caught she was convicted of money laundering and structuring. The second crime because she bought her house using a down payment structured to avoid hitting a $10,000 reporting threshold.
Over a dozen people were arrested at the same time as Johnson.
In the indictment she was described as a leader in a multi-million dollar cocaine ring, and detailed dozens of drug transactions and deliveries.
In 1997 Johnson received a life sentence without parole plus 25 years. She was a first time offender. At her sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Julia Gibbons said that Johnson was "the quintessential entrepreneur" in an operation that dealt in 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine, with a "very significant" impact on the community.
However, co-defendants who testified against Johnson were given sentences ranging from probation without jail time to 10 years.
Johnson applied to Obama's clemency program in 2014 but was denied. During her time in prison she wrote an op-ed for CNN. From this she got a bunch of media interviews and got in trouble with the prison because her permit didn’t cover that type of media outlet.
She wrote a book titled, “After Life: My Journey From Incarceration to Freedom.”
On June 13th 2019 Kim Kardashian went to the White House to promote efforts helping those who were affected by the First Steps act. She is working to help people be successful once they are home.
The First Step Act reforms the federal prison system of the United States of America, and seeks to reduce recidivism. The act was signed by President Trump in December of 2018.
With Kim’s help Johnson was released. She was 63.
Jul 10, 201934:42
024 -PTB discusses old video games, a potential new musical and the Bloody Benders
In Kansas in 1872 there was a family of four- the dad, John Bender, Sr. or Pa, a son John, a wife whose name was Almira or Elvira Ma and a daughter Kate. They were a homestead family and got a plot of 160 acres.
The parents mostly spoke German and maybe a little English but both of the kids knew English. They were older when they moved to Kansas, possibly in their 50s or 60s.
It was possible that they weren’t a family. There are theories that the kids were actually husband and wife and that the mother had several other husbands before that she murdered. She may have had ten kids and Kate was the youngest.
The family owned a general store which supplied travelling wagons with with liquor, tobacco, horse feed, gunpowder, and food. They also owned an inn. The space was a large room divided by heavy canvas curtains.
The men in the family weren’t very chatty but the daughter was kind and attractive. The family were spiritualists, which was a system of belief or religious practice based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, especially through mediums.
Kate claimed that she was a psychic medium who could contact the spirits of the dead and even cure sickness for a donation. She appeared in the small town as "Professor Miss Kate Bender" where she gave public séances and entertained crowds.
In the inn, travelers would sometimes complain of hearing strange sounds coming from behind the curtain when they ate. . Kate would also place her spiritualist clients with their backs to the curtain. In the darkened room, she made all sorts of strange manifestations appear, usually with her family’s earthly assistance, and managed to keep the traveler transfixed in place for a long time.
The men would come behind and bludgeon the traveler. They would fall through a trap down and they’d murder them then bury them in the garden.
One day, Dr. William York left Independence Kansas and disappeared. His brothers were determined to find out what happened. They held searches but the Bender’s avoided being searched until people realized that they were being shaded and that their garden was always freshly plowed.
Their property was searched and the trap door was discovered. The house was searched and people said that the house smelled like blood. When they dug up the garden that found dozens of men’s bodies with their heads smashed in.
The house was then taken apart piece by piece by people who wanted souvenirs. The Bender’s were never found.
The parents mostly spoke German and maybe a little English but both of the kids knew English. They were older when they moved to Kansas, possibly in their 50s or 60s.
It was possible that they weren’t a family. There are theories that the kids were actually husband and wife and that the mother had several other husbands before that she murdered. She may have had ten kids and Kate was the youngest.
The family owned a general store which supplied travelling wagons with with liquor, tobacco, horse feed, gunpowder, and food. They also owned an inn. The space was a large room divided by heavy canvas curtains.
The men in the family weren’t very chatty but the daughter was kind and attractive. The family were spiritualists, which was a system of belief or religious practice based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, especially through mediums.
Kate claimed that she was a psychic medium who could contact the spirits of the dead and even cure sickness for a donation. She appeared in the small town as "Professor Miss Kate Bender" where she gave public séances and entertained crowds.
In the inn, travelers would sometimes complain of hearing strange sounds coming from behind the curtain when they ate. . Kate would also place her spiritualist clients with their backs to the curtain. In the darkened room, she made all sorts of strange manifestations appear, usually with her family’s earthly assistance, and managed to keep the traveler transfixed in place for a long time.
The men would come behind and bludgeon the traveler. They would fall through a trap down and they’d murder them then bury them in the garden.
One day, Dr. William York left Independence Kansas and disappeared. His brothers were determined to find out what happened. They held searches but the Bender’s avoided being searched until people realized that they were being shaded and that their garden was always freshly plowed.
Their property was searched and the trap door was discovered. The house was searched and people said that the house smelled like blood. When they dug up the garden that found dozens of men’s bodies with their heads smashed in.
The house was then taken apart piece by piece by people who wanted souvenirs. The Bender’s were never found.
Jun 18, 201932:27
023 - PTB discusses Patty Hearst, Shlyoh's present, and how many women criminals there are.
Glory Johnson and Brittney Griner are both NBA stars. They played against each other in college Johnson for Tennessee, Griner for Baylor. They were both first round draft picks after college, Johnson to the Tulsa Shock and Griner to Phoenix Mercury. The pair met in basketball camp in 2013 and were together by summer 2014.
In August 2014 Griner proposed to Johnson at a party in front of their friends and family. Johnson said that she went to the bathroom and was unsure of of what to do. She eventually said yes.
Johnson started to spend all her extra time with Griner. When Johnson’s season was over she went on tour with Griner for the rest of the playoffs.
During the off season Johnson played in Russia while Griner played in China. Griner requested that Johnson quit and go on tour with her.
Then Johnson discovered that Griner was texting her ex girlfriend and the couple began arguing.
Johnson packed up and was going to leave but Griner had a break down and locked herself in the bathroom. Johnson knew about Griner’s mental health issues and decided to stay, worried what would happen if she left.
After this the couple decided to start over, though they’d only been together a few months. They made plans to buy a house and start a family. Since Johnson wasn’t playing she decided now would be a good time to try and get pregnant. The pair decided that she would sit out this season and do in vitro fertilization. They choose a sperm donor in spring 2015 and bought a house.
Everything came to a head on April 22nd 2015. Johnson cold the police later that she knew that Griner had a gun in the house. At the time of the fight she didn’t know about it but her sister did.
Both women were arrested after an argument turned physical and became a full on fight in their Arizonia home. Several people inside tried to break up the fight and the police were called by Johnson’s sister.
Griner claimed it began because Johnson disrespected her. Johnson told the cops that Griner had gotten too close, so she pushed her back to get some separation and began talking to her sister when she was pushed in the back of the head by Griner. Johnson turned around and the physical altercation began, with both fighting on the floor for 4 to 6 minutes. The entire episode lasted about 20 minutes, according to the report.
Griner pleaded guilty and enrolled in domestic violence courses and Johnson pleaded not guilty – fueling backlash from her wife who felt Johnson had thrown her under the bus.
The two moved past the fight and got married on May 8th 2015. In early June they announced that Johnson was pregnant.
One day later Griner filed for an annulment. They were married for 28 days.
The twins, named Ava Simone and Solei Diem, came four months early and Griner was out of the picture. A judge denied temporary spousal support after Johnson requested 6,000 a month in support. Griner had been paying $2,665.81 per month.
A second judge ordered that Griner continue to pay that amount.
Domestic Abuse Hotline
The hotline.org LGBT violence
Health Relationships, setting boundries, communication etc.
In August 2014 Griner proposed to Johnson at a party in front of their friends and family. Johnson said that she went to the bathroom and was unsure of of what to do. She eventually said yes.
Johnson started to spend all her extra time with Griner. When Johnson’s season was over she went on tour with Griner for the rest of the playoffs.
During the off season Johnson played in Russia while Griner played in China. Griner requested that Johnson quit and go on tour with her.
Then Johnson discovered that Griner was texting her ex girlfriend and the couple began arguing.
Johnson packed up and was going to leave but Griner had a break down and locked herself in the bathroom. Johnson knew about Griner’s mental health issues and decided to stay, worried what would happen if she left.
After this the couple decided to start over, though they’d only been together a few months. They made plans to buy a house and start a family. Since Johnson wasn’t playing she decided now would be a good time to try and get pregnant. The pair decided that she would sit out this season and do in vitro fertilization. They choose a sperm donor in spring 2015 and bought a house.
Everything came to a head on April 22nd 2015. Johnson cold the police later that she knew that Griner had a gun in the house. At the time of the fight she didn’t know about it but her sister did.
Both women were arrested after an argument turned physical and became a full on fight in their Arizonia home. Several people inside tried to break up the fight and the police were called by Johnson’s sister.
Griner claimed it began because Johnson disrespected her. Johnson told the cops that Griner had gotten too close, so she pushed her back to get some separation and began talking to her sister when she was pushed in the back of the head by Griner. Johnson turned around and the physical altercation began, with both fighting on the floor for 4 to 6 minutes. The entire episode lasted about 20 minutes, according to the report.
Griner pleaded guilty and enrolled in domestic violence courses and Johnson pleaded not guilty – fueling backlash from her wife who felt Johnson had thrown her under the bus.
The two moved past the fight and got married on May 8th 2015. In early June they announced that Johnson was pregnant.
One day later Griner filed for an annulment. They were married for 28 days.
The twins, named Ava Simone and Solei Diem, came four months early and Griner was out of the picture. A judge denied temporary spousal support after Johnson requested 6,000 a month in support. Griner had been paying $2,665.81 per month.
A second judge ordered that Griner continue to pay that amount.
Domestic Abuse Hotline
The hotline.org LGBT violence
Health Relationships, setting boundries, communication etc.
Jun 04, 201936:05
022- PTB discusses female athletes, basketball and Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson
Glory Johnson and Brittney Griner are both NBA stars. They played against each other in college Johnson for Tennessee, Griner for Baylor. They were both first round draft picks after college, Johnson to the Tulsa Shock and Griner to Phoenix Mercury. The pair met in basketball camp in 2013 and were together by summer 2014.
In August 2014 Griner proposed to Johnson at a party in front of their friends and family. Johnson said that she went to the bathroom and was unsure of of what to do. She eventually said yes.
Johnson started to spend all her extra time with Griner. When Johnson’s season was over she went on tour with Griner for the rest of the playoffs.
During the off season Johnson played in Russia while Griner played in China. Griner requested that Johnson quit and go on tour with her.
Then Johnson discovered that Griner was texting her ex girlfriend and the couple began arguing.
Johnson packed up and was going to leave but Griner had a break down and locked herself in the bathroom. Johnson knew about Griner’s mental health issues and decided to stay, worried what would happen if she left.
After this the couple decided to start over, though they’d only been together a few months. They made plans to buy a house and start a family. Since Johnson wasn’t playing she decided now would be a good time to try and get pregnant. The pair decided that she would sit out this season and do in vitro fertilization. They choose a sperm donor in spring 2015 and bought a house.
Everything came to a head on April 22nd 2015. Johnson cold the police later that she knew that Griner had a gun in the house. At the time of the fight she didn’t know about it but her sister did.
Both women were arrested after an argument turned physical and became a full on fight in their Arizonia home. Several people inside tried to break up the fight and the police were called by Johnson’s sister.
Griner claimed it began because Johnson disrespected her. Johnson told the cops that Griner had gotten too close, so she pushed her back to get some separation and began talking to her sister when she was pushed in the back of the head by Griner. Johnson turned around and the physical altercation began, with both fighting on the floor for 4 to 6 minutes. The entire episode lasted about 20 minutes, according to the report.
Griner pleaded guilty and enrolled in domestic violence courses and Johnson pleaded not guilty – fueling backlash from her wife who felt Johnson had thrown her under the bus.
The two moved past the fight and got married on May 8th 2015. In early June they announced that Johnson was pregnant.
One day later Griner filed for an annulment. They were married for 28 days.
The twins, named Ava Simone and Solei Diem, came four months early and Griner was out of the picture. A judge denied temporary spousal support after Johnson requested 6,000 a month in support. Griner had been paying $2,665.81 per month.
A second judge ordered that Griner continue to pay that amount.
Domestic Abuse Hotline
The hotline.org LGBT violence
Health Relationships, setting boundries, communication etc.
In August 2014 Griner proposed to Johnson at a party in front of their friends and family. Johnson said that she went to the bathroom and was unsure of of what to do. She eventually said yes.
Johnson started to spend all her extra time with Griner. When Johnson’s season was over she went on tour with Griner for the rest of the playoffs.
During the off season Johnson played in Russia while Griner played in China. Griner requested that Johnson quit and go on tour with her.
Then Johnson discovered that Griner was texting her ex girlfriend and the couple began arguing.
Johnson packed up and was going to leave but Griner had a break down and locked herself in the bathroom. Johnson knew about Griner’s mental health issues and decided to stay, worried what would happen if she left.
After this the couple decided to start over, though they’d only been together a few months. They made plans to buy a house and start a family. Since Johnson wasn’t playing she decided now would be a good time to try and get pregnant. The pair decided that she would sit out this season and do in vitro fertilization. They choose a sperm donor in spring 2015 and bought a house.
Everything came to a head on April 22nd 2015. Johnson cold the police later that she knew that Griner had a gun in the house. At the time of the fight she didn’t know about it but her sister did.
Both women were arrested after an argument turned physical and became a full on fight in their Arizonia home. Several people inside tried to break up the fight and the police were called by Johnson’s sister.
Griner claimed it began because Johnson disrespected her. Johnson told the cops that Griner had gotten too close, so she pushed her back to get some separation and began talking to her sister when she was pushed in the back of the head by Griner. Johnson turned around and the physical altercation began, with both fighting on the floor for 4 to 6 minutes. The entire episode lasted about 20 minutes, according to the report.
Griner pleaded guilty and enrolled in domestic violence courses and Johnson pleaded not guilty – fueling backlash from her wife who felt Johnson had thrown her under the bus.
The two moved past the fight and got married on May 8th 2015. In early June they announced that Johnson was pregnant.
One day later Griner filed for an annulment. They were married for 28 days.
The twins, named Ava Simone and Solei Diem, came four months early and Griner was out of the picture. A judge denied temporary spousal support after Johnson requested 6,000 a month in support. Griner had been paying $2,665.81 per month.
A second judge ordered that Griner continue to pay that amount.
Domestic Abuse Hotline
The hotline.org LGBT violence
Health Relationships, setting boundries, communication etc.
May 21, 201935:50
021 - PTB discusses Anne Hamilton-Byrne, cults and our anniversary
Hamilton-Byrne had one kid and lost her first husband in a car crash. After this, she started taking then teaching yoga. She was drawn to its connections with Eastern religion and eventually began teaching yoga to curious middle-class housewives in Melbourne. This is how she began her cult.
During the 1960’s Hamilton-Byrne built a reputation in Melbourne for people interested in Eastern religion and mysticism. This is where she met Dr. Raynor Johnson. He is quotes as saying that she was “unquestionably the wisest, the serenest, and most gracious and generous soul I have ever met.” The two experimented with LSD and Johnson introduced her to doctors, nurses, and lawyers who were also seeking new age wisdom. Johnson also helped recruit her to the cult and let her use his property on the outskirts of Melbourne as their headquarters, building a lodge on the grounds for group meetings and discussions. The hospital that Johnson worked at was used as a way to find new members. A cult member ran a psychiatric hospital and would threaten to commit people if they tried to leave the cult.
The cult was a combination of mishmash of Hindu, Buddhism, and Christianity and Hamilton-Byrne thought of herself on the same level as deities Jesus Christ, Buddha, and Krishna.
She would force people to take LSD and then open a door and stand there in a white gown with a bucket of dry ice behind her and people believed that she was a holy being.
The cult became known as ‘The Family’ and eventually grew to 500 people and began stealing babies. They would target newborns and used psychological drugs to force to make women sign over adoption papers while giving birth. They also took children from the cult members. They eventually ended up with 28 children. Hamilton-Byrne wanted to create the perfect VonTrap Family.
During the 1960’s Hamilton-Byrne built a reputation in Melbourne for people interested in Eastern religion and mysticism. This is where she met Dr. Raynor Johnson. He is quotes as saying that she was “unquestionably the wisest, the serenest, and most gracious and generous soul I have ever met.” The two experimented with LSD and Johnson introduced her to doctors, nurses, and lawyers who were also seeking new age wisdom. Johnson also helped recruit her to the cult and let her use his property on the outskirts of Melbourne as their headquarters, building a lodge on the grounds for group meetings and discussions. The hospital that Johnson worked at was used as a way to find new members. A cult member ran a psychiatric hospital and would threaten to commit people if they tried to leave the cult.
The cult was a combination of mishmash of Hindu, Buddhism, and Christianity and Hamilton-Byrne thought of herself on the same level as deities Jesus Christ, Buddha, and Krishna.
She would force people to take LSD and then open a door and stand there in a white gown with a bucket of dry ice behind her and people believed that she was a holy being.
The cult became known as ‘The Family’ and eventually grew to 500 people and began stealing babies. They would target newborns and used psychological drugs to force to make women sign over adoption papers while giving birth. They also took children from the cult members. They eventually ended up with 28 children. Hamilton-Byrne wanted to create the perfect VonTrap Family.
May 07, 201941:56
020 - PTB discusses Linda Hazzard, whether Shyloh is a bigamist and how you need to eat
Linda Hazzard was born in Carver County, Minnesota, in 1867. She was married Samuel Christman Hazzard at the age of 18 and had two children. In 1989 she left her husband and children to pursue a career in Minneapolis. She killed her first patient in 1902, the same year her divorce was finalized. The coroner thought the cause of death was starvation and tried to press charges but because she wasn’t a licensed practitioner she couldn’t be charged with malpractice.
Hazzard’s husband had been married twice before and hadn’t divorced at least one of his wives before marrying Linda. He was sentenced for bigamy and served two years in prison. When Sam finished his sentence the two of moved to Washington to start over and Hazzard began practicing in Seattle.
Despite having a medical degree she was licensed to practice medicine in Washington. Due to a loophole in licensing law she was in grandfathered as a practitioner of alternative medicine who didn’t have a medical degrees. She had written several books including Fasting for the Cure of Disease.
She insisted that disease could be cured by fasting, allowing the digestive system to “rest” and be “cleansed,” removing “impurities” from the body and that it cured anything from toothache to tuberculosis. She also believed that the real source of disease was “impure blood” brought on by “impaired digestion.” There were other popular proponents of fasting around at the time. Hazzard said she had studied with one of them, Dr. Edward Hooker Dewey, author of The Gospel of Health.
Locals, including freethinkers and theosophists, embraced her medical theories. Theosophy is considered part of Western esotericism, which believes that hidden knowledge or wisdom from the ancient past offers a path to enlightenment and salvation.
All this lead to her opening a "sanitarium" in Wilderness Heights, in Olalla, Washington. The sanitarium attracted wealthy patients who would fast for weeks or months, eating only small amounts of tomato and asparagus soup and little else. Occasionally, a small teaspoon of orange juice was allowed or even a small orange. These diets lasted for days and included enemas and non-relaxing massages.
Some patients who survived sang her praises but more than 40 patients died under her care due to starvation. Local residents knew the place as "Starvation Heights".
She probably could have continued this for a long time if not for Claire Williamson’s death. In 1912 she was convicted of manslaughter for her death. Williamson was a wealthy British woman of 33 years, who weighed less than 50 pounds at the time of her death. Williamson and her sister read about the sanitorium in the paper and decided to try it, even though they didn’t have any real ailments.
Hazzard’s husband claimed that the death was due to drugs given to Williamson during childhood, which had shrunk her internal organs and caused cirrhosis of the liver. He said Williamson was too far gone to be saved.
At the trial it was proved that Hazzard had forged Williamson's will and stole most of her valuables. She took Williamson’s clothes, household goods, and an estimated $6,000 worth of the sisters’ diamonds, sapphires and other jewels.
Williamson’s sister, Dora, also took the treatment, and only survived because a family friend showed up in time to remove her from the compound. She was too weak to leave on her own, weighing less than 60 pounds. She later testified against Hazzard at trial.
Hazzard was found guilty of manslaughter.
After only 2 years in prison (she was released on December 25, 1915), she was fully pardoned by Governor Ernest Lister in return for her promise to leave the State of Washington. Apparently, he wanted her out of Washington because of the continuing publicity and pressure from her “friends.”
She reopened her sanitarium in 1920 in New Zealand but it burned to the ground shortly after.
She then returned to Washington in 1920, discreetly setting up a school in Olalla t
Hazzard’s husband had been married twice before and hadn’t divorced at least one of his wives before marrying Linda. He was sentenced for bigamy and served two years in prison. When Sam finished his sentence the two of moved to Washington to start over and Hazzard began practicing in Seattle.
Despite having a medical degree she was licensed to practice medicine in Washington. Due to a loophole in licensing law she was in grandfathered as a practitioner of alternative medicine who didn’t have a medical degrees. She had written several books including Fasting for the Cure of Disease.
She insisted that disease could be cured by fasting, allowing the digestive system to “rest” and be “cleansed,” removing “impurities” from the body and that it cured anything from toothache to tuberculosis. She also believed that the real source of disease was “impure blood” brought on by “impaired digestion.” There were other popular proponents of fasting around at the time. Hazzard said she had studied with one of them, Dr. Edward Hooker Dewey, author of The Gospel of Health.
Locals, including freethinkers and theosophists, embraced her medical theories. Theosophy is considered part of Western esotericism, which believes that hidden knowledge or wisdom from the ancient past offers a path to enlightenment and salvation.
All this lead to her opening a "sanitarium" in Wilderness Heights, in Olalla, Washington. The sanitarium attracted wealthy patients who would fast for weeks or months, eating only small amounts of tomato and asparagus soup and little else. Occasionally, a small teaspoon of orange juice was allowed or even a small orange. These diets lasted for days and included enemas and non-relaxing massages.
Some patients who survived sang her praises but more than 40 patients died under her care due to starvation. Local residents knew the place as "Starvation Heights".
She probably could have continued this for a long time if not for Claire Williamson’s death. In 1912 she was convicted of manslaughter for her death. Williamson was a wealthy British woman of 33 years, who weighed less than 50 pounds at the time of her death. Williamson and her sister read about the sanitorium in the paper and decided to try it, even though they didn’t have any real ailments.
Hazzard’s husband claimed that the death was due to drugs given to Williamson during childhood, which had shrunk her internal organs and caused cirrhosis of the liver. He said Williamson was too far gone to be saved.
At the trial it was proved that Hazzard had forged Williamson's will and stole most of her valuables. She took Williamson’s clothes, household goods, and an estimated $6,000 worth of the sisters’ diamonds, sapphires and other jewels.
Williamson’s sister, Dora, also took the treatment, and only survived because a family friend showed up in time to remove her from the compound. She was too weak to leave on her own, weighing less than 60 pounds. She later testified against Hazzard at trial.
Hazzard was found guilty of manslaughter.
After only 2 years in prison (she was released on December 25, 1915), she was fully pardoned by Governor Ernest Lister in return for her promise to leave the State of Washington. Apparently, he wanted her out of Washington because of the continuing publicity and pressure from her “friends.”
She reopened her sanitarium in 1920 in New Zealand but it burned to the ground shortly after.
She then returned to Washington in 1920, discreetly setting up a school in Olalla t
Apr 17, 201935:07
019 - (April Fools Episode!) PTB discusses Ed Kemper, Shyloh learning a new word and why we don't cover men
Ed Kemper was born December 18, 1948 in California. He was a large baby, weighing 13 pounds at birth.
He had a terrible childhood. His parents divorced when he was 9 and he moved to Montana with his mom and two sisters. His mom was cruel, mocking him and telling him that no one would ever love him. His dad once said that “suicide missions in wartime and the later atomic bomb testings were nothing compared to living with Clarnell.”
She wouldn’t coddle him for fear that he would grow up to be gay. He also claimed that his older sister tortured him, once pushing him in front of an oncoming training and another time trying to drown him in a swimming pool.
As a child he was disturbed, decapitating his sister’s doll. At age ten he buried his cat alive. Once it was dead he dug it up, decapitated is and displayed the head on a spike. He also stalked his second grade teacher outside her house, carrying his father’s bayonet. At thirteen he killed the replacement cat with a machete, slicing off the top of its skull while holding its legs. His mom also locked him in the basement for fear that he would try to rape or kill his sister.
At age fifteen he tries to reconnect with his dad but was rejected. His dad had remarried and his step mom didn’t like him. Kemper then went to live with his grandparents in California. During his first summer there he shot his grandma in the head then repeatedly stabbed her for fear she wasn’t dead. When asked why he said that it was because, “‘I just wondered how it would feel to shoot Grandma.” When his grandpa came home Kemper killed him too so he wouldn’t see what he had done to his grandma. Kemper then called the police and his mother and waited for them to come pick him up.
He was admitted to a State hospital and was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. He liked to listen to other inmates describe serial rapes. He also helped to write the assessments of FBI diagnoses and made friends with the therapists. During this time he was also given an IQ test and found to incredibly intelligent.
He was paroled after just five years and his juvenile record was expunged. He was released into his mother’s care in 1969.
Kemper went to a community college and wanted to be a police officer but he was too large to become one. He maintained friendships with police officers and got a job at the California department of Transportation. He and his mom fought often. Kemper tried to move in with a friend but his mom continued to call him and would show up unannounced at his place. He ended up moving back in with his mother.
Between May 1972 and April 1973 was Kemper’s murder spree. He would pick up female hitchhikers, take them to remote areas and then shoot, stab, smother or strangle them. Once they were dead he would take the body back to his house where he would decapitate them and perform irrumation (The act of forcing male genitals into a mouth, as opposed to the mouth actively stimulating the male genitals). He would then have intercourse with their corpses and dismember them.
He would often go ‘hunting’ after fighting with his mom. Psychiatrists and Kemper both say that the things he did to these girls were surrogates for the real target, his mother.
Kemper’s first two victims were Mary Anne Pesce and Anita Mary Luchesser, 18 year old hitchhikers who were trying to get to Stanford University. When he was driving home with the bodies he was pulled over by a cop, who did not detect the bodies. He later disposed of them in plastic bags on a mountain.
His next victim was Aiko Koo, a 15-year-old Korean dance student. He pulled a gun on Koo before locking himself out of his car. However, Koo let him back inside because he had gained her trust.
Next he killed Cindy Schall, an 18 year old college student. He lived with his mother at the time and kept her body in a closet until his mom left for work. He disposed of most of the body parts by throwing them over a cliff, but held on to the head for a c
He had a terrible childhood. His parents divorced when he was 9 and he moved to Montana with his mom and two sisters. His mom was cruel, mocking him and telling him that no one would ever love him. His dad once said that “suicide missions in wartime and the later atomic bomb testings were nothing compared to living with Clarnell.”
She wouldn’t coddle him for fear that he would grow up to be gay. He also claimed that his older sister tortured him, once pushing him in front of an oncoming training and another time trying to drown him in a swimming pool.
As a child he was disturbed, decapitating his sister’s doll. At age ten he buried his cat alive. Once it was dead he dug it up, decapitated is and displayed the head on a spike. He also stalked his second grade teacher outside her house, carrying his father’s bayonet. At thirteen he killed the replacement cat with a machete, slicing off the top of its skull while holding its legs. His mom also locked him in the basement for fear that he would try to rape or kill his sister.
At age fifteen he tries to reconnect with his dad but was rejected. His dad had remarried and his step mom didn’t like him. Kemper then went to live with his grandparents in California. During his first summer there he shot his grandma in the head then repeatedly stabbed her for fear she wasn’t dead. When asked why he said that it was because, “‘I just wondered how it would feel to shoot Grandma.” When his grandpa came home Kemper killed him too so he wouldn’t see what he had done to his grandma. Kemper then called the police and his mother and waited for them to come pick him up.
He was admitted to a State hospital and was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. He liked to listen to other inmates describe serial rapes. He also helped to write the assessments of FBI diagnoses and made friends with the therapists. During this time he was also given an IQ test and found to incredibly intelligent.
He was paroled after just five years and his juvenile record was expunged. He was released into his mother’s care in 1969.
Kemper went to a community college and wanted to be a police officer but he was too large to become one. He maintained friendships with police officers and got a job at the California department of Transportation. He and his mom fought often. Kemper tried to move in with a friend but his mom continued to call him and would show up unannounced at his place. He ended up moving back in with his mother.
Between May 1972 and April 1973 was Kemper’s murder spree. He would pick up female hitchhikers, take them to remote areas and then shoot, stab, smother or strangle them. Once they were dead he would take the body back to his house where he would decapitate them and perform irrumation (The act of forcing male genitals into a mouth, as opposed to the mouth actively stimulating the male genitals). He would then have intercourse with their corpses and dismember them.
He would often go ‘hunting’ after fighting with his mom. Psychiatrists and Kemper both say that the things he did to these girls were surrogates for the real target, his mother.
Kemper’s first two victims were Mary Anne Pesce and Anita Mary Luchesser, 18 year old hitchhikers who were trying to get to Stanford University. When he was driving home with the bodies he was pulled over by a cop, who did not detect the bodies. He later disposed of them in plastic bags on a mountain.
His next victim was Aiko Koo, a 15-year-old Korean dance student. He pulled a gun on Koo before locking himself out of his car. However, Koo let him back inside because he had gained her trust.
Next he killed Cindy Schall, an 18 year old college student. He lived with his mother at the time and kept her body in a closet until his mom left for work. He disposed of most of the body parts by throwing them over a cliff, but held on to the head for a c
Apr 02, 201938:12
018 - PTB discusses Jodi Ann Arias, the cold weather and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Arias was born in 1980 in California. According to her, starting at age seven she was abused by her parents and beaten with a spoon. Her parents denied the claims and said that she had mental health issues. Her friends would contact her parents and say that she needed help.
She dropped out of high school at 11th grade and earned her GED. She had an interest in photography and would pick up jobs as a freelance photographer.
She was working as a server while dating a previous boyfriend and met Travis Alexander while working for a company called “Pre Paid Legal services” at one of the companies conferences. They met in 2006 while he was working as a salesman and motivational speaker. According to Arias, they began a sexual relationship within a week of meeting.
During this time she also began drifting towards the Mormon Church, which Travis was a part of, and also defaulting on payments that she owed her current boyfriend. They broke up in December 2006.
Aris and Alexander were very intense together and moved quickly. The pair began travelling together and were constantly in contact. In November 2006 she was baptized into the Mormon Church.
In February 2007 Arias moved back to Mesa and in June of 2007 their relationship ended. Alexander started to date another girl but continued to sexual relations with Arias.
He accused her of stalking him and sending him, and the girls he was dating, threatening emails. During a Christmas party at his house - one he told her not to attend- she was found the next morning sleeping under the Christmas tree.
Their texts and emails ranged from merely lewd to incredibly nasty. In one, Alexander referred to her as a "slut" and a "three-hole wonder." Twice, the tires on his car were slashed and she stole his journals. He tried to break it off with her but seemed to also continue to go back to her. He was quoted as saying, “She's crazy, but she's harmless." The two continued meeting and travelling together through March 2008. In April of that year she moved to California to live with her grandparents.
On June 2nd, 2008, Arias attempted to call Alexander four times but it appears she never got through to him as the longest of the calls was seventeen seconds.
On June 9th, Alexander was found by his friends, murdered and lying in a pool of his own blood in the shower. They called 911 and mentioned suspecting Arias on the call. Alexander had been stabbed 27 times and had been decomposing for 5 days. His throat was slashed from ear to ear and there was a bullet in his head. He also had several defensive wounds on his palms and fingers. Police found a bloody palm print with his blood and Arias’ in the hallway.
Police also found a digital camera in the washing machine with time stamped images of Alexander and Arias in sexually suggestive poses and one of the reflection of her in his eyes moments before she killed him. She was brought in for question and the police saw several cuts on her hands, which she claimed were from making margaritas at Margaritaville (there was not a margaritaville in the area).
On June 13th, Arias posted a photo gallery on her MySpace page titled "In Loving Memory of Travis."
On her 29th birthday, July 9th, she was indicted on first-degree murder charges and she plead not guilty.
Arias lied to the cops several times, first saying she wasn’t in the city during the murder then saying that 2 masked men attacked them but eventually settled on a self defense plea, saying that he abused her and that she killed him after he came after her in a fit of rage when she dropped his camera.
Her trial, which began in 2011, was described as a circus by several media outlets. The judge agreed to let her represent herself but revoked that after it turned out that several letters she had submitted to evidence were forgeries. She would also argue with the prosecutor and the two would exchange insults.
In 2013 she took the stand and testified for 18 days, claiming it was
She dropped out of high school at 11th grade and earned her GED. She had an interest in photography and would pick up jobs as a freelance photographer.
She was working as a server while dating a previous boyfriend and met Travis Alexander while working for a company called “Pre Paid Legal services” at one of the companies conferences. They met in 2006 while he was working as a salesman and motivational speaker. According to Arias, they began a sexual relationship within a week of meeting.
During this time she also began drifting towards the Mormon Church, which Travis was a part of, and also defaulting on payments that she owed her current boyfriend. They broke up in December 2006.
Aris and Alexander were very intense together and moved quickly. The pair began travelling together and were constantly in contact. In November 2006 she was baptized into the Mormon Church.
In February 2007 Arias moved back to Mesa and in June of 2007 their relationship ended. Alexander started to date another girl but continued to sexual relations with Arias.
He accused her of stalking him and sending him, and the girls he was dating, threatening emails. During a Christmas party at his house - one he told her not to attend- she was found the next morning sleeping under the Christmas tree.
Their texts and emails ranged from merely lewd to incredibly nasty. In one, Alexander referred to her as a "slut" and a "three-hole wonder." Twice, the tires on his car were slashed and she stole his journals. He tried to break it off with her but seemed to also continue to go back to her. He was quoted as saying, “She's crazy, but she's harmless." The two continued meeting and travelling together through March 2008. In April of that year she moved to California to live with her grandparents.
On June 2nd, 2008, Arias attempted to call Alexander four times but it appears she never got through to him as the longest of the calls was seventeen seconds.
On June 9th, Alexander was found by his friends, murdered and lying in a pool of his own blood in the shower. They called 911 and mentioned suspecting Arias on the call. Alexander had been stabbed 27 times and had been decomposing for 5 days. His throat was slashed from ear to ear and there was a bullet in his head. He also had several defensive wounds on his palms and fingers. Police found a bloody palm print with his blood and Arias’ in the hallway.
Police also found a digital camera in the washing machine with time stamped images of Alexander and Arias in sexually suggestive poses and one of the reflection of her in his eyes moments before she killed him. She was brought in for question and the police saw several cuts on her hands, which she claimed were from making margaritas at Margaritaville (there was not a margaritaville in the area).
On June 13th, Arias posted a photo gallery on her MySpace page titled "In Loving Memory of Travis."
On her 29th birthday, July 9th, she was indicted on first-degree murder charges and she plead not guilty.
Arias lied to the cops several times, first saying she wasn’t in the city during the murder then saying that 2 masked men attacked them but eventually settled on a self defense plea, saying that he abused her and that she killed him after he came after her in a fit of rage when she dropped his camera.
Her trial, which began in 2011, was described as a circus by several media outlets. The judge agreed to let her represent herself but revoked that after it turned out that several letters she had submitted to evidence were forgeries. She would also argue with the prosecutor and the two would exchange insults.
In 2013 she took the stand and testified for 18 days, claiming it was
Mar 24, 201933:41
017 - PTB discusses Leona Helmsley, excessive wealth, and rich dogs
She was born July 4, 1920 as Lena Mindy Rosenthal. She changed her name several times and was married four times. Her first husband was an attorney named Leo Panzirer. She married Joseph Lubinm, her second husband twice. Her third husband and fourth marriage was to Harry Helmsley whom she met in 1968 while working as a condominium broker.
After knowing him for two years she joined one of his brokerage firms, Brown Harris Stevens, as a senior vice-president and in 1972 he divorced his wife to be with her.
The marriage also helped her career because several of her tenants had sued her for forcing them to buy condos. They won and she was forced to give them three year leases as compensation. Her real estate license was also suspended so she focused her efforts on Harry’s hotel empire which was worth 5-10 billions dollars and include hotels, apartments and commercial properties including the Empire State building in New York City.
In 1980 she was made the president of the Helmsley hotels. The chain managed around 30 hotels.
She became a household name because of the ads she made. The first showed her claiming that she wouldn’t settle for skimpy towels and couldn’t get along without a phone in the bath so ‘why should you?’ The ads worked, occupancy was increased from 25% to 70%.
With her influence Harry began to convert apartments to condos and began to building a Helmsley hotel on Madison Ave.
Helmsly’s nickname was the Queen of Mean because she was cruel to employees and everyone around her. Contractors were rarely ever paid on time, if at all, and many filed lawsuits to recover lost wages.
She was reported to have told an employee that ‘Only little people pay taxes’ and had a swimming pool attendant who kept a platter of seafood ready for her as she swam. They would drop a shrimp in her mouth as she called out ‘Feed the fishy’.
In addition to being an all around unpleasant person she also engaged in illegal activities. In 1986 court documents claimed that she failed to pay several thousands of dollars worth of sales tax in New York. She would buy jewelry and then have them mail her empty boxes, thus avoiding the sales tax. She bought 485,000$ worth of jewelry and avoided paying 40,00$ in taxes.
She also wrote off personal furniture as a business expense.
She also ripped off her stockholders by writing off fees as personal consulting.
One of her employees triggers a New York Post story that lead to a broader investigation. The Helmslys were indicted on tax evasion charges and accused of evading 4 million dollars in taxes.
The couple places 235 counts in state and federal indictments. They were accused of draining their empire to provide themselves with things such as a one million dollar dance floor, a 45,000$ silver clock, a 210,000 mahogany card table, a 130,000$ stereo system and 500,000$ worth of jade art. Helmsly was convicted of evading 1.2 million dollars in federal income taxes.
On August 30 1989 she was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, three counts of tax evasion, three counts of filing false tax returns, ten counts of mail fraud and 16 counts of filing incorrect business tax returns. She was acquitted on a charge of extortion that would have led to life in prison.
On April 1 1992 she was sentenced to 16 years in prison which was later reduced to fours years after all but eight charges were dropped. She was also fined 7.75 million dollars and forced to do 750 hours of community service. She was released in 1994 after spending 18 months in a federal prison in Connecticut, spent one month in a Midtown halfway house and two months in the plush confinement of her penthouse apartment in the Park Lane Hotel.
While in prison she continued to be the Queen of Mean, hiring inmates to make her bed and another as a secretary. Rather than fulfil her community service in the cold climate of New York, Helmsley carried her out her punishment in the warm air of Phoenix, Arizona, having persuaded the j
After knowing him for two years she joined one of his brokerage firms, Brown Harris Stevens, as a senior vice-president and in 1972 he divorced his wife to be with her.
The marriage also helped her career because several of her tenants had sued her for forcing them to buy condos. They won and she was forced to give them three year leases as compensation. Her real estate license was also suspended so she focused her efforts on Harry’s hotel empire which was worth 5-10 billions dollars and include hotels, apartments and commercial properties including the Empire State building in New York City.
In 1980 she was made the president of the Helmsley hotels. The chain managed around 30 hotels.
She became a household name because of the ads she made. The first showed her claiming that she wouldn’t settle for skimpy towels and couldn’t get along without a phone in the bath so ‘why should you?’ The ads worked, occupancy was increased from 25% to 70%.
With her influence Harry began to convert apartments to condos and began to building a Helmsley hotel on Madison Ave.
Helmsly’s nickname was the Queen of Mean because she was cruel to employees and everyone around her. Contractors were rarely ever paid on time, if at all, and many filed lawsuits to recover lost wages.
She was reported to have told an employee that ‘Only little people pay taxes’ and had a swimming pool attendant who kept a platter of seafood ready for her as she swam. They would drop a shrimp in her mouth as she called out ‘Feed the fishy’.
In addition to being an all around unpleasant person she also engaged in illegal activities. In 1986 court documents claimed that she failed to pay several thousands of dollars worth of sales tax in New York. She would buy jewelry and then have them mail her empty boxes, thus avoiding the sales tax. She bought 485,000$ worth of jewelry and avoided paying 40,00$ in taxes.
She also wrote off personal furniture as a business expense.
She also ripped off her stockholders by writing off fees as personal consulting.
One of her employees triggers a New York Post story that lead to a broader investigation. The Helmslys were indicted on tax evasion charges and accused of evading 4 million dollars in taxes.
The couple places 235 counts in state and federal indictments. They were accused of draining their empire to provide themselves with things such as a one million dollar dance floor, a 45,000$ silver clock, a 210,000 mahogany card table, a 130,000$ stereo system and 500,000$ worth of jade art. Helmsly was convicted of evading 1.2 million dollars in federal income taxes.
On August 30 1989 she was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, three counts of tax evasion, three counts of filing false tax returns, ten counts of mail fraud and 16 counts of filing incorrect business tax returns. She was acquitted on a charge of extortion that would have led to life in prison.
On April 1 1992 she was sentenced to 16 years in prison which was later reduced to fours years after all but eight charges were dropped. She was also fined 7.75 million dollars and forced to do 750 hours of community service. She was released in 1994 after spending 18 months in a federal prison in Connecticut, spent one month in a Midtown halfway house and two months in the plush confinement of her penthouse apartment in the Park Lane Hotel.
While in prison she continued to be the Queen of Mean, hiring inmates to make her bed and another as a secretary. Rather than fulfil her community service in the cold climate of New York, Helmsley carried her out her punishment in the warm air of Phoenix, Arizona, having persuaded the j
Mar 05, 201936:52
016 - PTB discusses Phoolan Devi, the caste system and the lack of cults
Devi was born August 10, 1963 into a lower caste. She was married at age 11 to an older man who beat and raped her. She ran back to her family, which was considered shameful. They had her beaten and imprisoned for three days before they returned her to him.
At 16 she ran away for good, eventually becoming involved with bandits. It’s unclear how she became involved, in her own autobiography she said "it was the dictate of fate”.
She drew the attention of the bandit leader, Babu Gujjar. He tried to rape her but another bandit, Vikram Mallah intervened. There was a struggle and Gujjar was killed and Mallah became the leader. She became romantically involved with Mallah.
Eventually, the bandits go back to Devi’s home village for revenge. She dragged her husband out onto the street and stabbed him leaving him to die. He didn’t die but he had to live as an outcast after that due to the shame.
After that event, infighting began amongst the bandits. Some were upset over Gujjar dying but there was also a caste issue. Mallah and Devi were from a different caste than many of the bandits. This lead to a gun fight that Devi and Mallah barely escaped. They ran away but the angry faction of the bandit group followed them. They killed Mallah and took Devi prisoner, repeatedly raping her, until she was rescued by Mallah’s remaining supporters.
From here, she formed a new gang that would attack and rob members of higher castes. This earned her a Robin Hood like reputation and the nickname ‘Bandit Queen’.
Devi wanted revenge on the men who attacked her and killed Mallah so she went to their old village. She couldn’t find the men who hurt her and instead took her revenge out on the men’s caste as a whole. She, along with her bandit troupe, ordered all the men from the Rajput caste outside and she shot them. 22 men died that day. The event was known as the Behmai Massacre.
This caused an uproar but she wasn’t caught. She stayed on the run for two years until her health forced her to turn herself in. She was charged with 48 crimes, including banditry and kidnapping and was imprisoned for 11 years but never charged. Eventually the charges were dropped and she was released.
At 16 she ran away for good, eventually becoming involved with bandits. It’s unclear how she became involved, in her own autobiography she said "it was the dictate of fate”.
She drew the attention of the bandit leader, Babu Gujjar. He tried to rape her but another bandit, Vikram Mallah intervened. There was a struggle and Gujjar was killed and Mallah became the leader. She became romantically involved with Mallah.
Eventually, the bandits go back to Devi’s home village for revenge. She dragged her husband out onto the street and stabbed him leaving him to die. He didn’t die but he had to live as an outcast after that due to the shame.
After that event, infighting began amongst the bandits. Some were upset over Gujjar dying but there was also a caste issue. Mallah and Devi were from a different caste than many of the bandits. This lead to a gun fight that Devi and Mallah barely escaped. They ran away but the angry faction of the bandit group followed them. They killed Mallah and took Devi prisoner, repeatedly raping her, until she was rescued by Mallah’s remaining supporters.
From here, she formed a new gang that would attack and rob members of higher castes. This earned her a Robin Hood like reputation and the nickname ‘Bandit Queen’.
Devi wanted revenge on the men who attacked her and killed Mallah so she went to their old village. She couldn’t find the men who hurt her and instead took her revenge out on the men’s caste as a whole. She, along with her bandit troupe, ordered all the men from the Rajput caste outside and she shot them. 22 men died that day. The event was known as the Behmai Massacre.
This caused an uproar but she wasn’t caught. She stayed on the run for two years until her health forced her to turn herself in. She was charged with 48 crimes, including banditry and kidnapping and was imprisoned for 11 years but never charged. Eventually the charges were dropped and she was released.
Feb 19, 201937:11
015 - PTB discusses multiple coups, Antastasia and Dilma Rousseff
Brazil claimed their independence from Portugal in 1822, creating the empire of Brazil that lasted until 1889. Pedro II was given the throne when he was 5 yrs old.
In 1889 there was a coup where Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca overthrew Pedro II and declared Brazil a republic though it operated as a dictatorship. There were elections but they were rigged and the country suffered from many economic problems.
Then in 1930 there was another coup, lead by Vargas. They created a new constitution in 1934 that shut down congress and gave Vargas all the power.
There was another coup that lead to a populist government and more elections. Vargas was removed from government but he ran again and in 1950 he ran for president again and won. He founded the He founded the Petrobras Brazilian State Oil Enterprise, which is an oil company owned by the state of Brazil.
In 1964 there was another coup and this lead to a military dictatorship and a mandatory two party system. Military-sanctioned indirect elections were held for most elected positions.
The opposition party won an election and José Sarney took office. The economy isn’t doing well and the inflation is devastating. This is in the 1990’s and there’s a collar government and Sarney was removed due to a scandal. Itamar, the vice president was moved to president. Launched something called Plano Real an economic plan to fix the hyperinflation. No one thought he could do it, it looked too much like previous plans but it did work.
Carodo was the minister of economics for the Plano Real and was elected president in 1995. He privatized a lot of government services.
In 2003 Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is elected. He’s a popular president but, there was a corruption scandal. he was convicted of money laundering in 2017. Dilma Rousseff worked on his campaign and became his chief of staff. Silva groomed her to be his successor.
Rousseff was born in Brazil on 14 December 1947. She became the first woman president of Brazil after growing up working with a left wing organization that opposed the government. She was imprisoned for three years on the charge of subversion and during that time was subjected to torture by her captors. When she was released she went back to school and earned her bachelor's degree and got involved in local politics.
She had many smaller roles in government but her big break came when she helped with Silva’s campaign.
When she ran for president she lost the first round by not getting over 50% of the votes. This triggered a second round of voting and then she won with 56% of votes. She was sworn into office on January 1, 2011.
Corruption charges hit her right away. They lead to 5 of her cabinet members resigning, all holdovers from Silva’s organization.
In November 2012 six more officials are arrested on charges of influence peddling and corruption. Rousseff fired two of them. They were accused of being involved in a scheme to bribe members of the Chamber of Deputies, and it alleged that she was involved.
While this happened the economy is suffering and the banks tried to reduce interest rates and lowering the reserve requirement for banks. It was Rousseff trying to mess with the numbers so things looked better than they were.
This also lead to protests from the middle class.
Rousseff is reelected despite all this. Sources say it was largelt due to the smear campaign she ran against the other candidate.
Her second term started poorly due to the poor economy and the Petrobras scandal, which broke in 2014. It alleged millions of dollars in kickbacks from corporations to the oil company (which is government owned) so they can get cheaper contracts. Most members of Congress that were accused were part of her party.
This lead to Operation Car Wash, which the US was involved in and helped reveal the scandal. The public associated Rousseff with the scandal and her approval ratings fell to 14%. It’s become known as the largest corruption scandal in Brazil’
In 1889 there was a coup where Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca overthrew Pedro II and declared Brazil a republic though it operated as a dictatorship. There were elections but they were rigged and the country suffered from many economic problems.
Then in 1930 there was another coup, lead by Vargas. They created a new constitution in 1934 that shut down congress and gave Vargas all the power.
There was another coup that lead to a populist government and more elections. Vargas was removed from government but he ran again and in 1950 he ran for president again and won. He founded the He founded the Petrobras Brazilian State Oil Enterprise, which is an oil company owned by the state of Brazil.
In 1964 there was another coup and this lead to a military dictatorship and a mandatory two party system. Military-sanctioned indirect elections were held for most elected positions.
The opposition party won an election and José Sarney took office. The economy isn’t doing well and the inflation is devastating. This is in the 1990’s and there’s a collar government and Sarney was removed due to a scandal. Itamar, the vice president was moved to president. Launched something called Plano Real an economic plan to fix the hyperinflation. No one thought he could do it, it looked too much like previous plans but it did work.
Carodo was the minister of economics for the Plano Real and was elected president in 1995. He privatized a lot of government services.
In 2003 Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is elected. He’s a popular president but, there was a corruption scandal. he was convicted of money laundering in 2017. Dilma Rousseff worked on his campaign and became his chief of staff. Silva groomed her to be his successor.
Rousseff was born in Brazil on 14 December 1947. She became the first woman president of Brazil after growing up working with a left wing organization that opposed the government. She was imprisoned for three years on the charge of subversion and during that time was subjected to torture by her captors. When she was released she went back to school and earned her bachelor's degree and got involved in local politics.
She had many smaller roles in government but her big break came when she helped with Silva’s campaign.
When she ran for president she lost the first round by not getting over 50% of the votes. This triggered a second round of voting and then she won with 56% of votes. She was sworn into office on January 1, 2011.
Corruption charges hit her right away. They lead to 5 of her cabinet members resigning, all holdovers from Silva’s organization.
In November 2012 six more officials are arrested on charges of influence peddling and corruption. Rousseff fired two of them. They were accused of being involved in a scheme to bribe members of the Chamber of Deputies, and it alleged that she was involved.
While this happened the economy is suffering and the banks tried to reduce interest rates and lowering the reserve requirement for banks. It was Rousseff trying to mess with the numbers so things looked better than they were.
This also lead to protests from the middle class.
Rousseff is reelected despite all this. Sources say it was largelt due to the smear campaign she ran against the other candidate.
Her second term started poorly due to the poor economy and the Petrobras scandal, which broke in 2014. It alleged millions of dollars in kickbacks from corporations to the oil company (which is government owned) so they can get cheaper contracts. Most members of Congress that were accused were part of her party.
This lead to Operation Car Wash, which the US was involved in and helped reveal the scandal. The public associated Rousseff with the scandal and her approval ratings fell to 14%. It’s become known as the largest corruption scandal in Brazil’
Feb 05, 201947:33
014 - PTB discusses their (new) patron saint, the meticulousness of the mob and Stephanie St. Clair
What actually happened during Stephanie St Clair’s early life is up for debate. Most records suggest that she was born on 12/24 in 1897 on the island of Guadeloupe and that she travelled to the US when she was 13. Others suggest that she was actually 23 when she arrive and that she was born in 1887. Still others say she went to Canada first and served as a maid.
All of this uncertainty may have been on purpose. She was educated so she would have known her age and the year she was born.
All the records agree that she eventually moved to Harlem, arriving a few years before the Great Migration.
She became the leader of a gang called the 40 thieves that ran extortion and theft rackets.
She also invested ten thousand dollars of her own money to develop a money racket and become a policy banker. It’s a combination of investing, gambling and the lottery. Became the most successful numbers game in Harlem.
She used her position and wealth to become an activist and inform people of their legal and voting rights. She tried to complain to the authorities about police brutality but was ignored. So she used her existing relationship with the newspaper and took out ads accusing senior officers of corruption.
This lead to her being arrested and spending 8 months in a workhouse. Once she was released she testified to the Seabury commission which investigated police corruption, telling them about kickbacks she had played and giving them a list of officers that had played her numbers game.
Once Prohibition ended the mobs tried to move in on her territory. The Jewish mob tried to move in on her game by beating up and killing her number operators. She refused to pay them money and had the store fronts attacked, the police raided his operation and seized 12 million dollars.
After that she left the numbers game to her associate Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson.
Later, the leader of the Jewish mob was ordered to be taken out. St Clair sent him a telegram while he was in the hospital that said ‘As ye sow so shall ye reap’.
In her retirement she took on more of a role in social activism. She later met her husband, Sufi Abdul Hamid, who was known as Black Hitler for his anti-Semitic views. He started cheating on her with a fortune teller and tried to open a business with her money. St Clair shot him and spent 10 years in prison for it.
Once she was released she continued to work on her activism. She died at 83, living with Bumpy.
All of this uncertainty may have been on purpose. She was educated so she would have known her age and the year she was born.
All the records agree that she eventually moved to Harlem, arriving a few years before the Great Migration.
She became the leader of a gang called the 40 thieves that ran extortion and theft rackets.
She also invested ten thousand dollars of her own money to develop a money racket and become a policy banker. It’s a combination of investing, gambling and the lottery. Became the most successful numbers game in Harlem.
She used her position and wealth to become an activist and inform people of their legal and voting rights. She tried to complain to the authorities about police brutality but was ignored. So she used her existing relationship with the newspaper and took out ads accusing senior officers of corruption.
This lead to her being arrested and spending 8 months in a workhouse. Once she was released she testified to the Seabury commission which investigated police corruption, telling them about kickbacks she had played and giving them a list of officers that had played her numbers game.
Once Prohibition ended the mobs tried to move in on her territory. The Jewish mob tried to move in on her game by beating up and killing her number operators. She refused to pay them money and had the store fronts attacked, the police raided his operation and seized 12 million dollars.
After that she left the numbers game to her associate Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson.
Later, the leader of the Jewish mob was ordered to be taken out. St Clair sent him a telegram while he was in the hospital that said ‘As ye sow so shall ye reap’.
In her retirement she took on more of a role in social activism. She later met her husband, Sufi Abdul Hamid, who was known as Black Hitler for his anti-Semitic views. He started cheating on her with a fortune teller and tried to open a business with her money. St Clair shot him and spent 10 years in prison for it.
Once she was released she continued to work on her activism. She died at 83, living with Bumpy.
Jan 29, 201940:21
013 - PTB discusses high school romance, how everything is bigger in Texas and Bonnie Parker
Born in Rowena Texas in 1910. Her father died in 1914, when Bonnie was four. Her mother moved them to Cement City, an impoverished industrial city.
Met Roy Thorton in her second year of high school and married him. She dropped out of school as well. She got a tattoo of their names on her right thigh to celebrate.
He was abusive and frequently absent. He was also in and out of prison.
Bonny left him and went to work as a waitress in Dallas. She met Clyde when he dropped by the house as she was making hot chocolate. It was love at first sight.
They started robbing banks and Bonnie got caught by the police in 1932. She spent two month in prison where she wrote poetry, including The Trail’s End.
"Some day they'll go down together / And they'll bury them side by side / To few it'll be grief / to the law a relief / but it's death for Bonnie and Clyde.”
She wasn’t convicted because she claimed she was kidnapped.
After this, they began travelling with Raymond Hamilton. He left several months later and was replaced by William Daniel Jones. Clyde’s brother, Ivan M. “Buck” Barrow, and his wife Blanche joined them in 1933.
In June 1933 she was in a car accident and her leg was burned by battery acid. She had to carried for the rest of her life.
The group robbed banks across five state- TX, OK, MI, NM and LA. They robbed 15 banks in total. Bonny was rarely involved in the actual robberies and usually drove the get a away car.
When it was only the two of them they could rob convenience stores.
The public was torn on them, some liked them and saw them as Robin Hood and other’s hated them.
The pair would often take photos and release them to the media.
In July 1933, during a sting operation with the police Buck Barrow was shot and died. Blanche was arrested. Jones was arrested in November 1933.
In November 1933 the duo broke Hamilton out of prisoner, killing two guards in the process.
They died on May 23rd, 1934. The police hired Captain Frank Hamer as a special investigator to find them. He searched for three months before tracing them to LA.
On the 23rd law enforcement hid in bushes outside the hideout. The pair emerges and the cops open fire, killing them instantly.
Met Roy Thorton in her second year of high school and married him. She dropped out of school as well. She got a tattoo of their names on her right thigh to celebrate.
He was abusive and frequently absent. He was also in and out of prison.
Bonny left him and went to work as a waitress in Dallas. She met Clyde when he dropped by the house as she was making hot chocolate. It was love at first sight.
They started robbing banks and Bonnie got caught by the police in 1932. She spent two month in prison where she wrote poetry, including The Trail’s End.
"Some day they'll go down together / And they'll bury them side by side / To few it'll be grief / to the law a relief / but it's death for Bonnie and Clyde.”
She wasn’t convicted because she claimed she was kidnapped.
After this, they began travelling with Raymond Hamilton. He left several months later and was replaced by William Daniel Jones. Clyde’s brother, Ivan M. “Buck” Barrow, and his wife Blanche joined them in 1933.
In June 1933 she was in a car accident and her leg was burned by battery acid. She had to carried for the rest of her life.
The group robbed banks across five state- TX, OK, MI, NM and LA. They robbed 15 banks in total. Bonny was rarely involved in the actual robberies and usually drove the get a away car.
When it was only the two of them they could rob convenience stores.
The public was torn on them, some liked them and saw them as Robin Hood and other’s hated them.
The pair would often take photos and release them to the media.
In July 1933, during a sting operation with the police Buck Barrow was shot and died. Blanche was arrested. Jones was arrested in November 1933.
In November 1933 the duo broke Hamilton out of prisoner, killing two guards in the process.
They died on May 23rd, 1934. The police hired Captain Frank Hamer as a special investigator to find them. He searched for three months before tracing them to LA.
On the 23rd law enforcement hid in bushes outside the hideout. The pair emerges and the cops open fire, killing them instantly.
Jan 16, 201943:40
012 - PTB Discusses Their Year in Review, Charlie Brown Christmas Trees and Vera Renczi
There are few details about Vera Renczi’s early life. According to some accounts she was born in Bucharest in 1903 but given the timeline of the murders it’s more likely that she was born in the late 1800’s.
Her mom died when she was 13 and she moved to Northern Yugoslavia with her dad where she attended boarding school. By 15 she was unmanageable- she had a reputation of running away and going out with older boys. Her childhood friends described her as having it an ‘almost pathological desire for constant male companionship and possessing a highly jealous and suspicious nature’.
First marriage was to Karl Schick, a man who was much older than her. She was under 20. She had one son, named Lorenzo.
Soon she began to suspect that he was being unfaithful and she poisoned his dinner with arsenic. She told everyone that he had abandoned her and his son.
After approximately a year of “mourning“, she declared that she had heard that he died in a car accident. She remarried and that husband also disappeared. She claimed to have gotten a letter that declared his intentions to leave her.
The was her last marriage. She began to have affairs and those men all disappeared. The story was the same- that they were unfaithful and then abandoned her.
One of the men’s wives followed him to Renczi’s house and then saw that he never came out. She called the police who went to investigate. They found 32 unburied bodies in her wine cellar in zinc-lined coffins, including her son’s body. Renczi confessed to killing them all out of the fear that they would leave her.
She may not have existed. The timeline doesn’t match up and the details are sketchy.
Her mom died when she was 13 and she moved to Northern Yugoslavia with her dad where she attended boarding school. By 15 she was unmanageable- she had a reputation of running away and going out with older boys. Her childhood friends described her as having it an ‘almost pathological desire for constant male companionship and possessing a highly jealous and suspicious nature’.
First marriage was to Karl Schick, a man who was much older than her. She was under 20. She had one son, named Lorenzo.
Soon she began to suspect that he was being unfaithful and she poisoned his dinner with arsenic. She told everyone that he had abandoned her and his son.
After approximately a year of “mourning“, she declared that she had heard that he died in a car accident. She remarried and that husband also disappeared. She claimed to have gotten a letter that declared his intentions to leave her.
The was her last marriage. She began to have affairs and those men all disappeared. The story was the same- that they were unfaithful and then abandoned her.
One of the men’s wives followed him to Renczi’s house and then saw that he never came out. She called the police who went to investigate. They found 32 unburied bodies in her wine cellar in zinc-lined coffins, including her son’s body. Renczi confessed to killing them all out of the fear that they would leave her.
She may not have existed. The timeline doesn’t match up and the details are sketchy.
Dec 18, 201828:04
011- PTB Discusses Leonarda Cianciulli, How to make soap, and Shyloh's safety
Born in Montella Italy in the 1920’s. As a young child tried to commit suicide twice. She married Raffaele Pansardi and in 1930 they moved to Correggio where she opened a small shop. She was very popular and well-respected within her neighborhood. She had 17 pregnancies, three of which resulted in miscarriages and ten died as kids. Only four survived to adulthood.
In 1939 her eldest son Giuseppe, was to be enlisted in the military to serve in WWII. Giuseppe was her favorite child and Cijanciulli wanted to save him. She went to see a fortune teller to figure out how to save him who told her “In your right hand I see prison and in your left a criminal asylum.” She took this to mean that she needed human sacrifice to save her son.
Her first victim was Faustina Setti. She invited Setti over under the guise of finding her a husband. Cianciulli had Setti write letters to her family, telling them that she would be leaving to visit her potential husband. Then, she subdued Setti with drugged wine and murdered her with an axe.
She cut Setti into 9 pieces and gathered her blood. Below is Cianciulli’s statement for what she did to the body:
“I threw the pieces into a pot, added seven kilos of caustic soda, which I had bought to make soap, and stirred the mixture until the pieces dissolved in a thick, dark mush that I poured into several buckets and emptied in a nearby septic tank. As for the blood in the basin, I waited until it had coagulated, dried it in the oven, ground it and mixed it with flour, sugar, chocolate, milk, and eggs, as well as a bit of margarine, kneading all the ingredients together. I made lots of crunchy tea cakes and served them to the ladies who came to visit, though Giuseppe and I also ate them.”
Cianciulli then took Setti’s life savings, which she would have received for setting the woman up with a husband.
Victim two was Francesca Soavi. Cianciulli took the same steps as she did with Setti- she told Soavi that she had found her a teaching job, had her write letters and then murdered her and baked her into teacakes.
Her mistake was with her third victim, Virginia Cacioppo. Cacioppo was a retired soprano and Cianciulli promised her a job. Her mistake was that Cacioppo’s sister in law was curious and caught on, telling the police what she knew and eventually leading them to Cianciulli’s door. She denied it until the police began to suspect her son, Giuseppe, at which point she confessed.
After a short trial she was sentenced to 33 years and spent three in an asylum. During her final year in prison she died of a cerebral apoplexy. This was in 1970 at age 79.
A link to the John Oliver The Wax and the Furious.
In 1939 her eldest son Giuseppe, was to be enlisted in the military to serve in WWII. Giuseppe was her favorite child and Cijanciulli wanted to save him. She went to see a fortune teller to figure out how to save him who told her “In your right hand I see prison and in your left a criminal asylum.” She took this to mean that she needed human sacrifice to save her son.
Her first victim was Faustina Setti. She invited Setti over under the guise of finding her a husband. Cianciulli had Setti write letters to her family, telling them that she would be leaving to visit her potential husband. Then, she subdued Setti with drugged wine and murdered her with an axe.
She cut Setti into 9 pieces and gathered her blood. Below is Cianciulli’s statement for what she did to the body:
“I threw the pieces into a pot, added seven kilos of caustic soda, which I had bought to make soap, and stirred the mixture until the pieces dissolved in a thick, dark mush that I poured into several buckets and emptied in a nearby septic tank. As for the blood in the basin, I waited until it had coagulated, dried it in the oven, ground it and mixed it with flour, sugar, chocolate, milk, and eggs, as well as a bit of margarine, kneading all the ingredients together. I made lots of crunchy tea cakes and served them to the ladies who came to visit, though Giuseppe and I also ate them.”
Cianciulli then took Setti’s life savings, which she would have received for setting the woman up with a husband.
Victim two was Francesca Soavi. Cianciulli took the same steps as she did with Setti- she told Soavi that she had found her a teaching job, had her write letters and then murdered her and baked her into teacakes.
Her mistake was with her third victim, Virginia Cacioppo. Cacioppo was a retired soprano and Cianciulli promised her a job. Her mistake was that Cacioppo’s sister in law was curious and caught on, telling the police what she knew and eventually leading them to Cianciulli’s door. She denied it until the police began to suspect her son, Giuseppe, at which point she confessed.
After a short trial she was sentenced to 33 years and spent three in an asylum. During her final year in prison she died of a cerebral apoplexy. This was in 1970 at age 79.
A link to the John Oliver The Wax and the Furious.
Dec 04, 201837:23
010 - PTB Discusses Miyuki Ishikawa, Amelia's fear of being touched and our social media skills
She was born in 1897 in a small southern town in Japan called Kinitomi. Not a lot is known about her early life but as an adult she became the director of a hospital ward. She saw families who were having babies and wasn’t able to afford them and chose to take matters into her own hands. At the time abortion was illegal and there were no social programs to help the families.
Ishikawa allowed children to die through neglect. It’s speculated that she killed around 103 babies this way.
She had accomplices, including her husband and a doctor. The doctor was in charge of falsifying the death certificates.
After doing this for a while she decided that she could make money off of this. After allowing the children to die her husband and her would approach the couple and ask for money for letting the baby die.
The government ignored this for a long time but eventually she was caught. Two police officers found the remains of babies at the hospital she worked out. An autopsy revealed that the babies didn’t die of natural causes and three days later she was arrested with her husband. She claimed that she was innocent and that the parents were responsible via negligence. The public supported her defensive but a lefiest author opposed her and spoke out about it, describing it as an act of discrimination since the babies were from poor families.
The investigation revealed 40 bodies in the hospital and another 30 in a nearby temple.
Ishikawa was sentenced to 8 years in prison and her accomplices were given 4 years because this was considered a crime of omission. All three appealed and their sentences were reduced by half.
In June of 1949 abortion was legalized in Japan, partially due to this case.
Ishikawa allowed children to die through neglect. It’s speculated that she killed around 103 babies this way.
She had accomplices, including her husband and a doctor. The doctor was in charge of falsifying the death certificates.
After doing this for a while she decided that she could make money off of this. After allowing the children to die her husband and her would approach the couple and ask for money for letting the baby die.
The government ignored this for a long time but eventually she was caught. Two police officers found the remains of babies at the hospital she worked out. An autopsy revealed that the babies didn’t die of natural causes and three days later she was arrested with her husband. She claimed that she was innocent and that the parents were responsible via negligence. The public supported her defensive but a lefiest author opposed her and spoke out about it, describing it as an act of discrimination since the babies were from poor families.
The investigation revealed 40 bodies in the hospital and another 30 in a nearby temple.
Ishikawa was sentenced to 8 years in prison and her accomplices were given 4 years because this was considered a crime of omission. All three appealed and their sentences were reduced by half.
In June of 1949 abortion was legalized in Japan, partially due to this case.
Nov 20, 201837:30
009 - PTB Discusses Griselda Blanco, Cocaine Cowgirls, Mean Girls and The Drug Trade in the 1970's
Born in Columbia in 1943. She was raised in an abusive situation, her step father abused her and she grew up in the slums. At 11 years old she joined a gang. The gang captured a 10 year old boy and his family refused to pay the ransom for him so Blanco killed him on a dare.
At age 14 she moved out of her family’s home and became a prostitute. This is how she met her first husband. She divorced him and married her second husband.
Her second husband, Alberto Bravo, was involved in the drug cartel, getting her involved. Blanco helped and was known for her creative ways of smuggling drugs, like hiding coke in lingerie and having women wear it on airplanes.
Blanco and her second husband were busted a joint NYPD/DEA sting called Operation Banshee. It was the largest sting to have occurred at that time. Because of that, she left Florida and returned to Columbia to avoid jail time.
Later that year, she thought her husband was stealing money from her. This resulted in a shootout between the two of them. She pulled out a gun and shot her second husband, killing him.
In the late 1970’s she moved back to Fl and met and married her third husband, Dario Sepulveda. She was also trying to solidify her hold on the local drug trade and plunged the city into a drug war known as the Cocaine Cowboy Wars.
She smuggled more than three tons of cocaine into the United States annually, netting some $80 million per month.
In 1984 Blanco moved to CA. In 1985 she was arrested for drug crimes. She received the maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, though she reportedly continued to run her empire/ She was also implicated in 200 murders but there wasn’t enough evidence to convict her until one of her top hit men, Jorge Ayala turned on her and agreed to testify against her. At this point, she was charged with 3 murders.
While she was awaiting trial, Charles Cosby, an Oakland crack dealer, contacted her to help her however he could. Blanco took him up on the offer and during one visit slipped him a note that read “jfk 5m ny.” She wanted him to organize the kidnapping of John F. Kennedy Jr in New York and hold him in exchange for her release. The kidnappers would receive $5 million for their trouble. Supposedly, the kidnappers came close to pulling it off. They managed to surround Kennedy while he was out walking his dog but an NYPD squad car passed by and scared them off.
The state sought death penalty but Ayala’s credibilty was undermined when it was revealed that he had been having phone sex with secretaries in the prosecuting attorney’s office
In 1998 Blanco ultimately pled guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence, and six years later, in 2004, she was released and deported to Colombia. Blanco reportedly retired from a life of crime, but in 2012 she was assassinated by a gunman on a motorcycle as she left a butcher shop in Medellín.
At age 14 she moved out of her family’s home and became a prostitute. This is how she met her first husband. She divorced him and married her second husband.
Her second husband, Alberto Bravo, was involved in the drug cartel, getting her involved. Blanco helped and was known for her creative ways of smuggling drugs, like hiding coke in lingerie and having women wear it on airplanes.
Blanco and her second husband were busted a joint NYPD/DEA sting called Operation Banshee. It was the largest sting to have occurred at that time. Because of that, she left Florida and returned to Columbia to avoid jail time.
Later that year, she thought her husband was stealing money from her. This resulted in a shootout between the two of them. She pulled out a gun and shot her second husband, killing him.
In the late 1970’s she moved back to Fl and met and married her third husband, Dario Sepulveda. She was also trying to solidify her hold on the local drug trade and plunged the city into a drug war known as the Cocaine Cowboy Wars.
She smuggled more than three tons of cocaine into the United States annually, netting some $80 million per month.
In 1984 Blanco moved to CA. In 1985 she was arrested for drug crimes. She received the maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, though she reportedly continued to run her empire/ She was also implicated in 200 murders but there wasn’t enough evidence to convict her until one of her top hit men, Jorge Ayala turned on her and agreed to testify against her. At this point, she was charged with 3 murders.
While she was awaiting trial, Charles Cosby, an Oakland crack dealer, contacted her to help her however he could. Blanco took him up on the offer and during one visit slipped him a note that read “jfk 5m ny.” She wanted him to organize the kidnapping of John F. Kennedy Jr in New York and hold him in exchange for her release. The kidnappers would receive $5 million for their trouble. Supposedly, the kidnappers came close to pulling it off. They managed to surround Kennedy while he was out walking his dog but an NYPD squad car passed by and scared them off.
The state sought death penalty but Ayala’s credibilty was undermined when it was revealed that he had been having phone sex with secretaries in the prosecuting attorney’s office
In 1998 Blanco ultimately pled guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence, and six years later, in 2004, she was released and deported to Colombia. Blanco reportedly retired from a life of crime, but in 2012 she was assassinated by a gunman on a motorcycle as she left a butcher shop in Medellín.
Nov 06, 201834:59
008 - PTB Discusses Aileen Wuronos, Continued Cult-ish Behavior, and Shady Adult Adoptions
Aileen Wuornos was born on 2/29/1956 as Aileen Carol Pittman. Her mom was only 14 years old when she married Aileen’s father, Leo Dale Pittman. She never met her dad, he was in jail when she was born, having been convicted of sexual acts against children. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and hung himself in prison. When she was four her mom abandoned her and her older brother with her grandparents. While she lived with them she was beaten and sexually abused by her grandfather.
She became sexually active at age 11. At age 14 she was raped and became pregnant. She was sent to a home for unwed mothers where she gave birth to a son. He was adopted and she never saw him again.
She was thrown out of the house at 15 and became a prostitute. At 18 she was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), disorderly conduct, and firing a .22-caliber pistol from a moving vehicle. She was later charged with failure to appear in court.
At 20, she hitchhiked to Florida and married a 69-year-old man named Lewis Fell. It was annulled after 9 weeks because he didn’t like that she went to bars and got into fights. On July 17 of that year her brother Keith died of esophageal cancer and she received $10,000 from his life insurance. The money quickly ran out, she spent it on expense cars and other things.
She went back to being a prostitute and, a decade later, she met Tyria Moore at a Daytona gay bar in 1986, and the 2 started dating. Some sources say they had a good relationship and Tyria was her partner in crime others say it was rocky.
Aileen began murdering in 1989, killing Richard Mallory on November 30th. He was a convicted rapist she she later claimed it was self defense. He, like all of her victims, was a john. His car was found two days later and his body wasn’t found until December 13th.
On June 1st 1990 she killed David Spears. His nude body was found along Florida State Road 19 in Citrus County. He had been shot six times.
The next victim was Charles Carskaddon. He was killed on May 31, 1990. His body was found on June 6, 1990 in Pasco County. He had been shot nine times with a small-caliber weapon.
The fourth was Peter Siems. On July 4, 1990, his car was found in Orange Springs, Florida. Moore and Wuornos were seen abandoning the car, and Wuornos' palm print was found on the interior door handle. His body was never found.
The fifth was Troy Burress. On July 31, 1990, he was reported missing. On August 4, 1990, his body was found in a wooded area along State Road 19 in Marion County. He had been shot twice.
Her sixth victim was Charles "Dick" Humphreys. On September 12, 1990, his body was found in Marion County. He was fully clothed and had been shot six times in the head and torso. His car was found in Suwannee County.
Her final victim was Walter Jeno Antonio. On November 19, 1990, Antonio's nearly nude body was found near a remote logging road in Dixie County. He had been shot four times. Five days later, his car was found in Brevard County.
On July 4, 1990, Wuornos and Moore abandoned Siems’ car after they were involved in an accident. Witnesses saw them leave the car and gave police their names. This began a media campaign to find the two women. The police also found items from the victims in pawn shops with prints that matched the prints lifted from the victims car. Wuornos was in the FL system, making it easy to identify her prints.
On January 9, 1991 Wuornos was arrested on an outstanding warrant at a biker bar in Volusia County. The next day, police found Moore in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She agreed to help obtain a confession from Wuornos in exchange for immunity. A phone call with Moore lead to Wuornos’ confession on January 16, 1991. In January of 1992 she went to trial for killing Mallory and the judge allowed evidence of the other 6 murders to be presented. She was found guilty and sentenced to death. The same followed for the other murders. No charges were filed against her for Siem since his b
She became sexually active at age 11. At age 14 she was raped and became pregnant. She was sent to a home for unwed mothers where she gave birth to a son. He was adopted and she never saw him again.
She was thrown out of the house at 15 and became a prostitute. At 18 she was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), disorderly conduct, and firing a .22-caliber pistol from a moving vehicle. She was later charged with failure to appear in court.
At 20, she hitchhiked to Florida and married a 69-year-old man named Lewis Fell. It was annulled after 9 weeks because he didn’t like that she went to bars and got into fights. On July 17 of that year her brother Keith died of esophageal cancer and she received $10,000 from his life insurance. The money quickly ran out, she spent it on expense cars and other things.
She went back to being a prostitute and, a decade later, she met Tyria Moore at a Daytona gay bar in 1986, and the 2 started dating. Some sources say they had a good relationship and Tyria was her partner in crime others say it was rocky.
Aileen began murdering in 1989, killing Richard Mallory on November 30th. He was a convicted rapist she she later claimed it was self defense. He, like all of her victims, was a john. His car was found two days later and his body wasn’t found until December 13th.
On June 1st 1990 she killed David Spears. His nude body was found along Florida State Road 19 in Citrus County. He had been shot six times.
The next victim was Charles Carskaddon. He was killed on May 31, 1990. His body was found on June 6, 1990 in Pasco County. He had been shot nine times with a small-caliber weapon.
The fourth was Peter Siems. On July 4, 1990, his car was found in Orange Springs, Florida. Moore and Wuornos were seen abandoning the car, and Wuornos' palm print was found on the interior door handle. His body was never found.
The fifth was Troy Burress. On July 31, 1990, he was reported missing. On August 4, 1990, his body was found in a wooded area along State Road 19 in Marion County. He had been shot twice.
Her sixth victim was Charles "Dick" Humphreys. On September 12, 1990, his body was found in Marion County. He was fully clothed and had been shot six times in the head and torso. His car was found in Suwannee County.
Her final victim was Walter Jeno Antonio. On November 19, 1990, Antonio's nearly nude body was found near a remote logging road in Dixie County. He had been shot four times. Five days later, his car was found in Brevard County.
On July 4, 1990, Wuornos and Moore abandoned Siems’ car after they were involved in an accident. Witnesses saw them leave the car and gave police their names. This began a media campaign to find the two women. The police also found items from the victims in pawn shops with prints that matched the prints lifted from the victims car. Wuornos was in the FL system, making it easy to identify her prints.
On January 9, 1991 Wuornos was arrested on an outstanding warrant at a biker bar in Volusia County. The next day, police found Moore in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She agreed to help obtain a confession from Wuornos in exchange for immunity. A phone call with Moore lead to Wuornos’ confession on January 16, 1991. In January of 1992 she went to trial for killing Mallory and the judge allowed evidence of the other 6 murders to be presented. She was found guilty and sentenced to death. The same followed for the other murders. No charges were filed against her for Siem since his b
Oct 16, 201848:13
007 - PTB Discusses Dee Dee and Gypsy Blanchard, Dr. Phil, and How Old Shyloh and Amelia Were In College
Dee Dee Blancharde had Gypsy at age 24, the father was 17. Separated soon after, Dee Dee and Gypsy moved in with her father and stepmother. Gypsy starts to develop sleep apnea at 3 months old. They also found a chromosome disease that slowed her development. In a wheelchair since age 7 because of muscular dystrophy. She also had leukemia and a feeding tube.
In 2005 their apartment was destroyed in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina. Lost all the medical files. Moved to Missouri and started fresh. Given a new house from habitat for humanity as well as a make a wish trip, in addition to many other perks.
In 2005 their apartment was destroyed in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina. Lost all the medical files. Moved to Missouri and started fresh. Given a new house from habitat for humanity as well as a make a wish trip, in addition to many other perks.
Oct 02, 201838:02
006 - PTB Discusses the Kurim Case, Internet Security, and Why Cannabilism Makes For Bad Parenting
The Crimes
In May 2007 a neighbor bought a baby monitor and through it saw a live feed of two boys who were being tortured. He recognized a woman in the video as his neighbor and called the cops, who went to the house and found the boys imprisoned in a broom closet. They were naked and bound.
It was discovered that 8 year old Ondřej was beaten and made it eat his own vomit. 10 year old Jakub endeared the same treatment, as well as cigarette burns, being submerged in water and sexual abuse. Ondřej also had his skin cut off in strips and it was eaten by cult members and himself.
This started in 2006 because the mom, Klara, wanted the boys to be nice to Anička, a girl she wanted to adopt.
Grail Movement
It was conceived before WWII in the 1940’s by Oskar Ernst Bernhardt, who perceived himself as a messiah. He was imprisoned for four years during WWI. He wrote a book called In The Light of Truth which explained their beliefs, which was a mix of Christianity and New Age ideology.
Ended up back in Germany and started to build a compound. He had plans to build a castle but during WWII Hitler exiled him and he died there.
Movement continued to move forward with his children and grew into several thousand members in various countries. There was a schism over who owned the texts and several sects broke off and became more extreme and violent.
Connection with this Case
Klara learned about the cult when she was trying to adopt Anička, who she found out about through her sister, Katerina. Katerina also introduced Klara to Anička’s doctor, who Klara possibility never met. They communicated through text messages.
The doctor convinced Klara to torturing her children for Anička, who was actually Barbora Škrlová, a 31 year old woman who was being groomed to take on a leadership role in the cult. She disguised herself as a 13 yr old Norwegian school-girl to be under Klara’s care.
In May 2007 a neighbor bought a baby monitor and through it saw a live feed of two boys who were being tortured. He recognized a woman in the video as his neighbor and called the cops, who went to the house and found the boys imprisoned in a broom closet. They were naked and bound.
It was discovered that 8 year old Ondřej was beaten and made it eat his own vomit. 10 year old Jakub endeared the same treatment, as well as cigarette burns, being submerged in water and sexual abuse. Ondřej also had his skin cut off in strips and it was eaten by cult members and himself.
This started in 2006 because the mom, Klara, wanted the boys to be nice to Anička, a girl she wanted to adopt.
Grail Movement
It was conceived before WWII in the 1940’s by Oskar Ernst Bernhardt, who perceived himself as a messiah. He was imprisoned for four years during WWI. He wrote a book called In The Light of Truth which explained their beliefs, which was a mix of Christianity and New Age ideology.
Ended up back in Germany and started to build a compound. He had plans to build a castle but during WWII Hitler exiled him and he died there.
Movement continued to move forward with his children and grew into several thousand members in various countries. There was a schism over who owned the texts and several sects broke off and became more extreme and violent.
Connection with this Case
Klara learned about the cult when she was trying to adopt Anička, who she found out about through her sister, Katerina. Katerina also introduced Klara to Anička’s doctor, who Klara possibility never met. They communicated through text messages.
The doctor convinced Klara to torturing her children for Anička, who was actually Barbora Škrlová, a 31 year old woman who was being groomed to take on a leadership role in the cult. She disguised herself as a 13 yr old Norwegian school-girl to be under Klara’s care.
Sep 15, 201844:17
005 - PTB Discusses Dalphine LaLaurie, Slavery, Torture, and Nick Cage
Bought land at 1140 Royal Street with her third husband and built a 2 story house (later added a third story). It was one of the tallest structures in the French Quarter and was valued at 33,000 in 1831 (around 900,000 today).
LaLaurie’s crimes were discovered when a slave girl jumped from a window after being whipped for hitting a snarl in Lalaurie’s hair. She nearly landed on a passerby and he reported it. LaLaurie was fined 300$ for this and had some of her slaves taken away (but her family just bought them back).
Her actions were completely exposed when a slave who was chained to the stove in the kitchen started a fire. This fire exposed LaLaurie’s actions and torture. Authorities checked her attic and found numerous slaves who had been tortured and mutilated. Some of the more gruesome details may have been exaggerated over time but she did horribly mistreat her slaves.
Her husband knew about this, though he died before the fire.
After being discovered LaLaurie fled to Paris and possibly faked her death. She never seemed to understand why she had to flee.
Her actions may have been related to the fear that came from the Haitian revolution, which took place from 1791 to 1803. Slaves rose up and overthrew French rule for a period of time, which brought fear to many slave owners in America that the same thing may happen.
Another event around this time was the New Orleans Slave Revolt of 1811. A group of slaves lead nearly 500 men in revolt and the US Military was sent in to stop the slaves. The slaves were killed and tortured for punishment.
.
LaLaurie’s crimes were discovered when a slave girl jumped from a window after being whipped for hitting a snarl in Lalaurie’s hair. She nearly landed on a passerby and he reported it. LaLaurie was fined 300$ for this and had some of her slaves taken away (but her family just bought them back).
Her actions were completely exposed when a slave who was chained to the stove in the kitchen started a fire. This fire exposed LaLaurie’s actions and torture. Authorities checked her attic and found numerous slaves who had been tortured and mutilated. Some of the more gruesome details may have been exaggerated over time but she did horribly mistreat her slaves.
Her husband knew about this, though he died before the fire.
After being discovered LaLaurie fled to Paris and possibly faked her death. She never seemed to understand why she had to flee.
Her actions may have been related to the fear that came from the Haitian revolution, which took place from 1791 to 1803. Slaves rose up and overthrew French rule for a period of time, which brought fear to many slave owners in America that the same thing may happen.
Another event around this time was the New Orleans Slave Revolt of 1811. A group of slaves lead nearly 500 men in revolt and the US Military was sent in to stop the slaves. The slaves were killed and tortured for punishment.
.
Sep 01, 201830:56
004 -Martha Stewart
Background:
Martha Stewart was born August 3, 1941 in New Jersey. She wasn’t from a wealthy family but grew up babysitting for famous people like Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle.
At age 15 she began modeling and had contracts with companies like Unilever and Chanel. She used this to pay her way through college. She continued modeling until her first daughter was born, at which point she left and became a stock broker.
In 1973 she left and began renovating houses and teaching cooking lessons. She founded a catering company with a friend in 1976. From here, she published her first cookbook in 1979, which lead to her first TV show in 1986. Martha Stewart Living Premiered in 1993.
Martha Stewart was born August 3, 1941 in New Jersey. She wasn’t from a wealthy family but grew up babysitting for famous people like Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle.
At age 15 she began modeling and had contracts with companies like Unilever and Chanel. She used this to pay her way through college. She continued modeling until her first daughter was born, at which point she left and became a stock broker.
In 1973 she left and began renovating houses and teaching cooking lessons. She founded a catering company with a friend in 1976. From here, she published her first cookbook in 1979, which lead to her first TV show in 1986. Martha Stewart Living Premiered in 1993.
Aug 15, 201828:16
003 - Elizabeth Báthory
Losing streak Lois Update
Lois' son, Braden Riess, spoke to a media outlet, saying something happened and his mother just snapped. He described her as a loving caring mother, always putting her children first. He also revealed that she had burned up a $500,000 inheritance from gambling.
As for her case, prosecutors in Florida decided to seek the death penalty.
A grand jury indicted her last month on a first-degree murder charge. She plead not guilty to all charges.
She is facing first degree murder for the death of Pamela Hutchinson and one count each of grand theft and grand theft of a vehicle
In order for Riess to receive the death penalty, prosecutors will need to prove that she committed the murder to avoid arrest, to receive monetary gain and that the crime happened in a "cold, calculated, and premeditated manner."
Not yet been charged in MN for her husband’s death because prosecutors are waiting on ballistic lab results for the gun used in the murder of David Riess.
Lois' son, Braden Riess, spoke to a media outlet, saying something happened and his mother just snapped. He described her as a loving caring mother, always putting her children first. He also revealed that she had burned up a $500,000 inheritance from gambling.
As for her case, prosecutors in Florida decided to seek the death penalty.
A grand jury indicted her last month on a first-degree murder charge. She plead not guilty to all charges.
She is facing first degree murder for the death of Pamela Hutchinson and one count each of grand theft and grand theft of a vehicle
In order for Riess to receive the death penalty, prosecutors will need to prove that she committed the murder to avoid arrest, to receive monetary gain and that the crime happened in a "cold, calculated, and premeditated manner."
Not yet been charged in MN for her husband’s death because prosecutors are waiting on ballistic lab results for the gun used in the murder of David Riess.
Jul 30, 201839:20
001 - Welcome!
For our first podcast we’re examining where the term plead the belly came from, how it was used and by whom.
Origin of plead the belly
Pleading the belly was used by women in the UK and US to postpone her execution after being found guilty in a criminal trial by claiming she was pregnant. The earliest use of the term ‘plead the belly’ was 1228.
Process
Once a woman had pled the belly she was examined by a jury of matrons. These were all women who had already given birth and were expected to be able to determine if a woman was pregnant.
The woman needed to be ‘quick with child- at least 15/16 weeks pregnant.
These examinations were often not reliable. Mary Wright tried to plead the belly and the jury of matrons found that she wasn’t pregnant. However, three surgeons also examined her and found that she was pregnant and gave birth a few months later.
If a woman was found to be pregnant she was held in custody until she gave birth and couldn’t come into contact with other pregnant women to prevent any fraudulent babies.
Unsurprisingly, this was often used fraudulently to delay execution.
Other uses
Pleading the belly was also used in property cases. If a husband died, all property would revert to his brother unless the widow was pregnant. If she was, the estate would pass to her child.
The end of belly pleading
The ability to plead the belly was replaced in 1931 with the Expectant mothers act, which sent pregnant women to jail instead of executing them.
Thanks for listening! Please go here to rate us on itunes!
Origin of plead the belly
Pleading the belly was used by women in the UK and US to postpone her execution after being found guilty in a criminal trial by claiming she was pregnant. The earliest use of the term ‘plead the belly’ was 1228.
Process
Once a woman had pled the belly she was examined by a jury of matrons. These were all women who had already given birth and were expected to be able to determine if a woman was pregnant.
The woman needed to be ‘quick with child- at least 15/16 weeks pregnant.
These examinations were often not reliable. Mary Wright tried to plead the belly and the jury of matrons found that she wasn’t pregnant. However, three surgeons also examined her and found that she was pregnant and gave birth a few months later.
If a woman was found to be pregnant she was held in custody until she gave birth and couldn’t come into contact with other pregnant women to prevent any fraudulent babies.
Unsurprisingly, this was often used fraudulently to delay execution.
Other uses
Pleading the belly was also used in property cases. If a husband died, all property would revert to his brother unless the widow was pregnant. If she was, the estate would pass to her child.
The end of belly pleading
The ability to plead the belly was replaced in 1931 with the Expectant mothers act, which sent pregnant women to jail instead of executing them.
Thanks for listening! Please go here to rate us on itunes!
May 01, 201811:03
Episode One Coming May 1st, 2018!
Thank you for visiting our page! Please check out our teaser and come back
on May 1st for our first episode!
on May 1st for our first episode!
Apr 27, 201802:05