midwretched

Episode 18: Is there an active Serial Killer in Chicago?

We’ve all heard the cliché that Chicago is a dangerous town.  With a high murder rate and a low clearance rate from police, many families are left without justice or closure.  But in the cases of 51 murdered Chicago women, there seem to be some suspicious connections.  Over the past two decades, 51 women have been murdered and their bodies abandoned in strangely similar ways. Mick and Tommy explore the question of whether there is a serial killer operating in the Windy City.  And Mick discusses some of the recent changes that might help get answers.

Episode 17: The Gitchie Manitou Campfire Murders

On a brisk night in November, 1973, a group of teenagers gather in the woods for a night of acoustic guitar and cuddling around the campfire. As their night goes on, they hear the rustling of branches and approaching footsteps--footsteps that would come to signal a night of horror at the hands of three madmen impersonating police. Listen as Tommy regales Mick with a survivor’s tale so bizarre that it defines that sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.

Episode 16: The Murder of Lorraine Kirkley

Lorraine Kirkley truly was the All American Girl, a hardworking cardiac nurse and active member of her Indiana community.  Until a break-in reveals a bizarre obsession that ends in tragedy.  Her killer’s defense amounts to little more than character assassination and nonsensical lies.  Mick tells the unbelievable story of Lori’s murder and how the family finally found some closure.

Episode 15: Belle Gunness and her Murder Farm

Hell’s Princess. Lady Bluebeard. The Black Widow. Belle Gunness was a woman of many names, and her death toll in turn-of-the-century rural Indiana is nothing short of shocking. As a mother, she was doting, maternal, and generous. As a killer, she was a ruthless predator of recent European immigrants. With all of the legend surrounding this infamous character, who really WAS Belle Gunness? Join Tommy as she walks Mick through the tale of one of the most notorious serial killers in American history.

Episode 14: Alyssa Bustamante & the Prozac Defense

On a cool October Evening, the 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten walks over to a friends house to play.  When she doesn’t return in a timely manner, her family immediately begins to worry about the typically cautious and responsible girl.  When police and the community discover what happened, they’re left with nothing but rage toward her 15-year-old killer, Alyssa Bustamante. Mick walks Tommy through an exploration of what makes a teenager kill, and gives a mini-dive into the Prozac Defense.  

Quick warning for all, in this episode we will be discussing things like suicidal ideation and self-injury. If that’s rough for you, we get it if you wanna skip this one.  Take care of yourself.  <3

Episode 13: Bobbie Jo Stinnett

Skidmore, Missouri, a town infamous for its decades-long history of violent occurances, probably never realized it would make national headlines yet again in 2004--this time, for it’s more atrocious crime yet: the brutal murder of a pregnant 23 year old named Bobbie Jo Stinnett and the abduction of her 8 month fetus. Join Tommy as she guides Mick through this horrible situation and fallout--along with it’s baffling “Why?”

Episode 12: Benjamin Smith-White Supremacist Spree Shooter

The weekend of July 4, 1999 Benjamin Smith begins a spree shooting that will cover 3 days and 2 states.  In the end, 2 people are killed, 7 wounded, and Smith dies by suicide.  All driven by a racist church and it’s small following.  What led a 21-year-old to this disgusting ideology and act?  Mick walks Tommy through an infuriating tale of racism and tragedy.

Episode 11: Pretty Bird Woman

In 2001, Standing Rock Indian Reservation resident Ivy Archambault, whose Lakota name was Pretty Bird Woman, devoted herself to helping her community through her work as a social worker. On one October night, she mysteriously disappeared. While the investigation and subsequent arrest that followed were fairly expedient, the systemic issues that lead to her rape and murder are anything but simple. Join us as Tommy takes Mick through a crash course in reservation dynamics and the beautiful legacy Pretty Bird’s family set up in her honor.

Episode 10: The Tragic Death of Sylvia Likens

In the summer of 1965, Sylvia and Jenny Likens were entrusted to the care of Gertrude Banizewski while their parents traveled to earn money for the family.  Over the course of just a few months, Sylvia experienced unimaginable abuse and humiliation. But it wasn’t just Gertrude who was responsible; children from the family and around the neighborhood all participated in her death.  Sylvia’s murder is a dark spot in Indiana history, changing both the culture and the law to ensure that the tragedy of Sylvia’s final months would never happen again.  In this accidental deep dive, Tommy and Mick will explore motives, histories, and bystander effect. 

Episode 9: The Weepy Voiced Killer AKA A Tale of Weepy Woe

In the major metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul, a brutal attack that leaves a young woman hanging on for dear life is tragic, but perhaps not unremarkable. When another attack happens, this one resulting in death, police are flummoxed by a weeping 911 caller who admits to the ruthless attacks. Over a two year span, the Twin Cities would be collectively captivated and terrified--who was this weeping man who kept attacking and stabbing their women? Why the phone calls? What motivated these crimes? Eventually, a chatty serial killer reveals his shocking secrets…