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In Episode 21: Cold Cases and Freaky Forensics, we look at some of the cold cases that captured our imagination. From suspicious sucicides to contact lens forensics, listen in as we explore some of the strangest cases we know. Resources/links: Mentioned at the top of the show: Golden State/Baby Dick Killer: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/us/golden-state-killer-serial.html Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman: http://whttp://www.tulsaworld.com/news/welchgirls/ashley-freeman-loved-to-fish-lauria-bible-was-a-country/article_01237e5c-0a00-545e-a18e-c587e4982bca.htmlww.tulsaworld.com/news/welchgirls/ashley-freeman-loved-to-fish-lauria-bible-was-a-country/article_01237e5c-0a00-545e-a18e-c587e4982bca.html Lyle Stevik: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Stevik Jamie's case: William Sparkman Harper's magazine article about Sparkman: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/03/the-hanging/309210/ Amity's case and info: Janet Abaroa and forensic case study of contact lenses: http://abc11.com/man-charged-in-death-of-pregnant-wife-released-on-christmas-day/2851340/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1556-4029.13021 French Sherlock Homes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_Locard    

In this episode, Amity and Jamie consider new ways to track and identify serial killers. First, we begin with the Murder Accountablity Project--a website that provides both police and the general public with crime and murder datasets (the most complete data on U.S. homicides available anywhere). Founder Thomas Hargrove has a knack for seeing the things professionals don't, as we see when we discuss the cases he predicted. Using this site, anyone can search cases using various filters (geographical, method of killing, etc.) and potentially locate serial killing clusters. It's an intriguing tool, one that opens up crucial data to the layperson.  Next, we delve into geographical profiling and predictive policing, two methods of detection utilized to detect crime--and in some cases, stop it before it happens. Lastly, we chat about the rise of the citizen sleuth. Could you locate a serial killing cluster, or help match a Doe via using MAP and sites like the Charlie Project or the Black and Missing Foundation? There's only one way to find out! Resources/show notes/links: New Yorker article on MAP: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/27/the-serial-killer-detector MAP website: http://www.murderdata.org/p/how-to.html Vice documentary on Hargrove/serial killings in Chicago: https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/5955vd/is-there-a-serial-killer-roaming-the-streets-of-chicago Predictive policing article: https://www.nature.com/news/reform-predictive-policing-1.21338 Geographic profiling article: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/mapping-murder Missing Persons Sites: Black and Missing Foundation: http://www.blackandmissinginc.com/cdad/ The Charley Project: http://charleyproject.org/ Doe Network: http://www.doenetwork.org/        

In this grab bag of an episode, Amity covers a strange phenomenon in Poland, where murder victims were discovered with their skin removed. One case, that of Katarzyna Z., was solved this past year, after 20 years of sitting in the cold case files. Also in this episode, Jamie covers the history of snuff films, which originates from the Manson Family case, and examines the myth surrounding these movies. Snuff films were once that of urban legend, however, with monsters like the Tool Box Killers and more recently, Luka Magnotta, the horrors of snuff are now very real. Follow us on: Twitter @boneballetpod Instagram: @bonepalaceballettruecrime    

The trope of the forest is one lodged deeply within the human psyche--we revere it, even as we fear it. In this episode, we recount our own creepy experiences, look at how literature and film has shaped the way we view the forest, and encounter several terrifing killers, including Alaska's Robert Hansen and three monsters who stalked the Appalachian Trail.  Show notes: Great article about the murders of Geoff Hood and Molly Larue: https://www.outsideonline.com/2011326/murder-appalachian-trail   Grizzly Man trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWycuaWJFCM Antichrist trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO-TNfPzh_k     As always, thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe on itunes. Follow us on Twitter @boneballetpod and Instagram at bonepalaceballettruecrime. 

In this episode, follow us as we journey through bite mark evidence - from the first cases where bite mark evidence was used, through to the most famous cases where bite mark evidence sealed the fate of many--often erroneously. For some, mistakes made in such cases will alter their entire lives. We ask you, dear jury: Is bite mark evidence valid? Should it still serve as evidence in court, as it often does? What you find out might surprise you!   Links/Resources: https://californiainnocenceproject.org/issues-we-face/bite-mark-evidence/   https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/01/30/incredibly-prosecutors-are-still-defending-bite-mark-evidence/?utm_term=.827982b896d9 https://www.forensicmag.com/article/2015/07/end-bite-mark-analysis   https://www.themarshallproject.org/records/1001-bite-mark-evidence#.3rly6A1f9   Thanks for listening! Contact us: @boneballetpod, bonepalaceballetpod@gmail.com, or @bonepalaceballettruecrime. Rate, review and subscribe on itunes.   

Join us as we hit the freak show and delve into the dark world of Grady Stiles Jr, a performer with ectrodactyly--a condition resulting in claw like hands and feet. First up, a brief history of the wild and wonderful world of freak show performing. Next, we consider the life and times of Stiles, a man who was a monster on the inside. Known as an abuser to his wife and children, Stiles ended up committing murder, only to be murdered by his own family.    Resources/links: Grady Stiles III article (with pics of Grady and Jessa the Bearded Lady): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lobster-boy-grady-stiles-lll-finds-love-with-bearded-lady-jessa-olmstead_us_56bbdaf8e4b08ffac123f422 Freak show history/legislation:  http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1g32z0dx#page-29 http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/580/757 http://racheladams.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ac_Adams17_1gal_032612.pdf Pictorial of performers mentioned in episode: http://www.cultofweird.com/sideshow/freak-show-circus-sideshow-performers/    

In this episode, we delve into the world of female sex offenders and pedophiles--yep, they exist and are every bit as horrid as their male counterparts in crime. Research and stats are lacking in this milieu: female-perpetrated crimes are often underreported and underprosecuted, due to gender stereotypes and bias among both professionals and the public at large. Here, we consider the the small amount of research that exists and look at several cases, including Karla Homolka and Vanessa George; we also examine attitudes and beliefs portrayed by the media and criminal justice workers.  Show links/resources: US Dept Center for Sex Offender Mangement report: http://www.csom.org/pubs/female_sex_offenders_brief.pdf Book:  Wounded Boys, Heroic Men: A Man's Guide to Recovering from Child Abuse by Daniel Jay Sonkin and Lenore E. A. Walker. (1998). Adams Media Corporations; ISBN 1580620108 Men who experienced sexual trauma/rape: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/types/violence/men-sexual-trauma.asp   Contact Center for Sex Offender Management  8403 Colesville Road, Suite 720 Silver Spring, MD 20910  Phone: (301) 589-9383 Fax: (301) 589-3505  E-mail: askcsom@csom.org  Internet: www.csom.org 

We are all well versed in a killer's prediliction to hurting and maiming others--but what about when a killer also hurts themselves? In this episode, we plunge into the world of paraphilic disorders: "recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviors that are distressing or disabling and that involve inanimate objects, children or nonconsenting adults, or suffering or humiliation of oneself or the partner with the potential to cause harm." First, we look at overall self harm and self-injurious behavior (primarily cutting) and trace its orgiins throughout history; next, we explore self harm's darker twin and find out what forms and functions paraphilic disorder serves to its practitioners. Our case studies include the notorious Albert Fish, an unrepetant serial killer, child rapist, and cannibal; Robert Black, a Scottish serial killer and pedophile, and Joanna Dennehy, a spree killer with a history of self harm.  Show notes/links: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/the-story-of-the-female-serial-killer-who-found-murder-moreish   http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/07-08/self-injury.aspx   http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/inm.12093/pdf   http://www.troubleandstrife.org/new-articles/the-return-of-the-female-serial-killer/   Reach us at: bonepalaceballetpodcast@gmail.com @boneballetpod on Twitter Rate, review and subscribe on iTunes

In Part 2 of our Femicide in Juarez episode, we continue to look at the mass murder of women; here, we consider how NAFTA, the rise of the maquiladora industry, and the ineptitude of the government plays into these crimes. We also consider the dark territory of the morgues.  Shownotes:  Book: Making a Killing: Femicide, Free Trade and La Frontera Study on Maquiladoras: "The Maquiladora Industry: Disciplining Women Workers" Amnesty International Report--MEXICO: INTOLERABLE KILLINGS : 10 YEARS OF ABDUCTIONS AND MURDERS OF WOMEN IN CIUDAD JUÁREZ AND CHIHUAHUA: SUMMARY REPORT AND APPEALS CASES: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/AMR41/027/2003/en/ Article: http://historicalreview.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Patterson.pdf Great repository of info: http://www.womenontheborder.org/articles_resources.htm  

To this day, thousands of Mexican women are raped and murdered with no consquence. In this episode, we explore femicide - the rape and murder of women for no other reason than that they are women. Myriad theories have been floated for this femicide, including: cartel killings, serial murders, US sex offenders, and a patriarchal culture that devalues women and treats them as disposable objects, mirrored in a government that validates this perspective. The truth is...well, it is a complicated one, with no clear cut solution. Join us in Part I of a two part series on this topic, as we attempt to understand what the hell is going on.  If you like the podcast, please rate, subscribe, and review on iTunes--it helps us a lot and we would be forever grateful. Email us at bonepalaceballetpodcast@gmail.com or holla at us on Twitter @boneballetpod.        Sources/links: Book: Making a Killing: Femicide, Free Trade and La Frontera Study on Maquiladoras: "The Maquiladora Industry: Disciplining Women Workers" Amnesty International Report--MEXICO: INTOLERABLE KILLINGS : 10 YEARS OF ABDUCTIONS AND MURDERS OF WOMEN IN CIUDAD JUÁREZ AND CHIHUAHUA: SUMMARY REPORT AND APPEALS CASES: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/AMR41/027/2003/en/  

On this episode, we aren't talking about specific crimes--rather, we're looking at how we house and treat criminals. It's a hugely complex topic, but we touched on the major elements present in our prison systems: the advent of privatization and subsequent commodification of convicts, the rampant cycle of instutionalized racism, immigration detention in "shadow prisons" and the devastating effects of solitary confinement. We could only scratch the surface on this episode, but the links below contain a wealth of info: Links: New Yorker article on solitary confinement: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/03/30/hellhole Ton of info on racial discrimination from the ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/issues/mass-incarceration/racial-disparities-criminal-justice Shadow prison/immigration detention: https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/about Privatization of prisons: https://www.aclu.org/issues/mass-incarceration/privatization-criminal-justice/private-prisons    

In this episode, we go "way down down down in this subbacultcha" (thanks, Pixies). Specifically, we first parse Andy Warhol and his collective of NYC personalities and artists, including Valerie Solanis--radical feminist, writer, and an individual with schizophrenia. Solanis became involved with the periphery of Warhol's Factory collective, even as her mental illness and paranoia grew to dangerous levels; ultimately, she ended up shooting Warhol and adversely impacting the rest of his life. Next, we look at the advent of the late 80s'/early 90s' club kids--a roving group of NYC-based creative partiers and performance artists led by party promoter Michael Alig. Alig and his friend, Robert Freeze Riggs, murdered fellow club kid Angel Melendez and kept Angel's body in an apartment bathtub for days; finally, they dismembered him and set him afloat in the Hudson. Alig served his prison sentence and was released in 2014. Looking at both cases as a whole, we chat about subcultures, art and performative violence--and per usual, we discover that everything always turns to shit. Show notes/links: Valerie's S.C.U.M Manifesto:  http://www.columbia.edu/itc/architecture/ockman/pdfs/feminism/solanis.pdf James St. James' memoir is Party Monster. Pixies "Subbacultcha" because duh, why WOULDN'T you want to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CinrkMgmVtE    

On this episode, we delve into the dream-turned-nightmare of Jim Jones, the charismatic Peoples Temple leader who began his career as a champion for civil rights and equality. Over time, that dream devolved into a horrorscape of control, abuse, and total cultdom.  On November 18, 1978,  Jones coerced members living in the Jonestown, Guyana compound to commit an act of "revolutionary suicide," via drinking poison.  Over 900 members died that day, including a large number of children.  Here, we examine Jones' origin story and chart his journey from civil rights activist to power hungry monster. For this episode, we rely heavily on survivor's testimony.  Resources/links: Great academic resource and repository of myriad Jonestown materials: http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/ Audio recordings and transcripts: http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=43 Survivor's Deborah Layton's book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seductive_Poison  

In this minisode, we celebrate the upcoming May 2017 revival of David Lynch's TV series, Twin Peaks, by of course exploring a murder - the mysterious circumstances of Jack Nance's death. Nance, who played Henry Spencer in  the supremely weird and wonderful film Eraserhead, as well as Pete Martell in Twin Peaks, appeared in almost all of Lynch's work up until his strange death in 1996. Like much of Lynch's fiction and the show Twin Peaks itself, this minisode dedicated to the real life and death of Nance will leave you wondering what is real.  Was Nance murdered, or was it simply a tall tale and tragic accident? Links/resources/show notes: Nance's role in "Instutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYItTxqTc38 Documentary about Nance: https://www.amazon.com/David-Lynch-presents-Dont-Know/dp/B00009B1RU    

We're back! On this episode, we delve into shared psychotic disorder, also known as folie a deux. This disorder is characterized by the transference of delusional ideas or beliefs from one person to another, almost like a psychological virus. It's a rarity, but seems apropos in the strange case of Swedish twins Ursula and Sabina Ericksson; after throwing themselves into traffic, one twin continues a path of delusional destruction...ending in murder.    Source material/references/ links: "Madness in the Fast Lane" BBC documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTpFWiEx3eo Article: "Folie a Deux and Shared Psychotic Disorder" by Mitsue Shimizu et al. Current Psychiatry Reports, 2007.  "Better off Dead" FRANCH scene:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhW7rpFhr2k "Heavenly Creatures" film trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-vUl-1FJ9E  

Strap in, y'all--it's a meeting of morbid minds in Episode 10. Join us for a special collaboration with the awesome podcast True Crime Fan Club, in which we consider two cases of child abuse/murder and examine the motivations behind them. First up, Lanie takes us through the horrific 1965 case of Sylvia Likens, a sixteen year old girl who was tortured to death by the "family" that took her in. Next, we look at a modern day equivalent--the torture and murder of Erica Parsons, betrayed by her adoptive family.  In both cases, these girls were routinely abused by not only the adults in the situations, but by the other children/teens in their respective households. What impetus leads to such behavior? To try and unravel this horrid mystery, we look at several scholarly studies and discuss scapegoating, as well the evolutionary psychology theory of the Cinderella effect. Lastly, on behalf of True Crime Fan Club and Bone Palace Ballet, we donated to Prevent Child Abuse America--in honor of Sylvia and Erica. If you'd like to join us in donating, please go here: https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51519/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=9946 Thank you for listening, If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate & review on I-Tunes. You can find us on most social media platforms: Twitter: @TCFCpod & @boneballetpodFacebook.com/tcfcpodcast And of course our website is:  Truecrimefanclub.com & http://bonepalaceballet.podbean.com/ If you have an episode request or general suggestion for each show you can send us an email:  tcfcpod@gmail.com  & bonepalaceballetpodcast@gmail.com Show notes/links: Dr. Phil episode featuring Casey and Sandy Parsons: http://www.drphil.com/shows/2054/ Larry Swartz is mentioned during the episode, and here's the This American Life episode I did about him: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/485/surrogates?act=2#play

In this episode, we discuss the murders and vanishings of multiple aboriginal women from British Columbia, Canada along Highway 16, also known as the Highway of Tears.  Who is abducting these women and why? How does systemic racism, poverty, and class/gender inequity shape this nightmare? Listen in as we talk about the RCMP's complicity, missing white woman syndrome, known suspects, killing corridors, and the utter horror of Robert Pickton, the pig farmer/murderer from hell. We also examine the rhetoric surrounding these cases and look at academic studies eluciating media stereotypes of these victims.  Notes/links: Aerial view of Pickton's property and retained evidence: http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/criminalminds/images/7/77/Pickton_graphic.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110719191326 2006 Highway of Tears Symposium Report w/Recommendations: http://www.turtleisland.org/healing/highwayoftears.pdf

In this episode, we peel back the layers of occult killers like Richard Ramirez, The Ripper Crew, John Lawrence and the history and violence surrounding Powwow Witchcraft in Pennsylvania and the corresponding Hex Murder. Were all of the self-possessed Satantists and witches the real deal or something else? Are Satanists and witches among us or are they like the boogeyman, imagined but not real? Plus, Shug the dog shares how she really feels about Ramirez.  Further reference:  John Lawrence's (Pazuzu's) house: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2823027/Feces-strewn-floors-trash-filled-rooms-pentagrams-wall-Inside-North-Carolina-Satanist-killer-s-house-horrors.html

For our first Halloween episode, we cover the beginnings of Halloween in America, urban legends and real life horror shows that occurred on Halloween night. We discuss what scares us, such as strangers handing out apples full of razor blades and the dead walking amongst the living on this one spookiest night of the year. Then, by examining notorious Halloween murders and an unresolved disappearance, we begin to understand the the root of all of our Halloween fears.  

In our second minisode, Amity reveals one of her greatest fears: rabies. Rabies is known as one of the oldest communicable diseases known to humankind, and it kills an approximate 50,000 people worldwide annually (around 2 people per year in the US). We discuss the insidious nature of the virus, how it moves from animals to humans, and its metaphorical link to lycanthropy, vampires, and of course zombies.  The horrifying video of a rabies patient in the fatal stages of the virus, including hydrophobia, can be found here:   But don't say we didn't warn  you!