S3 Ep40: Anna Marie Hahn: Cincinnati's "Angel of Death"
Her story seemed innocent at first, if not charming.  A young immigrant woman from Germany befriending older gentlemen in Cincinnati's German community and providing them memories of home with her Old World cooking.  But as these men fell ill - or worse, starting dying - the motives behind Anna Marie Hahn's friendly overtures proved to be far more devious. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www...
36m Jan 29, 2024
36m
S3 Ep39: The Lincoln Assassination's Forgotten Conspirators
It's a story every American grade school student learns - how the actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln in his box at the Ford's Theater, jumped down to the stage, and fled Washington DC until he was killed by the authorities in a barn in rural Virginia.  But it's not widely known that Booth wasn't acting alone, and that President Lincoln was only one of several targets he and ...
39m Jan 22, 2024
39m
S3 Ep38: The Defeo Murders: Behind the Amityville Horror - Part 2
After the murder of the Defeo family, the house known as "High Hopes" where the murders occurred was purchased by the George and Kathy Lutz.  But the Lutz family soon fled the property, claiming frightening paranormal activity.  Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren arrived and began studying the scene.  But did they find evidence of supernatural occurrences - or were they perpetratin...
37m Jan 15, 2024
37m
S3 Ep37: The Defeo Murders: Behind the Amityville Horror - Part 1
The word "Amityville" has practically become synonymous in popular culture with the eerie and supernatural.  But behind the books and movies is a true story of the Defeo murders, and in today's episode, we're joined by fellow Obsessed Network podcaster Daisy Eagan to tell their story. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast from the Obsessed Network (https://www...
35m Jan 08, 2024
35m
S3 Ep36: American Black Widow Sharon Harrelson
Having one husband die under suspicious circumstances may not cause alarm bells to ring, but what if a second husband also meets an unfortunate fate? The so-called "American Black Widow" Sharon Harrelson may have considered herself cursed when it came to love, but in today's episode we dive into her story of deception, betrayal, and ultimately murder. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.cent...
34m Jan 01, 2024
34m
S3 Ep35: The Kansas City Union Station Massacre
There were seven men guarding the notorious criminal Frank Nash as he moved through Kansas City Union Station to a car waiting outside. But these officers couldn't stop the onslaught that faced them as they attempted to transfer Nash into the car. In today's episode, we'll explore how this bloody shootout changed the way American law enforcement fought crime. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://...
41m Dec 11, 2023
41m
S3 Ep34: Bonnie and Clyde: The Real Story of the Notorious Duo
The story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow is probably familiar to many of our COTC listeners.  But this story of young outlaws terrorizing the country is one that has been romanticized and practically turned into an American myth.  In today's episode, we shake off the romantic sheen and look at the real events behind one of the most notorious duos in history. "Crimes of the Centuries (https:...
39m Dec 04, 2023
39m
S3 Ep33: The Scourge of Thalidomide
In March of 1954, scientists from German pharmaceutical company Chemie Grünenthal produced Thalidomide for the first time. Thalidomide was a sedative and sleep aid sold in many countries worldwide under the name “Contergan”, as well as other brands. The medication was also being marketed and taken by pregnant women as a safe remedy for morning sickness. But in November of 1961, the drug was fou...
38m Nov 20, 2023
38m
S3 Ep32: Billy the Kid: The Lincoln County War Part 2
After the five-day Battle of Lincoln, the deputized posse called the Regulators disbanded. The Lincoln County War appeared to be over. Lew Wallace, the newly appointed governor of the New Mexico Territory knew that some of the former desperados were worried that they could be arrested at any point for whatever role they had played during the ordeal, so he offered amnesty for many of them. But t...
35m Nov 13, 2023
35m
S3 Ep31: The Lincoln County War Part 1
In November 1876, a 24-year-old wealthy cattleman and banker named John Tunstall, arrived in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Together with lawyer Alexander McSween, John Tunstall set up a rival business to the existing duo who ran things in town - Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan. In this two-part episode, we learn more about the bloody conflict that arose and became the Lincoln County War, and how ...
37m Nov 06, 2023
37m
S3 Ep30: The Lattimer Mine Massacre
On September 10, 1897, roughly 300 to 400 unarmed strikers marched peacefully to a coal mine to support a newly formed United Mine Workers union. The miners, mostly consisting of Slovak and German ethnicity, were on strike fighting for safe working conditions and livable wages. On their march they were met by law enforcement officials multiple times and were asked to disperse, but kept on march...
37m Oct 30, 2023
37m
S3 Ep29: Juana Barraza: Mexico's Little Old Lady Killer
Born December 27, 1957 in Epazoyucan, Hidalgo, Juana Dayanara Barraza Samperioa was a 48-year-old single mother with a troubled past. After years of traumatic experiences in her early life, including being sold by her mother to a man in exchange for three beers, Juana moved to Mexico City and began killing in 1998. Residents were on edge as they noticed the mysterious killings seemed to be targ...
33m Oct 23, 2023
33m
S3 Ep28: Terror in the Big Top: The Hartford Circus Fire
On July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, thousands of patrons were excited to escape the heat and attend the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus performance. While the Flying Wallendas began their performance inside the tent, chaos ensued shortly after. The fire that began as a small flame about 20 feet from the main exit spread rapidly when it came in contact with the tent canvas....
33m Oct 16, 2023
33m
Danny Rolling: The Gainesville Ripper
When five college students in Florida were brutally slain in a four-day span in 1990, it sent shockwaves across the nation as newscasters made comparisons to serial killer Ted Bundy. Police frantically worked to stop this new madman before his body count got any higher. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast from the Obsessed Network (https://www.obsessednetwor...
42m Oct 02, 2023
42m
S3 Ep26: Elizabeth Báthory: The So-Called Blood Countess
Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory is known as the most prolific female serial killer of all time, accused of slaughtering over 600 young women in her luxurious castles. Legend says Báthory believed she'd be given eternal youth for bathing in their virginal blood. On the contrary, she would go on to live long in infamy. However, this tale has been questioned by many researchers who believe as...
39m Sep 25, 2023
39m
S3 Ep25: The Eva Hamilton Scandal
At a brothel in New York in 1885, the great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, Robert Ray Hamilton, met con artist Evangeline Steele. Steele was looking to make their part-time relationship permanent and soon told Hamilton that she was pregnant with his child. They married in January 1889 and shortly after, the marriage began to fall apart. On the morning of August 26, 1889 while on vacation in At...
35m Sep 18, 2023
35m
S3 Ep24: Inside Dr. Brinkley’s Operating Room: A Deadly Pursuit of Virility
In 1918 in Milford, Kansas, John R. Brinkley, a fake doctor with no properly accredited medical education, opened a 16-room clinic where he promoted goat glands as a cure for over 20 ailments. The scam continued to go unnoticed due to patients being too embarrassed to talk about what happened in the operating room, until a few brave individuals stepped forward to tell their stories. In today's ...
43m Sep 11, 2023
43m
S3 Ep23: The Sultana Tragedy
On April 27th, 1865, the Sultana, a 260 foot-long wooden steamboat, exploded into flames and sank on the Mississippi River. While the ship was only designed to hold 376 people, more than 2,000 passengers, predominantly made up of Union soldiers returning home from Confederate prisons, were crowded on board under the command of Captain James Cass Mason. In addition to the ship being overloaded, ...
37m Aug 28, 2023
37m
S3 Ep22: Looking Back on Matthew Shepard: His Story and His Legacy
Matthew Shepard, born December 1, 1976, was a gay 21-year-old student attending the University of Wyoming. On October 6,  1998 near Laramie, Wyoming, Matthew was found horribly beaten, tortured and tied to a fence in a field left to die. Matthew was taken to a hospital in Fort Collins where he died six days later after succumbing to his severe injuries. In today's episode, we examine the case t...
38m Aug 21, 2023
38m
S3 Ep21: The Fall of the Everleigh Club
On November 22, 1905 at 5:30 p.m, Marshall Field, Jr. was discovered at his residence with a gunshot wound through his left side. While some thought this was an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound, others believed the high-class brothel owners known as the Everleigh sisters, Minna and Ada, were responsible. This was the first of two deaths the sisters were attempted to be framed for. In to...
35m Aug 14, 2023
35m
S3 Ep20: The Young Murders: Mrs. Clem's Secret Dealings
On September 13, 1868 in Cold Springs, Indiana, the bodies of business-minded Jacob Young and Nancy Jane Young were found along White River. Both Jacob and Nancy were shot in the head and Nancy's body was badly burned burned, smoke from her body still wisping in the air until the next day. While the murder took place in a busy public area, no one seemed to have heard the gunshots, or at least k...
39m Aug 07, 2023
39m
S3 Ep19: The Resurrectionists: Murder for Profit
In 18th- and 19th-century England, doctors employed grave robbers - or "resurrectionists" - to unearth bodies for anatomical research. Unwilling to wait for bodies to present themselves via natural causes, William Burke and William Hare took their own dark and illegal twist on the job. In today's episode, we explore how the grave robbers' role shifted from exhuming bodies after death to obtaini...
42m Jul 31, 2023
42m
S3 Ep18: The Texarkana Moonlight Murders
After seeing a movie together on February 22nd in 1946, Jimmy Hollis and his girlfriend Mary Jeanne Larey parked on a secluded road known as a lovers' lane. Just minutes later, a man in a white mask forced them out of their car, struck them both with blunt force objects, and sexually assaulted Larey. Luckily both Hollis and Larey made it out alive, but future victims would not be so lucky. In t...
37m Jul 24, 2023
37m
S3 Ep17: The Double Indemnity Murder
When Ruth Snyder began having an affair with a married corset salesman, Henry Judd Gray, in Queens, New York, in 1925, things soon turned deadly. Ruth convinced Henry to assist her in killing her husband, clumsily staging the murder as an attempted robbery. In today's episode we explore how Ruth Snyder and Henry Judd Gray became known as the Double Indemnity killers, and how  the murder of Albe...
39m Jul 17, 2023
39m
S3 Ep16: Going to the Lordy: The Assassination of President James Garfield
At 9:30 am on July 2, 1881 in Washington, D.C., the 20th American president James Garfield was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. Garfield's assassin: Charles J. Guiteau, a man described as awkward, insecure, and mentally disturbed. Guiteau was motivated by revenge after falsely believing he played a major role in Garfield's election victory, and never being rewarded for it. In...
39m Jul 10, 2023
39m
S3 Ep15: Murder in the Bahamas Part 2
As we explored in our first episode covering this case, Sir Harry Oakes was a member of the "elite" class of men who migrated to the Bahamas to avoid taxes and take part in business activities that weren't on the up-and-up.  This group also included two men who detested each other - the exiled aristocrat Alfred de Marigny and the Duke of Windsor, who had abdicated the British throne. In the con...
36m Jun 26, 2023
36m
S3 Ep14: Murder in the Bahamas - Part One
Harry Oakes was an entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and gold miner. Sometime after midnight on July 8, 1943, Oakes was found dead inside his Bahamas house, struck four times behind the left ear and burned all over his body using insecticide. The accused murderer: his son-in-law, Alfred de Marigny. In today's episode, we discuss one of the highest profile cases of the century, the complic...
36m Jun 19, 2023
36m
S3 Ep13: The Massie Affair
In 1931 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Thalia Massie claimed she was raped by a group of men, including Joseph Kahahawai, a well-known local prizefighter. Cracks in Thalia's story throughout the case led to deadlocked jury and a mistrial, leading Thalia's mother, Grace Fortescue, and several accomplices, to murder Joseph Kahahawai. The group soon thereafter were charged with his murder. In today's episod...
42m Jun 12, 2023
42m
S3 Ep12: Stolen Potential: The Murder of Alberta Jones
In 1959 in Louisville, Kentucky, Alberta Jones was named the first woman prosecutor. Only a few years later in 1965, she was found dead in the Ohio River. In today's episode we discuss Alberta's trailblazing life and career leading up to her mysterious death, and what is suspected to have happened that night, as the case today still remains unsolved. What happened to Alberta Jones? "Crimes of ...
36m Jun 05, 2023
36m
From Strange and Unexplained: The Tragicomedy of Typhoid Mary
Hey, Crimes of the Centuries listeners! We’re off for the Memorial Day holiday, but didn’t want to leave you with an empty feed, so we’re featuring an episode from another Obsessed Network show, “Strange and Unexplained with Daisy Eagan” Daisy is a Tony Award-winning actor, writer, and true crime fanatic. But she’s also a skeptic. Each week she looks  at real stories of hauntings, disappearan...
32m May 29, 2023
32m
S3 Ep11: The Last Call Killings
Multiple murders, violent assaults, and a new forensic fingerprint technique. In today's episode we visit the killings, the acquittals, and eventually the conviction of Richard Rogers, a cold-blooded serial killer whose suspected crimes span from 1973 to 1993, and whose final victim count may never be known. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast from Grab Bag ...
35m May 22, 2023
35m
S3 Ep10: Finding Her Voice: Sabella Nitti of Murderess Row
In the musical Chicago, the foreign woman held prisoner on Murderess Row has only one line in English: "Uh-uh, not guilty."   In today's episode, we explore the real-life case that inspired that character, Sabella Nitti, who was accused of murdering her husband, and her fight to speak for herself and prove her innocence. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast f...
38m May 15, 2023
38m
S3 Ep9: The Mysterious Case of Edward Earl
Though he had been known by many names throughout his life, it was under the name Edward Earl that he was prosecuted and hanged in 1881 New York.  What would the writings he composed in prison reveal about why he murdered his estranged wife? "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab (https://www.patreon.com/grabbagcollab) exploring forgotten c...
34m May 08, 2023
34m
S3 Ep8: The Case Behind Stockholm Syndrome
You're probably familiar with the concept of Stockholm Syndrome - the phenomenon where people taken hostage come to empathize with or even join up with their captors.  But did you realize that the term comes from a specific incident, a strange bank robbery at the Sveriges Kreditbank that turned into a multiday siege pitting the criminals against the police, with innocent workers trapped in the ...
44m May 01, 2023
44m
S3 Ep7: The "Fireproof" Theatre: Tragedy at the Iroquois
Chicago's state-of-the-art Iroquois Theatre was supposed to be a jewel in the rapidly expanding American arts scene of the early twentieth century.  But in an emergency, a combination of disaster management, design flaws, and construction shortcuts proved to be a deadly combination. Special thanks to Charlie McCarron for producing and performing the out-of-print song "Let Us Swear It By the Pa...
44m Apr 24, 2023
44m
S3 Ep6: Deadly Blaze: The Thiokol Factory Explosion
At the height of the space race, the arrival of the Thiokol chemical company was supposed to bring jobs and opportunities for the small Georgia town of Woodbine.  But a tragic explosion in 1971 killed 29 workers and left many of the survivors in the community entangled in lawsuits for decades afterwards. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast from Grab Bag Coll...
37m Apr 17, 2023
37m
S3 Ep5: The Deaths of Herman and Irving Arthur
Brothers Herman and Irving Arthur wanted to leave their life as Southern sharecroppers in Texas and move to the North in search of better opportunities.  But after an encounter with the landowners turned lethal, they found themselves on the run from a town setting out for revenge. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab (https://www.patreon....
34m Apr 10, 2023
34m
S3: Nannie Doss: The Murderous Giggling Granny
This week we dive into our archives for a look back at one our episodes from the first season of "Crimes of the Centuries." Check out this episode and all our episodes from seasons 1 and 2, and we'll see you next week for a brand-new tale! When widower Sam Doss was rushed to the hospital with abdominal pains in 1954, his doctor was flummoxed by his life-threatening yet mysterious illness. But ...
41m Apr 03, 2023
41m
S3 Ep4: The Chippendales Murder - Separating Fact from Fiction
Nick De Noia dreamed of becoming a successful choreographer, a goal he attained through his sexy yet classy routines for the Chippendales all-male revue.  Unfortunately, that job also brought him into the crosshairs of the dance troupe's controlling owner, Steve Banerjee.  With the story recently revived in the Hulu series "Welcome to Chippendales," we're diving deep into the details to sort ou...
37m Mar 27, 2023
37m
S3 Ep3: Dorothy Stratten: A Playmate Murdered
Months after being named "Playboy Playmate of the Year" in 1980, Dorothy Stratten was poised to make the transition from model to Hollywood actress.  But just as her debut film was about to be released, Dorothy's troubled relationship with her estranged husband ended in one final, tragic encounter. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab (ht...
38m Mar 20, 2023
38m
S3 Ep2: The St. Valentine's Day Massacre and the Chicago Gang Wars of the 1920s
In Prohibition Era Chicago, competing gangs of bootleggers battled for supremacy.  In February 1929, notorious gangster Al Capone set up a brazen trap to mow down a slew of his rivals in what would become one of the most infamous crimes of the time.  It would also lead to the creation of America's first-ever crime laboratory, and mark the beginning of the end for some of the most powerful crimi...
36m Mar 13, 2023
36m
S3 Ep1: Dr. Thomas Cream: The Forgotten Victorian Serial Killer
In Victorian England, a serial killer preyed on sex workers and other vulnerable women. But unlike the infamous Jack the Ripper, this serial killer, Dr. Thomas Cream, used his medical knowledge to devise more insidious methods to claim his victims. But once uncovered, his conviction would set precedent for legal cases for decades to come. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/...
38m Mar 06, 2023
38m
Introducing... I Think Not! (A New True Crime Comedy Podcast)
Hey Crimes of the Centuries listeners! The Obsessed Network has as a brand new podcast from the former hosts and creators of Obsessed with: Disappeared. It's called I Think Not! Enjoy the trailer here and check out the first episode out now wherever you get your podcasts. NOTE: If you were already subscribed to Obsessed with: Disappeared, STAY subscribed. I Think Not! is taking over that old f...
3m Jan 05, 2023
3m
S2 Ep42: The Case of Kirk Bloodsworth: America’s First DNA Exoneration
After the 1984 discovery of 9-year-old Dawn Hamilton’s body in the woods, police began their search for a tall, muscular, curly-haired man. Kirk Bloodsworth – fitting that description – was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. Then, he was tried again and given two consecutive life sentences. Finally, nine years after first being blamed for the crime, a breakthrough in DNA technology would ...
35m Dec 05, 2022
35m
S2 Ep41: Illegal Luck: How the New Hampshire Sweepstakes Went Haywire
In the summer of 1964, the first modern lottery was off to the races in New Hampshire. The “Sweeps,” as they were called, were a sensation of national interest, with lawmakers quarreling over the legality of the get-rich-quick horse race scheme and citizens from all over crossing state lines to get in on the action. The craze seemed optimistic, until one man’s attempt at claiming his piece of t...
34m Nov 28, 2022
34m
S2 Ep40: The True Story Behind 'Murder Ordained'
Film adaptations of true crimes have to strike a tricky balance between authenticity and drama. 1987’s Murder Ordained depicts the 1983 incidents within a small town in Kansas, where the mysterious deaths of a minister’s wife and a secretary’s husband converge. But upon its release, residents and journalists alike argued the movie left some accuracy to be desired. So, what happened in Emporia? ...
36m Nov 14, 2022
36m
S2 Ep39: Soul Leaves Body: The Life and Death of Sam Cooke
Singing his way through the 1950s and early 1960s, appealing to audiences across a segregated music industry, churning out hits of dreamy quality like “You Send Me” and inspirational fortitude like “A Change Is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke was more than an artist. He lived – and died – a legend. So how did he end up shot in a Los Angeles motel in 1964? In this episode, we’ll trace the tale: start to ...
37m Nov 07, 2022
37m
S2 Ep38: The Bender Family: A Suspicious Band of Innkeepers
Inside a modest cabin on the vast prairies of Kansas lived a family, or at least four individuals claiming to be one. The Benders were an odd bunch: grumpy Ma & Pa, mysteriously moody daughter Kate and John, who didn't even share their namesake. The 1870s were a stark time in the yet-to-be-settled, American West. Travelers on long journeys had slim pickings when it came time to seek shelter. Th...
32m Oct 31, 2022
32m
S2 Ep37: Linda Hazzard, the Doctor Who Starved Her Patients to Death
Dr. Linda Hazzard was an extremely unorthodox physician, a so-called "fasting specialist" who believed food to be the cause of disease. After as many as a dozen people died under her care, her sensational trial would make headlines worldwide and expose the dangerously unregulated world of medical quackery. "Crimes of the Centuries (https://www.centuriespod.com/) " is a podcast from Grab Bag Co...
36m Oct 24, 2022
36m
S2 Ep36: The Tragedy of Selena: Fandom Gone Too Far
Selena Quintanilla was on the cusp of becoming a worldwide sensation. The Mexican American had already dominated Tejano music charts for years, but as the mid-1990s got under way, so too did her plans for an English-language album that many predicted would make her a superstar. The world was shocked when that all came to a horrifying end in March of 1995, when the beloved singer was fatally sho...
37m Oct 17, 2022
37m