Burden of Proof

Case Number 92: The Alleged Crimes of Candy Montgomery

Unsatisfied in her marriage, Candy's eye wandered towards fellow church member and friend, Allan Gore. Allan loved his wife, Betty, and had no interest in leaving her, but he could not stop thinking about Candy after she admitted she was attracted to him and thought he might be the one to fulfill her desires.
The two went on to have an affair that likely made their marriages look spontaneous. It wasn't quite the boundless passion Candy had hoped for physically but they had grown quite close confiding in one another. Eventually, Allan realized he must end the affair if he hoped to save his marriage. Months after it ended Candy and Betty were alone when Betty ended up dead from 41 axe strikes.
Tune in to hear Savannah recall Candy's account in all her dramatic glory and Elysia is traumatized by visuals of both the affair and Betty's murder.
 
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Sources:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/love-and-death-in-silicon-prairie-part-i-candy-montgomerys-affair/
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/love-and-death-in-silicon-prairie-part-ii-the-killing-of-betty-gore/
https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/what-happened-to-candy-montgomery-betty-gore
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102672932/verdict-of-not-guilty-stuns-ax-murder/
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

Case Number 91: Marc Despain, A Deadly Conspiracy

When Marc Despain arrived home after meeting his wife Michelle for a lunch date, he was gunned down in the couple's kitchen. The house had seemingly been ransacked but nothing of serious value taken. It didn't take detectives long to figure out this wasn't a burglary.
It also didn't take long for the family to turn on each other. Michelle's Father, Carl, insisted that Marc's Father, Jack probably had something to do with it claiming that he had made threats toward the family. Michelle too claimed that Jack had a terrible temper and they had to distance themselves from him. 
Tune in as Elysia tells this tale of three Fathers whom all claimed to act out of love for their children. Meanwhile, Savannah attempts to take a break from googling the individuals in the case and instead spends her time theorizing what they look like. 
 
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Sources:
Dateline: The Root of All Evil, Season 23, Episode 8
 
https://www.kait8.com/story/23248796/jack-and-tana-despain-honor-son-marc-pledge-to-keep-his-memory-alive/
 
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2013/jan/04/third-defendant-sentenced-in-murder-for-hire-case/
 
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2012/may/24/widow-4th-arrest-killing-spouse-20120524/
 
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2013/jan/05/role-killing-son--law-nets-35-years-20130105/
 
https://apps.ark.org/inmate_info/search.php?dcnum=152800&token=cb6e30198f24b722734467cdeab6e0fa40ceb60b7f74de9a39d909d07705859c&lastname=Hubbard&firstname=John&sex=M&agetype=1&RACE=B&disclaimer=1&PHPSESSID=605877268e2e5ccba12a57111eabeca8&__utmc=149258854&__utma=149258854.293493980.1716149280.1716149280.1716507218.2&__utmz=149258854.1716507218.2.2.utmcsr%3Dgoogle%7Cutmccn%3D%28organic%29%7Cutmcmd%3Dorganic%7Cutmctr%3D%28not+provided%29&__utmb=149258854.1.10.1716507218
 
https://apps.ark.org/inmate_info/search.php?dcnum=153225&token=cb6e30198f24b722734467cdeab6e0fa40ceb60b7f74de9a39d909d07705859c&lastname=Barker&firstname=T&sex=M&agetype=1&RACE=B&disclaimer=1&PHPSESSID=605877268e2e5ccba12a57111eabeca8&__utmc=149258854&__utma=149258854.293493980.1716149280.1716149280.1716507218.2&__utmz=149258854.1716507218.2.2.utmcsr%3Dgoogle%7Cutmccn%3D%28organic%29%7Cutmcmd%3Dorganic%7Cutmctr%3D%28not+provided%29&__utmb=149258854.7.10.1716507218
 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105/pdf/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105-0.pdf
 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105/pdf/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105-1.pdf
 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105/pdf/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105-2.pdf
 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105/pdf/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105-3.pdf
 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105/pdf/USCOURTS-ared-3_12-cv-00105-4.pdf
 
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

Case Number 90: Dana Sue Gray, The Serial Shopaholic

After a rocky childhood, Dana faced losing her Mother to cancer at the young age of 14. Despite getting kicked out by her Father and Stepmother at 16, Dana went on to graduate high school and attend college to pursue a career in nursing. Inspired by the nurses who took care of her Mother, she wanted to help others in such a time of need.
Unfortunately, Dana's addictions caused her life to come crashing down and within months of losing her nursing job, she began taking lives instead of saving them. She targeted elderly women who lived alone mostly. She may have gotten away with it longer had it not been for one victim who survived. Dana made the mistake of attacking a woman who worked at an antique shop who was younger and stronger than the other victims. When detectives connected the crimes, it wasn't long before they identified her.
Tune in as Savannah gives an insightful take on this tragic serial killer's life and Elysia is somehow both speechless and not surprised by Dana's audacity. 
 
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Sources:
“To Die For” by Kathy Braidhill
Addicted to Luxury: The Pampered Killer By Katherine Ramsland
“Dana Sue Gray” Parts One and Two on Serial Killers Podcast 
https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/women/dana_sue_gray/9.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Wk0bu04mg
 
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

Case Number 89: The Lady in the Barrel

When Ron Cohen and his family tried to sell their Long Island, New York home, the buyers requested they clear out everything in a crawl space that had been used for storage. This included an industrial barrel that had been there since the Cohen family had bought the house 10 years prior.
This reasonable request turned into a complete nightmare. When forced to open the barrel in an attempt to lighten its weight, Ron also opened an investigation into a 30 year old murder. Her name was Reyna Marroquin and she had been missing since 1968. 
Tune in as Elysia details the astounding lengths her murderer DID NOT go to to hide her body but still got away with it. Meanwhile, Savannah is on a rollercoaster of emotions. 
 
Don't forget to leave us the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on Instagram and Facebook!
 
Sources:
Buried in the Backyard: Season 1, Episode 3
https://nypost.com/1999/09/30/cops-solve-mystery-of-mummified-body/
 
https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/14/nyregion/body-in-barrel-is-believed-to-be-woman-who-vanished-in-69.html
 
https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/tag/reyna-marroquin/
 
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193062199/howard_burton-elkins
 
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215199418/reyna_angelica-marroquin/photo
 
https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2022/exc/article-35/837-f-2/#:~:text=The%20division%20shall%20transmit%20the,injury%2C%20or%20may%20be%20a
 
https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-52/section-52-17b-213/#:~:text=b.,primary%20responsibility%20over%20the%20investigation.
 
https://lauthmissingpersons.com/history-of-missing-persons-law-in-the-united-states/
 
https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6639683&GUID=049FEC8A-3019-4AA0-9892-E94C2CAA792B
 
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-missing-bipoc-women-and-girls-task-force/
 
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181
 

Case Number 88: The Corpsewood Manor Murders

Charles Scudder and his partner, Joseph Odom, moved to the town of Trion, Georgia to escape the hustle and bustle of city life in Chicago and live on their own terms. Many in the town were not happy with the couple's arrival due to their unorthodox lifestyle. Eventually acceptance grew when they realized Charles and Joseph had no ill intention toward anyone.
Some of the towns people even became friends with the couple whether they enjoyed the couples' company, attended parties or partook in Charles' homemade wine. It was a peaceful life for six years before two men they thought were friends took their lives as well as their beloved dogs lives in a brutal attack. 
Tune in as Savannah shares the story of how these two peculiarly creative souls were taken too soon and Elysia is reminded of how one's intuition of impending death can make a person do otherwise strange things.
 
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Sources:
“The Corpsewood Manor Murders of North Georgia” by Amy Petulla 
https://law.justia.com/cases/georgia/supreme-court/1984/40344-1.html
Gore Report: A True Crime Podcast: "Hometown Legends Volume 2: The Corpsewood Manor Murders"
Beers With Queers: A True Crime Podcast: Episode 2 "The Corpsewood Manor Murders"
 
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181
 

Case Number 87: The Suspicious Fall of Bonnie Craig

When Bonnie's body was found at the bottom of a cliff just off a hiking trail, her family was in utter shock and disbelief. The park was nowhere near where she was supposed to be that day and it was completely out of character for her to stray from her routine.
Karen, Bonnie's Mother, was further shocked when she arrived at the medical examiner's office to identify her body. She recognized the bruises and wounds on Bonnie's hands and arms as defense injuries. That began a 17 year journey to finding justice for Bonnie and advocating for stricter DNA laws.
Tune in as Elysia takes us through the lengthy process of elimination in the investigation and possibly the most suspenseful trial we've covered. Meanwhile, Savannah is flabbergasted at the number of potential suspects Bonnie knew. 
 
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Sources:
Dateline: Justice for Bonnie, Season 20, Episode 18
 
Justice for Bonnie by Karen Foster and I.J. Schecter
 
https://justiceforbonnie.com/
 
http://www.sitnews.us/0507news/050207/050207_shns_dna_arrest.html
 
https://www.fosters.com/story/news/2007/05/13/cold-case-unites-mothers-on/52506313007/
 
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenneth-dion-ex-soldier-on-trial-for-1994-murder-of-alaska-coed-bonnie-craig/
 
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/defendant-guilty-bonnie-craig-murder/2011/06/16/
 
 
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

Case Number 86: The Society Murders

The prominent and wealthy Wales family dynamic had long been complicated but tensions rose when matriarch, Margaret Wales-King, and her husband, Paul King, both went missing. When it was discovered that Margaret's youngest son, Matthew, and his wife, Maritza, were the last to see Margaret and Paul, the rest of her children wanted answers. Instead, they got a lot of dramatics as Matthew would do nothing but sob and act out every time they spoke with him.
Detectives quickly found some potential motives and the couple were the number one suspects. When their bodies were found, detectives had all the physical evidence they needed and when faced with murder charges, Maritza confessed everything she knew.
Tune in as Savannah gives us the details one of the worst planned crimes we've seen and Elysia explains that this is why one shouldn't try to control inheritance from the grave.
 
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Sources:
https://www.theage.com.au/national/murder-in-the-family-20030411-gdvivr.html
Bonney, Hilary (2003). The Society Murders: The True Story of the Wales-King Murders.
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

Case Number 85: The Kirtland Cult Killings

When the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints rejected Jeffrey Lundgren from both a position as the Kirtland Temple Guide and Sunday School Teacher, his already disturbing beliefs became completely unhinged. Having already developed a following of individuals within the church, he convinced many of them that it would be their Godly mission to oust the current church elders and recapture the Temple to bring about a long time mormon belief. As the plan took shape, Jeffrey's vision grew increasingly violent.
Fortunately for the church, local police became suspicious and began working with the FBI to put a stop to the plan. Unfortunately for Jeffrey's followers, he caught on and the plans changed along with who he condemned. They would instead go out to live in the wilderness for a time to meet Jesus. He insisted they could only do so if they rid themselves of the worst sinners and according to him that was a family with 3 young children.
Tune in as Elysia works really hard to get this horrific story out of her system and Savannah is truly left angry and speechless. Then plan on taking a mental health break because this one's a doozy!
 
Don't forget to leave us the weekly emoji for your Sunday shoutout! Find us on Instagram and Facebook!
 
Sources:
Cult Justice: The Cult Tapes; Season 1, Episode 5
https://www.news-herald.com/2014/12/30/kirtland-cult-killings-timeline-of-events/
https://fox2now.com/news/true-crime/true-crime-dinner-invite-ends-in-missouri-family-cult-killing/
https://www.news-herald.com/2014/12/30/kirtland-cult-killings-the-prison-sentences/
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-13-me-188-story.html
https://casetext.com/case/state-v-lundgren-1
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-6th-circuit/1105132.html
https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/state-v-lundgren-1993-892948386
https://murderpedia.org/male.L/images/l/lundgren_jeffrey_don/lundgren_jeffrey.pdf
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/ohio-cult-leader-executed-for-slaying-family-of-5/
https://casetext.com/case/state-v-lundgren-7
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/mormons-timeline/
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/fundamentalist-church-jesus-christ-latter-day-saints
Timesuck | The Kirtland Cult Killings and Jeffrey Lundgren: 1 of 2
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43200280
https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/W025516
https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/A224420
https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/A237062
https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/A230044
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2007/11/14/site-ohio-cult-murders-razed/23329962007/
https://krcgtv.com/news/local/alleged-child-abuser-had-cult-murderer-father
https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/crime/2010/03/05/father-jailed-in-infant-abuse/64062068007/
 
 
 
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

Case Number 84: Aileen Wuornos, America's First Female Serial Killer

After a tragic childhood, Aileen was living on the streets by age fourteen. From that point forward all she really knew was drinking, drugging, grifting and hooking. When she met Tyria Moore, Aileen hoped to settle down in a place of their own. However, she would go to great lengths to make ends meet and keep Tyria.
From 1989 to 1990, Aileen killed seven men by hitchhiking and receiving rides from them under a false pretense or in some cases engaging in prostitution. She then shot each of them and stole anything of value. Eventually, she was caught, convicted and sentenced to death. Questions still remain as she had sworn from the beginning that she killed in self defense. However, on the day of her execution, she asked for one last interview where she said she needed to confess and then claimed not a single one had been in self defense.
Tune in as Savannah attempts to give the facts with insight as to why Aileen may have suddenly changed her story. Meanwhile, Elysia tries to think of anything at all to say other than "yeah", "oh my god", and "I don't know about that". 
 
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Sources:
Prime Video - Aileen, Life and Death of  Serial Killer 
https://www.biography.com/crime/aileen-wuornos
https://capitalpunishmentincontext.org/cases/wuornos - lots of detailed trial information and break down. 
https://allthatsinteresting.com/aileen-wuornos
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/aileen-wuornos-serial-killer-murders-b2455045.html
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/wuornos805.htm
 
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181

Case Number 83: The Survival of Amber Smith

After passing out and being abandoned in a park, Amber Smith woke up face down on a floor, bound and gagged. When she attempted to fight back and scream, her attacker brutally assaulted her until she passed out again. The next time she regained consciousness, she was outside still naked, bound, gagged and blinded by duct tape wrapped around her head. Choosing to fight for her life, she screamed continuously for help. Fortunately, nearby residents heard her and called 911. 
Despite having a clear dna profile, years went by with no further leads on who committed the atrocity against her. Amber had finally learned to come to terms with not knowing when he committed another felony and was entered into the system. The horrifying truth was that Amber did in fact know who her attacker was, just not at the time of the crime.
Tune in as Elysia terrifies Savannah with one of the most awful twists we've ever covered and we sidebar about the importance of stolen bicycles. 
 
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Sources:
Dateline: Left for Dead; Season 29, Episode 2
 
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/more-from-detective-seymour-s-interview-with-brian-and-susie-moon-92400197593
 
https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2019/10/08/stefan-moon-cottonwood-glen-park-sexual-assault-kidnapping-fort-collins-sentence/3911338002/
 
https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2019/08/15/man-convicted-2013-sexual-assault-woman-found-naked-fort-collins-park/2020140001/
 
https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Court_Of_Appeals/Case_Announcements/Files/2022/EA6A8008-25-22%20.pdf
 
https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Supreme_Court/Case_Announcements/Files/2023/EFD8E604-17-23.pdf
 
https://www.doc.state.co.us/oss/
 
https://www.gofundme.com/f/amber039s-future
 
 
 
 
Graphic Art By: Taylor Poe
Music By:
https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/shady-business/2181