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PODCAST

Once Upon A Crime

Step into the darker side of history with Once Upon A Crime, a true-crime podcast that delves deep into some of the world’s most gripping cases. Hosted by an expert storyteller, Esther Ludlow, each episode unravels the mysteries behind notorious crimes, exploring the lives of victims, perpetrators, and the intricate details of the investigations that followed. With carefully researched narratives, thematic series, and thoughtful insights, Once Upon A Crime offers listeners a captivating blend

true crime

All Episodes

73:23

S7 Ep264: Holidays in Hell: Little Boy Blue

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/11/21

On Christmas Eve, 1985 a grim discovery was made on a frozen field outside of Chester, Nebraska. The body of a child had been abandoned. The mystery of who the anonymous child who locals dubbed “Little Boy Blue” would take two years to solve. When the responsible party was identified, investigators began to suspect that an Amish man, Eli Stutzman, just might be a serial killer. Resources: Mystery of 'Little Boy Blue' solved - UPI Archives Crimes of Eli Stutzman, aka The Amish Serial Killer,

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33:35

S7 Ep263: Holidays in Hell: Missing Mom Kelsey Berreth

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/11/14

A young mother goes missing after a Thankgiving Day shopping trip in 2018. After meticulous detective work on the part of several law enforcement agencies answers come to light. The perpetrator would be someone no one would suspect - least of all Kelsey Berreth the victim. This case has us pondering the question do we really know the dark thoughts of the people closest to us? Resources:

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30:21

S7 Ep262: “What the Crime?” 3 Strange and unusual...

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/11/07

In today’s episode, I’ll share three strange and intriguing true crime cases currently in the news - a suspected serial killer hunting for victims in a small California town, a gruesome discovery on a local walking trail, and a bizarre discovery unearthed in a San Francisco Bay Area mansion’s back garden. Resources: “Suspect is Arrested in Series of Killings in Stockton, Calif., Police Say”, Eduardo Medina, The New York Times, Oct 15, 2022 “Stockton serial killings: Everything we know now about

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142:39

S7 Ep261: A Nightmare Before Halloween, Part 2

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/11/02

A Nightmare Before Halloween, Part 2 …1 campfire… …1 dark forest… …31 bone-chilling stories… …Will YOU survive the night? This Halloween season, enter the woods for a unique and truly epic podcast experience! Around the campfire Shane Waters will introduce 31 crime podcast hosts, including Once Upon a Crime. Each host brings a new, nerve-wracking true story to the circle. It’s an extra special, two part, five-hour, Halloween event, but before hitting play you might want to ask yourself…can you

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146:23

S7 Ep260: A Nightmare Before Halloween, Part 1

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/10/31

…1 campfire… …1 dark forest… …31 bone-chilling stories… …Will YOU survive the night? This Halloween season, enter the woods for a unique and truly epic podcast experience! Around the campfire Shane Waters will introduce 31 crime podcast hosts, including Once Upon a Crime. Each host brings a new, nerve-wracking true story to the circle. It’s an extra special, two part, five-hour, Halloween event, but before hitting play you might want to ask yourself…can you really handle this much murder and

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37:31

S7 Ep259: Bands Gone Wild: N.W.A. - Drama in Detroit

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/10/17

N.W.A. became one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time and became one of the first rap groups to reach platinum status with their debut album Straight Outta Compton. In 1989, they took the stage in front of a crowd of over 20,000 fans in Detroit, Michigan. But the group had been forbidden from performing one of their most controversial songs. When they chose to do so anyway, all hell broke loose. Resources: “The real story behind N.W.A.’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Detroit riot”

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51:14

S7 Ep258: Bands Gone Wild: The Cure

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/10/10

Robert Smith formed the band The Cure with his schoolmates when he was still in middle school. They found early success and soon began touring around the world. But their sobriety and mental health began to suffer from the strain while on tour. It all came to a dramatic end on stage in Brussels in 1982. Resources: “The Crack Up” by Tonino Cagnucci, October 11, 2014. https://thecuretc.wordpress.com/2014/10/11/the-crack-up-2/ “The ‘one time’ Robert Smith was really frightened with ‘The Cure’”

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42:40

S7 Ep257: Bands Gone Wild: Guns N’ Roses and The...

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/10/03

In our first “Rocktober” episode of the month I’ll tell you the story of the Bad Boy of Rock and Roll - Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses. In July of 1991, Guns N’ Roses was on its 28-month “Use Your Illusion” tour when the lead singer got into a fight with a fan kicking off a 3-hour riot in St. Louis, Missouri. Guns N’ Roses would be banned from performing in St. Louis for years and face criminal and civil charges as a result. Resources: “Guns N’ Roses: The St. Louis Incident”

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33:24

S7 Ep256: Crimes on Campus: Brock Turner

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/09/26

In this episode, I’ll cover a case that sparked a national debate and shone a spotlight on discrepancies in the justice system regarding the treatment and rights of survivors of sexual assault. Brock Turner was a first-year student at Stanford University when he was accused of sexually assaulting a young woman. The media portrayal of the perpetrator and the leniency he received at sentencing would fuel public outrage regarding this highly publicized case. Resources: Know My Name: A Memoir,

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26:44

S7: Bonus Episode: Death of an Artist: A Conversation...

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/09/23

Listen to this fascinating true crime story from an art world insider on the new podcast “Death of an Artist” a co-production from Pushkin Industries, Somethin’ Else, and Sony Music Entertainment. Episode one releases on September 23rd of you can binge the entire series by becoming a Pushkin+ subscriber in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus.

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25:16

S7 Ep255: Crimes on Campus: Melissa Drexler “Prom Mom”

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/09/19

In this episode I’ll tell you about a case that got worldwide media attention due to the bizarre circumstances, the heinous nature of the crime, and the venue at which it occurred - a high school prom. Resources: Melissa Drexler, murderpedia.comhttps://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/drexler-melissa.htm “Before Prom Night, a Suspect was the Girl Next Door” by Abby Goodnough and Bruce Weber for The New York Times, July 2,

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26:34

S7 Ep254: Crimes on Campus: The Murder of Lola Martinez

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/09/12

A student residing with three roommates on an Indiana college campus finds herself mired in a tense living situation. An unusual set of circumstances soon turns deadly. Resources: Murder Loves Company: Dorm Living Nightmare, Season 1, Episode 1, The Investigation Discovery Channel, (2019). Liette Martinez Obituary, Las Cruces-Sun News, April 22, 2008. A series of articles regarding this case can be found in the Albuquerque Journal, April 18, 2008 - Sept. 19, 2008.

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22:01

S7 Ep253: Wild Women: Kitty LeRoy

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/08/22

Kitty LeRoy was a sharpshooter, cardsharp, dancer, and entrepreneur. She became a well-known entertainer in the Old West and ran with legends like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock. But her fierce temper and fiery personality often made her dangerous to be around. You may have never heard of Kitty LeRoy before but after this episode you won’t soon forget her. Resources: “Kitty LeRoy: Lady Gambler and Gunfighter” by Kathy Weiser for Legends of America, Feb

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38:28

S7 Ep252: Wild Women: The True Story of Lavinia...

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/08/15

In 1819, Lavinia Fisher and her husband John were accused poisoning and murdering multiple guests of their Charleston, South Carolina inn and sentenced to hang. But were the Fishers really serial killers or is the legend simply a tall tale concocted to entertain tourists? The true story of who Lavinia Fisher was and why she was hanged may shock you. Resources: Lavinia Fisher: Legends of America, https://www.legendsofamerica.com/sc-laviniafisher/ Murder and Mayhem in the Holy City, Pat Hendrix,

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27:47

S7 Ep251: Wild Women: Sally Six-Shooter

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/08/01

In this series we’ll step back in history to learn about some of the history’s first female outlaws. In this episode I’ll tell you about Sally Skull, ranch owner, horse trader, fandango dancer, and gunslinger. Some say Sally’s quick temper - and even quicker hand with a gun - was responsible for the mysterious disappearances of two of her five husbands. Resources: “The legendary Sally Skull was a gun-slinging, foul-mouthed Texas horse trader”, Allison Ehrlich for the Corpus Christi Caller Times,

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37:27

S7 Ep250: Final Curtain Call: Fatal Obsession - The...

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/07/25

A young girl leaves her hometown of Ohio for the Big Apple with her heart set on a career as a Broadway dancer. Instead, she meets a young man who becomes obsessed with controlling her life. Unable to let her go, Paul Cortez commits a shocking crime. Resources: The People v. Paul Cortez, New York Court of Appeals filing, April 8, 2013. https://casetext.com/brief/e970db1d-the-people-respondentvpaul-cortez-appellant-brief “A dancer’s secret life and savage murder, Keith Morrison/NBCNews.com, Jan

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30:29

S7 Ep249: Final Curtain Call: Theatre of Pain - The...

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/07/18

This week’s episode details a murder that, at first glance, appears to be a cut-and-dried case of a lover’s quarrel turned deadly. Upon investigation, it is discovered to be a much more thought-out and sinister plan. When authorities uncover the real killer he turns out to be an actor who attempted to parlay his skills as a performer to pull off “the perfect crime”. Sources: “Actor is held in double slaying.” Los Angeles Times, 29 05

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21:04

S7 Ep248: Final Curtain Call: Paul Bateson and The...

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/07/11

In this month’s series “Final Curtain Call” a film or theater actor is connected to a sensational crime. In 1973, The Exorcist was released in theaters. Moviegoers were shocked by the film’s graphic depiction of a little girl possessed by a demon. But one movie extra, Paul Bateson, had demons of his own which lead him to commit an act of violence and become a prime suspect in a series of grisly murders. Resources: Paul Bateson: The ‘Mindhunter’ Murderer Who Appeared in ‘The Exorcist’

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27:17

S7 Ep247: Picture Perfect Murder: Harry Uzoka

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/06/27

Harry Uzoka was a rising star who’d broken into the world of high-end modeling against all odds. But another model envious of his success began a rivalry which lead to a violent showdown that no one saw coming. Resources Adey, Linda. “Remembering Harry.” BBC, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/remembering_harry_uzoka_the_murder_of_a_model. Accessed 8 June 2022.Balogun, Simi. “FAB Editorial: Ty Ogunkoya & Harry Uzoka Featured In Paper Magazine.” FAB, 21 February 2014,

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28:36

S7 Ep246: Real Life Heroes: The Foiled DeAnza College...

Once Upon A Crime ·

2022/06/20

In light of the ongoing tragedies of frequent mass shootings in America, I’ve decided to make this week’s episode one of hope and heroism. In this story, a young girl becomes an unlikely hero when she acts upon a hunch derailing an evil plot before it could begin. Resources “De Anza bomber receives 7-year prison sentence” | News | losaltosonline.com.” Los Altos Town Crier, 3 April 2022,

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418 results

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