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PODCAST

The First Degree

Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new

true crime

All Episodes

00:53:17

BONUS: KILLING TIME: C’EST LA VIE

The First Degree ·

2022/07/14

This week the girls and the ginger put on their berets for a French themed KT! They debate frog legs, ice in drinks, and conversing with your plane seat mate. Plus they go through France’s most bizarre laws. Au revoir! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook:

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00:51:28

Episode 204: Sextortion

The First Degree ·

2022/07/13

Internet technology evolves faster than any of us can keep up with. And as more and more of our lives are spent online, criminals are adapting. They’re exercising ingenuity, and concocting creative new ways to harm, victimize, and exploit the most vulnerable. This story is about one of those criminals: a pedophile who thought he was untouchable…only he wasn’t. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project:

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00:48:09

BONUS: KILLING TIME: MANDELA EFFECT

The First Degree ·

2022/07/07

This week the girls and the ginger dive into the fascinating phenomenon of the Mandela Effect, and go through some of the craziest false memories from our recent history. They debate the concept of flavor blasted, carpets in airports, and sponges. Plus the best Worstie Firstie revenge involving puzzle pieces! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram:

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01:01:40

Episode 203: Linda LaRoche

The First Degree ·

2022/07/06

In July of 1999, Racine County, WI Law Enforcement was called to the scene of a female victim who had been left in a cornfield. Based on her injuries, she'd suffered years of abuse and had been killed within 24 hours of being placed in the field. In the decades that followed, law enforcement agencies used every resource at their disposal in an effort to not only identify the victim, but also hone in on her killer. The answers to these questions wouldn't be revealed until 2019, and the person

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00:52:58

BONUS: KILLING TIME: CHICKEN OF THE SEA

The First Degree ·

2022/06/30

This week the girls and the ginger dive into the messiest celebrity divorces of the 2000s, starting with the iconic Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey. They debate over-preparing for a trip, 2 drink maximums at brunch, and shar pei tails. Plus the most heartwarming Worstie Firstie we’ve ever received. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram:

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00:55:12

Episode 202: Isaac Aguigui, Part 2

The First Degree ·

2022/06/29

Following soldier Deirdre Aguigui’s untimely death in July 2011, her husband Isaac becomes disenchanted with the military and government. For the next five months, Isaac and a small group of fellow soldiers spend the majority of Isaac’s $500,000 life insurance payout to get back payback. Multiple law enforcement agencies know what Isaac and his group are up to, but it’s not until two more innocent people are murdered that anyone is stopped. In episode 202, Jac, Alexis, and Billy detail how Isaac

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00:40:32

Episode 201: Isaac Aguigui, Part 1

The First Degree ·

2022/06/22

In 2010, a soldier in her early 20s returns to the US from a deployment to Iraq - she’d been injured in a mortar attack. She and her husband settle into an apartment located on Fort Stewart, Georgia. They soon get pregnant, and are both beyond excited to be parents. But on July 17, all that excitement comes crashing down when the woman dies inside their on-base apartment. Her husband tells everyone he found her unresponsive, and that she died as a result of the injuries she sustained in Iraq. His

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00:38:34

BONUS: KILLING TIME: PSYCHO KILLER

The First Degree ·

2022/06/16

This week the girls and the goth discuss all of the movies inspired by real life killers, starting with the classic: Psycho. They debate audiobook gate keepers, peeing on the toilet seat, and the gloriousness of Topo Chico. Also a tangent about plane crashes! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok:

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00:47:06

Episode 200: Melissa “Missy” Clary

The First Degree ·

2022/06/15

A 20 year old woman escapes an abusive relationship, and moves into her own place, taking her young son along with her. She starts working at a job she loves, and focuses on providing a better life for her and her son. But just as things are starting to really look up for the woman, she’s found beaten and strangled in her South Carolina home. In episode 200, Jac, Alexis, and Billy detail the murder of Melissa “Missy” Clary, a victim of domestic violence in both life and death. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR

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00:42:53

BONUS: KILLING TIME: OH DONALD!

The First Degree ·

2022/06/09

This week the girls and the goth do a deep dark dive into Donald Duck’s possible involvement in WWII. They debate $35 beers, wooden utensils, and not throwing your trash away properly. Oh, and muppet is our new official word used to insult people! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤

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00:36:44

Episode 199: The Benyon Brothers

The First Degree ·

2022/06/08

On October 21, 2020, two brothers aged in their early twenties are gunned down at their home in Wolcott, Indiana. Their bodies are discovered the next day. In the following days, police get a tip off that a 20 year old woman may know something about the shootings. When she’s interviewed, she admits to being at the scene of the crime with her boyfriend and his associate. She denies being involved in any shooting, and it soon becomes a matter of ‘he said, she said’. But the stories of the three

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00:47:59

BONUS: KILLING TIME: KILLED BY YOUR MAKER

The First Degree ·

2022/06/02

This week the girls and the goth dive into all of the poor, poor inventors who were murdered by the very things they crested. They debate the two soy sauce maximum, the Mexican Pizza, and the concept of a table soup. Plus, how much is too much cheese? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤

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00:57:21

Episode 198: Matthew Kelly

The First Degree ·

2022/06/01

On December 12, 2021, a 34 year old Kansas man is arrested on a misdemeanor count of property damage. As fate would have it, the man’s cellmate is a family friend who fronts him half the money to pay his bond. On the night of the 13th, the 34 year old man is released from jail. Less than three hours later, his body is found in the back of a truck - he’d been brutally murdered. In episode 198, Jac, Alexis, and Billy dig in to the murder of Matthew Kelly and try to make sense of why anyone wanted him

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00:48:15

BONUS: KILLING TIME: I VANT TO SUCK YOUR BLOOD

The First Degree ·

2022/05/26

This week the girls and the goth put their fangs in and dive into the dark history of Dracula! They debate charcuterie vending machines, binging TV shows, and the word moist. And real question: was Dracula hot or nah? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook:

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00:54:37

Episode 197: Marie "Lisa" Peak, Part 2

The First Degree ·

2022/05/25

In December 1975, Lisa Peak helps authorities bring down John Carmody, the head of a sex trafficking extortion ring. By September 1976, Lisa, now 19 years old, is starting to move on with her life. She moves into the dorms for her sophomore year at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Two days later, she’s found dead. The obvious suspect is Carmody, but he’s still behind bars, so authorities look into the possibility that Lisa’s murder is connected to the unsolved murders of 14 year old Valerie

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00:41:24

BONUS: KILLING TIME: QUEEN FOR A DAY

The First Degree ·

2022/05/19

This week the girls and the goth learn all about Henry VIII’s 6 wives (victims) and all of his bizarre medieval gaslighting. They debate bartender gatekeeping, iced water vs room temp, and if it’s an abomination for servers to call tap water “sink water”. Fun fact: did you know catfishing was invented in the 1500s? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram:

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00:42:39

Episode 196: Marie “Lisa” Peak, Part 1

The First Degree ·

2022/05/18

In the fall of 1975, Lisa Peak is a freshman journalism student at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa when she is trapped into a sex trafficking extortion ring run by a sick and twisted man named John Carmody. After months of abuse, Lisa goes to the police and helps secure a conviction against him. With Carmody behind bars, Lisa tries to move on with her life - she decides to write a book about her experiences and she re-enrolls at Wartburg. But only one day after she moves into the all girls dorm,

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00:45:17

BONUS: KILLING TIME: DOH!

The First Degree ·

2022/05/12

This week the girls and the goth learn about all the wild predictions The Simpsons made throughout the years. They debate unpacking your suitcase right away, nacho cheese, and judging people by their book covers. PLUS! Is "you're not cool" the best dig ever? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok:

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00:52:02

Episode 195: Terror Begins at Home, Part 2

The First Degree ·

2022/05/11

In part one, our first degree Katie shared harrowing details of her relationship with her ex boyfriend Ryan, and the abuse and escalating violence she experienced first hand. By the time she left him, Katie was convinced that Ryan had the ability to kill... and she was right. In episode 195, Jac, Alexis and Billy learn what happened after Katie escaped this relationship, the victims who came after her, and the senseless murder that sent shockwaves through Mansfield and Ashland Ohio. 🎟 Catch up to

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00:40:41

BONUS: KILLING TIME- WHAT'S IN THE BAG, NAPOLEON?

The First Degree ·

2022/05/05

This week, the girls and the goth discuss espresso martinis, unsolicited guitar playing, and the magic of dueling piano bars. Also! A short talk about the Napoleon complex. Plus! Oops, we blew up your car! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the

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647 results

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