Synopsis
True Crime Historian remembers the famous and forgotten scandals, scoundrels, and scourges of the past told through vintage newspaper accounts from the golden age of yellow journalism.
Episodes
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A French Maid's Dirty Laundry
26/10/2025 Duration: 01h41minThe Ordeal Of Hattie LeBlancJump To The Ad-Free Safe House EditionEpisode 413 is the sordid little tale of a French Canadian girl who gets wrapped up in an ugly situation involving her employers, a womanizing laundry owner and his suffering wife. It only gets uglier when the husband ends up dead, the maid arrested, but it seems to be the wife who stands trial.Hear More Episodes About FEMMES FATALEBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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Killer Caught By A Thread
24/10/2025 Duration: 01h11minThe Mulholland Drive Sack MurderJump To The Ad-Free Safe House EdtionEpisode 411 details the events following the discovery alongside the famed Mulholland Drive of a body sewn up in a makeshift canvas bag fashioned from an old awning. All fingers point to her friend, a physician with a shady past, whose defense is simply the old standby: “What? Who? Me?”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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A Fatal Clang Of The Trolley
22/10/2025 Duration: 53minThe President’s Close CallJump To The Ad-Free Safe House EditionEpisode 452 explores the aftermath of a presidential mishap when Teddy Roosevelt's carriage collides with an electric trolley racing to make up for lost time. A Secret Service guard dies immediately and the trolley driver is charged with his murder. Was this a simple accident? A case of incompetence? Or was the motorman made a scapegoat for a nation’s grief and outrage?Hear More Stories About LINE OF DUTY TRAGEDIESBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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Fall River Nurse Found In Tiverton Ditch
21/10/2025 Duration: 01h20minThe Interstate Strangulation Of Verna RussellJump To The Ad-Free Safe House EditionEpisode 409 is the story of a spoiled young man who wouldn’t take no for an answer and let his rage get the better of him. The best evidence against him will come from the very source he turned to in order to hide his deed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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The Girod Street Assassination Ambuscade
20/10/2025 Duration: 02h30minThe City Of New Orleans Vs. The MafiaJump to AD FREE SAFE HOUSE EDITIONEpisode 408 explores the lead-in and aftermath of one of the most deadly vigilante actions in American history. When the commissioner of police is assassinated on his way home, a committee of 50 citizens call an indignation meeting, and you know how those are likely to go. Just a couple of notes: One, the descriptions of the action in Act III are quite graphic, so use your discretion. And two, there are several instances of a derogatory term used in this episode, but I follow the same policy I do for racial slurs, that I will soften the narrative language but will not change anything that is printed in direct quotes. History is not always pretty, folks, so don’t come here if you want it white-washed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to a
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Meat Juice Mischief
17/10/2025 Duration: 01h01minThe Accusations Against Florence Elizabeth MaybrickJump To The Ad-Free Safe House EditionEpisode 407 is dedicated to my new friend from the United Kingdom, Joan Smith, who asked me to dig up more stories from across the great pond. This one involves an American woman who marries a Brit old enough to be her father, and is then charged with his poisoning. The bulk of this episode is adapted from a three-part newspaper series by Stewart Robinson, published after Florence Maybrick’s death in 1941, and part of it from her own account of her ordeal, a book titled, “My Fifteen Lost Years.”Listen to more stories about murders with POISONBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whate
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A Corpse In The Morris Canal
15/10/2025 Duration: 54minThe Work Of The Mormon ButcherJump To The Ad-Free Safe House EditionEpisode 451 begins in the summer of 1902, when a woman’s mutilated body is pulled from the Morris Canal, and the trail leads to a blood-soaked missionary’s flat in Manhattan. The suspect: William Hooper Young, grandson of Mormon patriarch Brigham Young, whose notebook bore the chilling phrase “Blood Atonement.” This is a rich episode about the strange descent of a scholar turned tramp, and the murder that made headlines thunder with scandal, scripture, and slaughter.Hear More Stories About TRUNK MURDERSBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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The Perth Ballroom Tragedy
14/10/2025 Duration: 01h28minAudrey Jacob Stands TrialJump To The Ad-Free Safe House EditionEpisode 406 comes from a special request from one of my many listeners Down Under, this one the tragic story of a spurned young woman who settles the score on the dance floor. And we’re not talking about a tango competition, but her trial is a dramatic one and the resolution is indeed surprising.Hear More Stories From DOWN UNDER.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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A Mother-In-Law's Revenge
12/10/2025 Duration: 01h49minThe Horrible Horner-Simpson AffairJump To AD-FREE Safe House EditionEpisode 404 is jam-packed with crazy when a fun-loving dentist is charged with the double-barrel shotgun murder of his father-in-law. The family dynamic seems to go off the rails in the lead-in to the trial, and there are a couple of interesting subplots to keep things going, including a long-lost relative and the sad story of the only eye-witness to the affair.Hear More Stories About FEMMES FATALEBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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Austin Family Found In Cistern
10/10/2025 Duration: 01h21minEugene Burt Flees From JusticeJump To AD-FREE Safe House EditionEpisode 403 explores the story of a man who leaves his family battered and murdered in a cistern under their Austin home, and heads out of town on the midnight train. He thinks he can disappear in a big city, but Chicago has another story.Hear More Stories About The Death Of INNOCENTSBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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Missouri Mob Justice
08/10/2025 Duration: 01h07minThe Lynching Of Lloyd WarnerJump To The AD-FREE Safe House EditionPlus transcripts and deep-dive research for Safe House residentsEpisode 449 tells the story of civil unrest sparked by reports of a young white woman being sexually assaulted by a young black male, a story all too common in American history, and like many of the others, it appears likely that the unruly mob lynched and incinerated the wrong man.Hear more stories about MOBS & RIOTSBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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Baby Amy & The Broadway Gigolo
07/10/2025 Duration: 59minA Fake Hold-Up Murder PlotJump To AD-FREE Safe House EditionEpisode 402 tells the story of a discontented wife and her young paramour, who set in motion a plan to stage a robbery to get money for a quick Reno divorce. The victim, her husband. Yeah, that didn’t work out so well. There are some intense personalities in this story and a lot of theatrics, including a murder victim testifying from beyond the grave.Hear More Stories About ROBBERIES GONE AWRYBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you access to ad-free editions of over 400 episodes in the dusty vault, early access to all new episodes, exclusive content, access to the big boss, and whatever personal services you require.
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A Bloody Scream In The Night
01/10/2025 Duration: 01h14minThe Axe Murder Of Alice MallettAd-Free Safe House EditionEpisode 450 begins with a scream in the night as the beautiful Miss Alice Mallett, her body brutally defiled, found in a bloody pool. The town of Jackson, Michigan, reels, a mob thirsting for vengeance. The twisted trail of an axe points to the fiendish George Straub, an ex-con with a dark past. But wait! Did he act alone? Or did another shadowy figure lurk in the night? With tear gas exploding and fingers pointing, justice hangs by a thread as a city demands blood!NOW! Free to all Safe House Scoundrels: Read along with True Crime Historian by viewing or downloading a PDF file of a transcript of this episode.Or, you can take a deep dive in the case by reading up on the entire case file that we assembled during our research.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.CLICK HERE to reserve your bunk at The Safe House, where the past is present and the rent is just a buck a week but gives you a
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Breaking News!
11/09/2025 Duration: 01minOur long international nightmare is over! True Crime Historian is coming off hiatus with a block of brand new episodes. The first new release comes October 1 with "A Bloody Scream In The Night: The Axe Murder Of Alice Mallett.Episode 450 begins with a scream in the night as the beautiful Miss Alice Mallett, her body brutally defiled, found in a bloody pool. The town of Jackson, Michigan, reels, a mob thirsting for vengeance. The twisted trail of an axe points to the fiendish George Straub, an ex-con with a dark past. But wait! Did he act alone? Or did another shadowy figure lurk in the night? With tear gas exploding and fingers pointing, justice hangs by a thread as a city demands blood!But you can get an advance listen now by joining us at THE SAFE HOUSE, where you will not only get a first listen of this new slew of episodes, but full access to THE DUSTY VAULT where you can enjoy over 400 chilling and thrilling episodes of True Crime Historian!Just a buck a week give you all that! You can't even buy a cup o
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Bacon On The Table
11/12/2024 Duration: 27minThe Brutal Murder Of Mayme ShermanA True Crime Short Story by Richard O JonesAd-Free Safe House EditionOne of the factors behind my interest in historical true crime is that my hometown of Hamilton, Ohio, seems to have a particularly rich history of crime--murder in particular, but not just murder. I’ve done several local programs about the safecrackers, bandits, and other notorious characters. This short story, “Bacon On The Table,” concerns the third of three “bluebeard” killers in the first decade of the 20th century. The first was the murder of Hannah Knapp by Alfred Knapp in December, 1902. This is the subject of my book, “The First Celebrity Serial Killer.” But even before this crime came to light, Samuel J. Keelor tried to decapitate his wife on Valentine’s Day, 1903. You can read more about that story in my ebook, “The Sleepwalking Slasher.”The following year, just a week after Knapp paid the ultimate penalty for his crime, Charles Victor Sherman commits the horrible crime detailed in this episode.In
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What Happened To Grace
27/05/2024 Duration: 01h36minThe Atrocities Of Albert FishI'D TURN BACK IF I WERE YOU!!!Episode 191 is without a doubt the vilest case you'll ever hear on this program because I don't think I could find a worse one if I tried. There's a lot of evil discussed here: torture, cannibalism, and more. Consider this your trigger warning: I'd turn back if I were you! Or at least put the kids to bed and plug in your ear buds. Keep this between us.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.
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Mob Justice For Leo Frank
17/04/2024 Duration: 02h06minThe Murder Of Mary PhaganEpisode 183 tells of one of the most infamous cases of an innocent man wrongly accused. When a teenage factory girl is found dead in the basement of an Atlanta pencil manufacturer, blame falls on the mild-mannered Jewish superintendent of the plant, and the jury takes the word of a drunken janitor. It’ll take 70 years for the truth to come out.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.
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A Body Between The Rails
05/01/2024 Duration: 01h59minThe Reily Mattock MurderEpisode 198 is centered on one of my favorite murder tropes, the so-called “eternal triangle,” between the cranky old farmer, his fading wife, and the handsome young farmhand. Yeah, that’s not going to end well, but they might have gotten away with it if they had just put the body across the tracks. It’s all in the details.Culled from the historic pages of the Hamilton Journal-News and other newspapers of the era.Ad-Free Edition
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Gin! Jazz! Guns!
16/12/2023 Duration: 01h36minThe Real ‘Chicago’ MurdersEpisode 352 explores the two murders that inspired the hit musical “Chicago,” which was based on a play by Maurine Watkins, who did some reporting on both cases as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. I’ll be joined by my colleague Susan Ferman, whose own podcast Catastrophic Calamities, will premiere next week on the Pulpular Media network. Susan will read about the case of Beulah Annan, who became Roxy Hart on stage. I will read the case of Belva Gaertner, who became Velma Kelly.Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News, and other newspapers of the era.This episode includes a reference to a fellow murderess Sabela Nitti, whose story you can hear about in True Crime Historian 230, The Ugly Duckling Murderess.
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Snakes On The Witness Stand
03/12/2023 Duration: 02h26minThe Trial Of Rattlesnake James, The Red-Headed BluebeardEpisode 192 gets a bit epic, but it’s the story that keeps on giving, with two botched murders and moral charges to boot, and things go from crazy to crazier when they bring a pair of rattlers named Lethal and Lightning into the courtroom.