3 AM Mystery Club is a casual and conversational podcast discussing true, unsolved crimes that take place in small towns across the United States, with a heavy emphasis on older or cold case crimes from the 1900s through the early 2000s.
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It's "Murdery" Monday and Branden tells us the story of Genene Jones. Dubbed, "The Angel of Death" by the American media, Jones is responsible for the deaths of up to 60 infants and children in her care as a licensed vocational nurse during the 1970s and 1980s. Parallels are often made of Jones and infamous nurse Annie Wilkes from Stephen King's, Misery.
Sources:
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/03/17/in-a-killers-care-the-story-behind-one-of-texas-most-notorious-alleged-serial-killers-genene-jones/
https://murderpedia.org/female.J/j/jones-genene.htm
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-death-shift-2/
Kentucky Blues (00:23:25)
In this 3AM Short, Ro is exploring the legend of the Blue People of Hazard, Kentucky. Hazard is a small community in Eastern Kentucky that boasts dense forests, beautiful countryside, and well, a population of BLUE people. Join the club as Ro delves into this true urban legend to learn the origin of the Blue People and where they are today. Interestingly enough, while investigating this case, she also discovered a big mystery surrounding one of the key players.
Sources:
https://owlcation.com/humanities/Blue-People-in-Kentucky-A-True-Story-of-a-Family-with-Blue-Skin
https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2018/06/blue-fugates-of-kentucky.html
Kristen Modafferi (00:37:19)
Summer 1997, young college student and San Fransico transplant Kristen Modaferri, disappears without a trace after her shift at the Crocker Galleria. Wild theories abound but no resolution has ever been found for this case. Join us as Derric reports on the Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi.
Sources:
https://medium.com/the-shadow/the-strange-disappearance-of-kristen-modafferi-94e5301e714a
https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=131954&page=1
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-dennis-mahons-podcast-31114701/
Going West Podcast: Kristen Modafferi/126
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Kristen_Modafferi
Misconduct. A True Crime Podcast: Kristen Modafferi
https://www.sfgate.com/local-donotuse/article/Kristen-Modafferi-Dennis-Mahon-Onuma-missing-Lampo-12988187.php
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3004677/Sister-missing-teen-begs-accused-killer-Robert-Durst-come-clean-help-end-18-years-agony-family.html
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/oakland-police-no-evidence-to-indicate-robert-durst-was-involved-in-kristen-modafferis-disappearance/89760/
Scary Stories From The Club Vault (00:30:49)
It's our Halloween episode and what better way to spend time in the clubhouse than to tell scary stories! In this episode, we each share personal stories and experiences that spooked us as kids and still gives us chills today.
No sources needed today!
Check out our exclusive 3AM Mystery Club Merch and snoop around on our social media!
https://lnk.bio/Dk3p
The Highway of Tears (00:40:37)
Since 1969 hundreds of women have gone missing or are found murdered along Canada's infamous Highway 16. Dubbed by locals as, "The Highway of Tears", an alarming majority of these victims are First Nations women. Why are there so many victims? What makes Highway 16 such a prolific hunting ground for murderers and kidnappers? What can be done to make this stretch of road safer? Join us as Ro' tackles this massive mystery.
Sources:
https://highwayoftearsfilm.com/watch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_of_Tears#Investigation_and_suspects
https://www.highwayoftears.org/in-memory
https://www.grunge.com/103829/unsolved-disappearances-will-haunt/
http://dyingwords.net/tag/brian-peter-arp/
The "Halloween" Murders (00:20:38)
It's time for a Friday Short!
In an affluent gated community in Texas, 17-year-old Jake Evans murdered his mother and his sister. What motivated such a horrific act? According to Jake, it was the 2007 Rob Zombie film, "Halloween". Join us as Branden discusses this case in our "Friday Short" series.
Sources:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268264/Jake-Evans-How-teen-killed-mother-sister-Halloween-remake-left-inspired-amazed-murder-family.html
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jake-evans-confession_n_2552173
For bonus content check us out on Facebook and Twitter!
https://lnk.bio/Dk3p
The Freeway Phantom Murders (00:24:03)
Springtime in Washington D.C. is a magical time. The famed cherry blossoms begin to bloom, tourists come out of their winter hiding to visit monuments and see famous museums. However, in April of 1972, something nightmarish was preying on the D.C. area locals, particularly teenage girls of color. Dubbed, The Freeway Phantom, this case remains unsolved to this day.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/six-black-girls-were-brutally-murdered-in-the-early-70s-why-was-this-case-never-solved/2018/05/21/c74d26ec-4e22-11e8-af46-b1d6dc0d9bfe_story.html
https://people.com/crime/freeway-phantom-unsolved-case-washington-dc-murders-haunts-families/
Tantamount: The Pursuit of The Freeway Phantom Serial Killer by Blaine L. Pardoe and Victoria R. Hester. WildBlue Press, 2019
Social Media, Website, Merch & More:
https://lnk.bio/Dk3p
La Llorona/The Weeping Woman (00:17:21)
You may have heard your mom or your grandma warn you about the Boogey-man or even tempted fate as a kid by bravely (or stupidly) chanting, "Bloody Mary" into a mirror; but they have nothing on La Lorona. The Weeping Woman is a dangerous combination of malevolent spirit and urban legend, haunting the southwest United States and Mexico. Join the club if you dare as Ro tells the haunting tale and reports a few "eyewitness" encounters.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/gh-lallorona/
Ariel School Phenomenon : A 3 AM Mystery Club Short (00:15:41)
Little men in black suits, an ominous warning, disc-shaped aircraft; in Zimbabwe, Africa, in 1994, over 60 school children experienced a close encounter. Join us in the clubhouse to hear the story of The Ariel School Phenomenon.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruwa_UFO_incident
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/stories-57749238
https://www.news24.com/witness/archive/The-day-the-aliens-landed-20150430
It's Supernatural with Ashley Flowers, Episode: Alien: The Ariel School Sighting
Alice Crimmins (00:42:08)
SEXPOT MOM SWAM NUDE AS TOTS LAY SLAIN would undoubtedly have been the headline on cable news shows throughout the world if Alice Crimmins had been on trial today. It was certainly the type of headline that tabloids had no problem printing even in the 1960s. Was Alice Crimmins guilty of murder or was she merely guilty of living outside of normal conventions for a 60s housewife? Did she do it or were more plausible suspects overlooked? Join the club as Ro discusses the case that often gets compared to Susan Smith and Casey Anthony.
Sources:
A Crime To Remember: Go Ask Alice. Season 1, Episode 1, 2013 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3058158/
Killer Queens Podcast : https://www.killerqueenspodcast.com/alice-crimmins-bad-mom-or-double-standard/
Why Can't You Behave: Revisiting the Case of Alice Crimmins. Weinman, Sarah, 2015 https://hazlitt.net/longreads/why-cant-you-behave-revisiting-case-alice-crimmins
Richard Speck (00:15:06)
In our first Fifteen-Minute Friday episode, we take a condensed look at mass murderer Richard Speck. Eight student nurses' lives were cut short on an August 1966 night when petty criminal Speck graduated to full-fledged killer.
Sources:
The Crime of the Century: Richard Speck and the Murders That Shocked a Nation (2016) By Dennis L. Breo
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Speck
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/how-richard-speck-s-rampage-50-years-ago-changed-nation-n606211
Daniel LaPlante Remastered (00:24:26)
In this episode, we went way back into our archives and dug out one of our FAVORITE creepy episodes!
Digitally remastered for sound quality and we even let some previously cut scenes out of the cage. Hope you enjoy the one episode that scared 'Ro and made her sleep with her lights on for a few days!
Sources:
Your Worst Nightmare/Bump in the Night. Investigation Discovery. Season 2 Episode 1, 2015.
CBS Boston: https://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/03/23/daniel-laplante-priscilla-gustafson-murder-1987-townsend/
Boston Magazine: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/03/22/killer-three-townsend-seeks-sentence-reduction/g05AdJcWXPBZiAS9rvHYDI/story.html
The Associated Press: https://apnews.com/article/2bdc2f63fe014470a119519c25507c53
Missy Bevers (00:48:03)
Missy Bevers was a popular fitness instructor in her hometown of Midlothian, Texas. Her murder inside of a church in 2016, has both baffled and haunted the public ever since.
Sources
True Crime Garage Missy Bevers/Part 1/138
Crime Junkie Murdered: Missy Bevers
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2019/04/19/3-years-after-missy-bevers-slaying-police-are-still-searching-for-the-one-piece-that-were-missing/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUISKYJsJqw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9b1dIi9E2M&t=41s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgRoqhoIxnY
https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/04/19/forensic-podiatrist-fbi-study-missy-bevers-killer-gait-investigative-process/
https://www.waxahachietx.com/story/news/local/2021/04/15/missy-bevers-murder-remains-mystery-after-five-years/7247496002/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETrO_lzweY
Mary Bell (00:31:07)
Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? In 10-year-old Mary Bell's case, the garden was littered with bodies. Join us as Branden covers the shocking case of Mary Bell, one of the youngest known serial murderers in British history.
Sources
The Mary Bell Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moFhGzE_xRI
https://medium.com/crimebeat/the-11-year-old-serial-killer-6c64a552ffe8
https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-horrific-story-of-11-years-old-serial-killer-mary-bell-57bf7e6b7b92
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1110123/Child-killer-Mary-Bell-grandmother-51-But-I-left-grief-says-victims-mother.html
https://youtu.be/moFhGzE_xRI
The Somerton Man (00:59:40)
In December of 1948, the body of a middle-aged man was found on Somerton Beach in Adelaide, South Australia. Each clue unearthed regarding his identity and cause of death only deepened the mystery. Was his death intentional or accidental? Was it murder? Who was he? Seventy-three years later and the world is still trying to discover just who is, The Somerton Man.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamam_Shud_case
http://www.theunknownman.com/
https://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/personal/dabbott/wiki/index.php/Primary_source_material_on_the_Taman_Shud_Case
https://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/personal/dabbott/wiki/index.php/Secondary_source_material_on_the_Taman_Shud_Case
https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/The-Mystery-of-the-Somerton-Man-Taman-Shud-Case
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-20/somerton-man-forensic-process-following-exhumation/100150868
Lake Lanier/Anthonette Cayedito (00:35:05)
In today's episode, Derric presents a double feature!
Lake Lanier, located in Northern Georgia, USA, has a deadly history. The creation of the lake itself has dark connotations. Is this lake cursed? Is it haunted by restless spirits? Join the club and decide for yourself!
Anthonette Cayedito disappeared from her home in Gallup, New Mexico, USA, in 1986. Reports of sightings of Anthonette have occurred all throughout the Southwestern United States ever since, culminating with a mysterious phone call that has never been able to be traced. What happened to this bubbly little girl?
Sources:
Lake Lanier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Lanier
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BX7S1AE/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/31/us/lake-lanier-urban-legends-trnd/index.html
https://www.intheknow.com/post/lake-lanier-georgia/
https://travelnoire.com/georgia-lake-lanier-haunted-twitter-chimes-in
https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/lake-lanier
https://www.tiktok.com/@indeskribeabull?lang=en
Anthonette Cayedito
Unsolved Mysteries: Season 5, Episode 14
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Anthonette_Cayedito
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/cold-case-spotlight/31-years-ago-anthonette-cayedito-disappeared-n743951
The Springfield Three (00:52:10)
On June 7, 1992, newly graduated from high school and ready to start a summer of fun, Suzie Streeter, her best friend Julie McCall vanished into thin air along with Suzie's mother, Sherill Levitt. No trace of the women have ever been found and police are at a dead end. Join us as Derric walks us through the strange disappearance of, "The Springfield Three".
Sources:
Disappeared” Season 3, Episode 10: The Springfield Three
https://www.ky3.com/content/news/The-Springfield-Three-A-look-back-at-the-cold-case-28-years-later-571085741.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gHUqa7aZnE
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2002/06/07/three-missing-women-ten-years-later-part-3-of-5/77200924/
https://youtu.be/2gHUqa7aZnE
The Grimes Sisters Murder Mystery (00:29:51)
Episode 55, is a murder mystery out of Chicago, Illinois, USA. On December 28, 1956, when two sisters named Barbara and Patricia Grimes disappeared after seeing a late-night showing of a movie by their favorite performer- Elvis Presley. The King himself would plead for the missing girls to return home, but those pleas would never be heard by his self-proclaimed, number one fans. Join us as Branden presents the shocking case of The Grimes Sisters Murder Mystery.
Branson Perry (00:34:56)
Skidmore, Missouri is no stranger to mystery. Known as, "The Town That Got Away With Murder," due to a case in the 1980s, Skidmore continues to uphold the moniker. Twenty years later, Branson Perry, a young man with a bright future and outlook on life disappeared without a trace from the same town. Join us as Derric presents the case Branson Perry and briefly discusses the criminal history of Skidmore itself.
Sources
Podcasts-
True Crime Garage: Branson Perry
Down the Rabbit Hole: Branson Perry
Trace Evidence: The Vanishing of Branson Perry
https://www.angelfire.com/jazz/jazzyrose/BransonPerry.html
https://allthatsinteresting.com/branson-perry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Branson_Perry
https://bringbransonhome.wordpress.com/a-mothers-plea/
https://rare.us/people/branson-perry/
The House of Faces (00:26:49)
In the 1970s in a small town in Andalusia, Spain, crude facial renderings began to appear on Maria Gomez Pereira's kitchen floor. The faces would appear and reappear over a span of nearly forty years. Despite many investigations and scientific testing, theories of both skeptics and believers are rampant and make solid arguments. Listen to Ro present the case of La Casa de los Rostros.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9lmez_Faces
https://medium.com/our-weird-wonderful-world/the-people-in-the-floor-ccc588d24826
https://burialsandbeyond.com/2019/06/20/the-house-of-faces/
EVP SOURCE: https://youtube.com/clip/Ugz_VomfHYfQblKvdkV4AaABCQ
The Cowden Family Murders (00:30:37)
"You know what we say about camping in the '70s!"-Branden, Derric, and Ro (3AM Mystery Club)
Richard and Belinda Cowden, a married couple with two very young children go camping in the woods in 1974 and were never seen alive again.
What happened on that fateful camping trip? Were they the victims of a crime of opportunity or a serial predator? Join us as Branden dissects, The Cowden Family Murders.
Sources:
Rule, Ann (2009) But I Trusted You, and Other Case Files. New York: Simon and Schuster
https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/true-crime-in-the-outdoors/the-cowden-family-massacre
https://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/little-dwaine.htm
https://kobi5.com/news/unsolved-so-oregon-mystery-in-the-woods-pt-2-135405/
https://img0.newspapers.com/clip/44577179/dwaine-little-suspect-in-cowden-family/
Ben McDaniel (00:41:01)
In 2010, experienced diver Ben McDaniel's truck was found parked in the lot of dive park Vortex Spring near Ponce de Leon, Florida. Ben was no where to be found and remains missing to this day. Did Ben venture too far into his dangerous dive or did something more sinister happen? Ben's love of the water and diving has some people believing the latter, while police have always leaned more toward the former. Listen as Derric tells the story of 30-year-old Ben McDaniel, and as we discuss what we think could have happened.
Sources:
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2011/04/17/beyond-the-last-restriction/
Disappeared: The Vortex. Season 5, Episode 11
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Ben_McDaniel
The Rainbow Murders (of Pocahontas County, WV) (00:37:48)
June 25, 1980 the bodies of two women were found haphazardly disposed of in a clearing at a West Virginia State Park. Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero were hitchhiking across the United States from Iowa to the lush Greenbrier River Valley in the mountains of West Virginia to attend the annual Rainbow Coalition Festival. A weeklong celebration of fellowship and music intended to bring people together and promote world peace. Unfortunately for these two women, the mystery of who killed them would drag on for decades. Join us as 'Ro presents The Rainbow Murders.
Sources:
Youtube.com, The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia- Emily Copely Eisenberg
AETV.com The Unsolved Rainbow Murders: What Happened To Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero, Crystal Ponti, 2020
http://stevenhager.net/2018/07/01/the-rainbow-murders/, The Rainbow Murders, Steven Hager, 2018
NPR.org, The Third Rainbow Girl, Maureen Corrigan, 2020
The Erdington Murders (00:21:35)
In the early morning hours of May 27, in a quaint suburb in Birmingham, England two young women are found murdered. The murders are so similar, one wonders if the culprit is the same person on a spree. The catch- These murders took place 157 years apart. Join us as Branden takes us across the pond to discuss The Erdington Murders.
Sources
https://the-line-up.com/erdington-murders-coincidences
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-eerie-coincidences-of_b_8682392
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/12/05/two-eerily-similar-murders-157-years-apart/76829428/
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/from-the-archives-chilling-similarities-of-the-murders-of-two-117606
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/family-murdered-barbara-forrest-demand-187122
Georgia Tann (00:26:26)
Heralded as "The Mother of Adoption", Georgia Tann used her status as a wealthy and college-educated socialite in the early to mid-twentieth century socialite to champion the cause of orphaned children in the United States. Helping famous clients such as Joan Crawford, adopt children publicly removed the stigma that had previously surrounded adoption, Tann even advised former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt on children's issues.
It wasn't until 1950 that "The Mother of Adoption" was exposed for the monster that she was. Join us as Ro' presents, "Georgia Tann and the Stolen Babies of Tennessee."
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Tann
https://www.insider.com/georgia-tann-tennessee-children-home-society-survivors-speak-out-2019-12
Unsolved Mysteries Dec 13, 1989 Season 2, Episode 11
Deadly Women Sept 12, 2018 Episode: Above The Law
The Baby Thief by Barbara Bisantz Raymond (5-Aug-2013) Paperback. John Blake Publishing (5 Aug. 2013), 2021.
