Historical True Crime
Step into the shadows of the past with "Historical True Crime," the podcast that takes you on a gripping journey through some of history's most captivating and chilling criminal stories. Each episode is a meticulously researched exploration into the depths of history, where true crime meets the intriguing backdrop of different eras. From legendary criminals and unsolved mysteries to the groundbreaking investigations that shaped the course of justice, our narratives paint a vivid picture of the darker side of humanity throughout time.
Episodes
Secrets at the Seaside: The Rattenbury Murder Case
In 1935, the seaside calm of Bournemouth was shattered by scandal, betrayal, and murder. Alma Rattenbury — a once-celebrated musician — and her teenage lover GeorgeStoner stood accused in a case that gripped Britain with its mix of passion,…
The Campden Wonder: Murder, Pirates, and a Ghost Returned
In 1660, the quiet Cotswold town of Chipping Campden was shaken by the disappearance of its elderly steward, William Harrison. Within months, three members of the Perry family were convicted and hanged for his murder — without a body ever b…
Forbidden Love, Fatal End: Alice Mitchell & Freda Ward
In 1892 Memphis, a secret romance between two young women unraveled in tragedy. This episode traces the story of Alice Mitchell and Freda Ward — from their plannedelopement to a public murder and a sensational trial — and examines how their…
The Tichborne Case: Shipwreck, Imposture, and Scandal
When a young English aristocrat vanished at sea in 1854, his family mourned—except for his mother, who refused to believe he was dead. More than a decade later, a butcher from Australia claimed to be the long-lost heir. What followed was on…
The Sex Beast: Jazz, Murder, and Melvin Rees
A charming jazz musician with a philosophical streak. A series of brutal, seemingly unrelated murders. In this episode, we uncover the disturbing double life of Melvin Rees—known to the press as "The Sex Beast"—and the investigation that ne…
Curses, Powwowing, and Murder: The Hex Hollow Case
In 1928, deep in Pennsylvania’s Hex Hollow, three men believed they were cursed by a local powwow doctor – a folk healer named Nelson Rehmeyer. What followed blurred the line between old-world magic and modern crime, ending in murder, a sen…
The Abode of Love: A Victorian Sex Cult
A Victorian cult of love, prophecy, and scandal. When Henry James Prince declared himself divine, he founded a religious sect that promised salvation—but delivered something far stranger. Decades later, a new messiah would rise. Thisis the …
Secrets and Silence: William Morgan and the Freemasons
 When William Morgan vanished in 1826, he left behind a manuscript—and a firestorm. This episode explores the man who took on the Freemasons, the mystery of his disappearance, and how his fate sparked America’s first third party.Source Mate…
Ten Days in a Mad-House: The Nellie Bly Investigation
In 1887, journalist Nellie Bly faked insanity to go undercover inside a New York asylum. What she witnessed—neglect, cruelty, and systemic abuse—became one of the most powerful exposés of the 19th century. This week, we dive into her daring…
George Chapman: Poisoner or Jack the Ripper
George Chapman was a serial poisoner who murdered three of his wives — but some believe his crimes began years earlier as the infamous Jack the Ripper. In this episode, we explore Chapman's life, his shocking crimes, and the lingeringtheory…
Death in the El Palacio: The Unsolved Case of Georgette Bauerdorf
When 20-year-old Georgette Bauerdorf was found murdered in her Los Angeles apartment in 1944, the city was left stunned—and full of questions. Was the killer a soldier she met at the Hollywood Canteen? A stranger lying in wait? Or someone s…
Netta Fornario: Death on the Faery Hill
In 1929, occultist Netta Fornario was found dead on the sacred island of Iona under eerie and unexplained circumstances. Was her death the result of exposure, a psychic attack, or something even stranger? Join us as we unravel the haunting …
Mayerling: Death of a Crown Prince
In 1889, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and 17-year-old Baroness Maria Vetsera were found dead in a remote hunting lodge—an apparent lovers’ suicide that shocked the world. But was it really a tragic romance… or something far more sinister?…
The Girl in the Basement: The Murder of Sylvia Likens
A teenager tortured to death. A mother who claimed insanity. Children who became accomplices. This episode tells the whole chilling story of Sylvia Likens—and what happened after the headlines faded.Source MaterialsDean, John (2008). House …
The Deadly Exorcism of Anneliese Michel
In 1976, a young German woman died after nearly a year of exorcisms. What followed was one of the most controversialtrials in modern religious history. This episode explores the haunting case of Anneliese Michel—a tragic intersection of fai…
The Tragic Tale of Sweet Fanny Adams
In 1867, the quiet village of Alton, England was shattered by the horrific murder of eight-year-old Fanny Adams—an act so brutal it shocked Victorian society and left a disturbing legacy. In this episode, we explore the events of that summe…
Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?
In this episode, we dive into the mysterious case of Bella, whose body was discovered in a wych elm tree in Hagley Wood in 1941. With theories ranging from espionage to witchcraft, we explore the chilling details, the ongoingintrigue surrou…
The Locked Room Puzzle: The Unsolved Murder of Julia Wallace
In 1931, a Liverpool insurance agent returned home to find his wife savagely murdered—and himself at the center of one of Britain’s most baffling murder mysteries. With an airtight alibi, a fake appointment, and no clear motive, the case of…
The Alligator Man Murders
In 1930s Texas, Joe Ball was just another bootlegger-turned-barkeep—until the women around him started disappearing. With a backyard alligator pit, a string of missing waitresses, and a pistol always close at hand, Joe’s story blurs the lin…
Brothel Murder: The Helen Jewett Case
In April 1836, 23-year-old courtesan Helen Jewett was found murdered in a New York City brothel. The prime suspect, Richard P. Robinson, was acquitted despite strong evidence. The case became a media sensation, highlighting the power of pre…
The Black Donnellys: A Family Marked for Murder
On February 4, 1880, the quiet town of Biddulph, Ontario, erupted into chaos as a mob set fire to a farmhouse,slaughtering the notorious Donnelly family in a brutal act of frontier justice. In this episode, we uncover the truth behind one o…
Marion Parker: A Ransom with No Mercy
In 1927, 12-year-old Marion Parker was kidnapped in Los Angeles by William Edward Hickman, who demanded ransom from her father. But even after he was paid, Hickman had no intention of letting her go. This shocking case gripped the nation an…
Blood in the Stacks: The Murder of Betsy Aardsma
The brutal 1969 murder of 22-year-old Betsy Aardsma inside Penn State’s Library remains unsolved over 50 years later. With no witnesses, few clues, and a crime scene wiped clean, investigators were left with more questions than answers. Who…
Bela Kiss: The Butcher of Cinkota
A charming Hungarian bachelor lured women through lonely hearts ads—then made them disappear. When authorities uncovered his gruesome secret, Kiss had already vanished. Sightings spanned decades and continents, but he was nevercaught. Did h…
The Crime Behind An American Tragedy: The Murder of Grace Brown
A tragic love affair ends in murder at Big Moose Lake. The case of Chester Gillette and Grace Brown inspired one of America’s greatest novels, An American Tragedy, and multiple film adaptations. But what really happened that fateful night? …
Murder in Paradise: Sir Harry Oakes
When billionaire gold magnate Sir Harry Oakes was foundmurdered in his Bahamas estate in 1943, the crime shocked the world. With ties to high society, organized crime, and political power, his brutal death remains one of history’s greatest …
The Sodder Family's Lost Children
On Christmas Eve 1945, a fire destroyed the Sodder home, and five children went missing. No remains were found, sparking suspicions of kidnapping. Despite years of investigations and mysterious clues, the case remains unsolved, haunting the…
Thelma Todd: Hollywood’s Ice Cream Blonde and Her Mysterious Death
Hollywood starlet Thelma Todd was a comedic genius, a savvy businesswoman, and a rising star—until she was found dead in her car under suspicious circumstances. Was it an accident, suicide, or something more sinister? Decades later, her cas…
Vanished Without a Trace: The Flannan Isles Mystery
Three lighthouse keepers vanish without a trace from aremote Scottish island in 1900. No bodies, no witnesses—only eerie clues and wild speculation. Was it a freak wave, madness, or something more sinister? Dive into the mystery of the Flan…
The Bobby Dunbar Case: A Family, a Child, and a Decade of Doubt
In today’s episode, we explore the mysterious case of Bobby Dunbar, a young boy who disappeared in 1912 and was later found—but was he really Bobby? DNA tests decades later revealed shocking truths about his identity, unraveling a story of …
The Devil's Whisper: The Loudun Possessions
In 1632, the town of Loudun, France, was rocked by the possession of nuns at a local convent. Accusations of witchcraft targeted Urbain Grandier, a priest caught in a web of politics, religion, and hysteria. In this episode, we explore the …
Alice Crimmins: A Mother’s Trial by Fire
In this episode, we unravel the infamous case of Alice Crimmins, a mother at the center of one of the most controversial true crime trials of the 1960s. Accused of murdering her two young children, Alice’s story became a media spectacle, fu…
The Cold Spring Murders
In this episode, we explore the chilling Cold Spring murders, a case that baffled the public and led to a series of dramatic trials. Nancy Clem, William Abrams, and Silas Hartman were arrested in connection with the brutal killings of the Y…
Typhoid Mary: A Cook’s Deadly Secret
In this episode, we explore the fascinating and tragic story of Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary. As the first identified asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever in the United States, Mallon unknowingly spread the deadly bacteria to …
The Forgotten Tragedy of the Cigar Girl
Join us as we unravel the tragic and mysterious case of Mary Cecilia Rogers, the 19th-century "Cigar Girl" whose beauty captivated New York City and whose death sparked a media frenzy. From her rise as a local icon to the chilling discovery…
Frontier Justice: The Mystery of the Mad Trapper
In January 1932, the icy wilderness of Canada’s Yukon Territory became the stage for an extraordinary manhunt. Known as the “Mad Trapper of Rat River,” Albert Johnson eluded law enforcement for weeks, battling the elements and evading capt…
Chicago’s Unsolved Tragedy: The Grimes Sisters Case
In this episode, we explore the tragic and mysterious case of Barbara and Patricia Grimes, two sisters from Chicago who vanished in December 1956. Their disappearance sparked a massive search that culminated in the discovery of their bodies…
Anatomy of a Murder: The Webster-Parkman Trial
In this episode, we dive into the infamous 1850 trial of Dr. John White Webster, a Harvard professor accused of murdering fellow doctor George Parkman. We explore the high-profile case, the groundbreaking forensic evidence presented in cour…
The Red Barn Murder: A Tale of Love, Lies, and Death
In this episode, we dive into the infamous Red Barn Murder of 1828, exploring the tragic tale of Maria Marten and her lover William Corder. Source Materials: https://headstuff.org/culture/history/william-corder-red-barn-killer/ https://th…
The Little Rascals Curse: The Death of Carl Switzer
In this episode, we explore the tragic death of Carl Switzer, best known as Alfalfa from The Little Rascals, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his shooting in 1959. We also look at the untimely deaths of other cast members, rai…