Serial killers. Gangsters. Gunslingers. Victorian-era murderers. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each week, the Most Notorious podcast features true-lif...
378: The Murder of "Elvis Girl" Jenny Maxwell w/ Buddy Moorehouse
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jenny Maxwell was one of Hollywood's "it girls", appearing in countless television shows and films. Arguably her most memorable role was that of Ellie Corbett in Elvis Presley's 1961 movie "Blue Hawaii", where she stole every scene she was in. But despite her professional success, her personal life was a mess, much of it due to alcohol, drugs and wild Hollywood parties. By 1981 she was seeking a divorce from her second husband (mob lawyer Tip Roeder) when they were both gunned down outside her condo in Beverly Hills.
My guest Buddy Moorehouse, author of "Murder of an Elvis Girl: Solving the Jenny Maxwell Case", has a family connection to this case. His mother was first cousins with Jenny, and solving the mystery of her death was of personal importance to him. He joins me to talk about Jenny and his investigation into her murder almost 40 years after that fateful day.
More about the Buddy and his book on his FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063693114310
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1:16:57
377: The Murder of Anna Wilkens & The Birth of the Lie Detector w/ Amit Katwala
Late one evening in the summer of 1922, Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife's blood. But was he a grieving husband or a ruthless killer who conspired with bandits to have her murdered? To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman's touch. John Larson, Gus Vollmer, and Leonarde Keeler hoped the lie detector would make the justice system fairer, but the flawed device soon grew too powerful for them to control. It poisoned their lives, turned fast friends into bitter enemies, and, as it conquered America and the world, transformed our relationship with the truth in ways that are still being felt.
My guest today is Amit Katwala, writer and editor for Wired in London. His book is called "Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector."
More about the author here at his website: https://www.amitkatwala.co.uk/
The author's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/amitkatwala
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On February 8, 1911, the Scott Mausoleum, a symbol of wealth for the Scott and Strong families in Erie, Pennsylvania, was desecrated by unknown vandals, coined by nationwide papers as ghouls. With the inside of the mausoleum heavily damaged - and a body missing - the crime set off shockwaves throughout the country during a time in which grave robbery, extortion and murder reigned supreme.
Hundreds of reporters and newspaper correspondents throughout the country and world descend upon the Great Lakes port city. Private Detectives from the Perkins Detective Agency in Pittsburgh took charge of the case, pitted against rival detectives from the famous Burns Detective Agency. The case took a sinister turn when a series of letters were sent to wealthy local philanthropist Charles Hamot Strong, threatening to blow up his mausoleum and murder his granddaughter.
My guest Justin Dombrowski is the author of "Erie's Great Mausoleum Mystery: Ghouls, Grave Robbers & Extortion".
The author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ErieTrueCrime
Purchase the book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Eries-Great-Mausoleum-Mystery-Extortion/dp/1467156612
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56:34
375: The Murder of Virginia Olson w/ Brian & Cameron Santana
On April 15, 1973, the body of Virginia Olson was discovered near the campus of the University of North Carolina-Asheville in an area known as the Botanical Gardens. She had been raped and stabbed to death in horrifically brutal fashion. Police would investigate this crime for decades, and even hone in one one particular suspect, but it still remains unsolved today.
My guests are brothers Brian Santana, a professor, and Cameron Santana, a police officer. They combined their skills and experience to write "A MURDER ON CAMPUS: The Professor, The Cop, And North Carolina's Most Notorious Cold Case". In our interview they walk us through the case, share some of their research challenges, and discuss a number of possible suspects, including a well-known serial killer living in the area at the time.
A link to the authors' page through WildBlue Press: https://wildbluepress.com/murder-on-campus-true-crime-santana/
X/Twitter for Brian: https://x.com/bsantana84729?s=21
The brothers' joint Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/santanabrotherstruecrime/profilecard/?igsh=MWZhN2J6aDZrZTgydQ%3D%3D
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1:25:10
American Criminal: John Gotti - Making a Man
This is the first episode of Airship's new series about John Gotti on their American Criminal podcast.
"Living in poverty as a young kid, John Gotti takes up mafia work very early on. He knows that the Gambino family is his ticket out, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to climb the ranks. Even if it means killing a guy."
For more information about the podcast visit Airship's American Criminal website: https://www.americancriminal.com/ and listen to the rest of the series by subscribing to American Criminal on your favorite podcast listening platform.
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About Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast
Serial killers. Gangsters. Gunslingers. Victorian-era murderers. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each week, the Most Notorious podcast features true-life tales of crime, criminals, tragedies and disasters throughout history. Host Erik Rivenes interviews authors and historians who have studied their subjects for years. Their stories are offered with unique insight, detail, and historical accuracy.