Crime To Burn

Episode 105 In rural Accomack County, structure fires are rare—maybe a handful a year across an entire district. So when six fires break out in less than 30 hours, investigators know immediately: this isn’t coincidence. It’s arson. What follows is one of the most baffling serial arson cases to ever hit Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Over five months, 87 fires tear through a tight-knit community of just 33,000 people—stretching volunteer fire departments to their limits and leaving investigators with little more than ash to work with. But what makes this case truly unsettling isn’t just the scale—it’s the motive. There’s no money. No revenge. No attempt to cover up another crime. The fires target abandoned buildings, offering no clear benefit to the person setting them. And the suspects? They don’t fit the profile. They’re not outsiders. Not isolated. Not young thrill-seekers. They’re a couple. In this episode, we break down how a quiet rural county became the center of a serial arson spree, what investigators look for when fire scene evidence is all but destroyed, and why cases driven by psychological motives—like pyromania—are some of the hardest to solve. Because when there’s no clear reason… there’s often no clear path to a suspect. And when someone sets six fires in 30 hours— they’re not finished. Buy Monica Hesse's amazing book on this case: American Fire: Love, Arson and Life in a Vanishing Land here: https://a.co/d/0609yUqG The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  SOURCES: Hesse, Monica. American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land. Liveright Publishing, 2017. Johnson, R. Scott, M.D., J.D., LL.M., and Elisabeth Netherton, M.D. “Fire Setting and the Impulse-Control Disorder of Pyromania.” American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal, Vol. 11, No. 7, April 2017. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2016.110707 Eastern Shore of Virginia 9-1-1 Commission. 2022 Annual Report. “Burning Down Accomack – 10 Years Later.” WBOC Delmarva’s News Leader. https://www.wboc.com/news/watch-burning-down-accomack---10-years-later/video_0aa43587-4fdc-5678-96d2-ce9eb85d62e2.html “Second Accomack Arsonist Tonya Bundick’s Prison Sentence Ends.” Curtis, Sean. WBOC Delmarva’s News Leader, September 24, 2025. https://www.wboc.com/news/second-accomack-arsonist-tonya-bundick-s-prison-sentence-ends/article_62e90020-318e-475a-9ae9-a3e8d90557c6.html “Accomack Arsonist Charles Smith to Be Released from Prison Tuesday.” WBOC Delmarva’s News Leader, October 31, 2023. https://www.wboc.com/news/accomack-arsonist-charles-smith-to-be-released-from-prison-tuesday/article_3f047cee-7825-11ee-8c0b-b3dda31728b0.html Cohen, Stefanie. “How a Man’s Sexual Performance Led to a Massive Arson Spree.” New York Post, August 5, 2017. https://nypost.com/2017/08/05/how-a-mans-sexual-performance-led-to-a-massive-arson-spree/ Vaughn, Carol. “Serial Arsonist Told Cops Fires an Act of Love.” The Salisbury Daily Times, via Delaware Online. https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/crime/1/01/01/serial-arsonist-told-cops-fires-an-act-of-love/3476357/ “The Arsonist Was Like a Ghost.” Longreads, August 2, 2017. https://longreads.com/2017/08/02/the-arsonist-was-like-a-ghost/ “Were There Any Copycats During the Eastern Shore Arson Spree?” WTVR News 3, April 11, 2014. https://www.wtkr.com/2014/04/11/were-there-any-copycats-during-eastern-shore-arson-spree Delmarva Public Media (Don Rush) “Charles Smith Gets 15 Years for Accomack County Fires.” April 24, 2015. “Bundick Enters Alford Plea to Virginia Eastern Shore Fires.” April 21, 2015. “Bundick Faces Third Trial for Accomack County Fires.” December 4, 2014. “Tonya Bundick Gets Over 10 Years in Prison for Arson.” September 4, 2014. “Bundick to Be Sentenced in Eastern Shore Arson Spree.” September 4, 2014. “No New Court-Appointed Attorney for Tonya Bundick.” August 22, 2014. “Tonya Bundick Convicted of Arson in Second Trial.” July 16, 2014. “Bundick Trial Begins, Has New Relationship.” July 15, 2014. “Arson Trial for Bundick Begins Today.” July 14, 2014. “Other Fires Could Be Mentioned in Bundick Arson Trial.” June 17, 2014. “Bundick Could Get 62 Separate Arson Trials.” April 29, 2014. “Arson Trial for Tonya Bundick Will Be Moved to Virginia Beach.” April 11, 2014. “Tonya Bundick Trial Delayed.” February 21, 2014. “Tonya Bundick Pleads Guilty in Accomack Arson Trial.” January 14, 2014. “Bundick’s Fiancé Testifies at Arson Trial.” January 14, 2014. “New Details from Indictment in Accomack County Arsons.” December 5, 2013.

Episode 104 Survivor Stories: An Interview with Shawn Simons & Alvaro Llanos In this special Survivor Stories episode, we step away from case analysis and into lived experience. We’re joined by Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, two survivors of the Seton Hall University dorm fire—a tragedy that claimed three lives and forever changed many others. This is not a retelling of the case. This is what it was like to be there. Shawn and Alvaro share their memories from that night, the moments leading up to the fire, the chaos that followed, and the long road of recovery in the years since. Their story is one of survival, resilience, and the lasting impact of a fire that should never have happened. In the years since, they have dedicated themselves to advocacy—sharing their story to promote fire safety awareness, encourage resilience, and help prevent tragedies like this from happening again. Through their outreach efforts, they’ve worked to improve fire safety on college campuses and ensure that the lessons from Seton Hall are not forgotten. Out of respect for our guests and the weight of their experience, this episode is presented without mid-roll interruptions. We’re honored to share their voices with you. Follow Shawn and Alvaro on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alvaroandshawn/ Book Shawn and Alvaro to speak or hear more about their story: https://www.alandshawn.com/ Find the book of Shawn and Alvaro's experience and recovery on their website or purchase on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0hnK67Ae The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet. 

Episode 103 Across Massachusetts, a series of fires began targeting places tied to faith and patriotism — Protestant churches, American Legion halls, and other community institutions closely associated with “God and country.” From the beginning, investigators knew they were dealing with arson. At scene after scene, the same method appeared: windows smashed to gain entry, gasoline used as an accelerant, and fires intentionally set inside the buildings. The pattern was obvious, but proving the same person was responsible for all of them was another matter entirely. For a long time, investigators had little more than the method of operation linking the fires together. Then the suspect made a mistake. At one scene, a hammer was left behind — a small piece of evidence that investigators were able to connect to another fire through forensic analysis. It was the first physical link tying two of the crimes together. But even then, most of the fires remained connected only by pattern, timing, and method. The investigation would continue until the suspect was finally caught in the act, bringing an end to a string of arsons that had targeted both houses of worship and patriotic institutions across the state. In this episode of Crime to Burn, we break down the investigation, the forensic evidence, and how investigators ultimately stopped a serial firestarter. Buy Burn Boston Burn by Wayne M. Miller: https://a.co/d/ipCuGL2 Buy Bang Boom Burn by Wayne M. Miller: https://a.co/d/a2EACYf The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  SOURCES: Miller, Wayne M. Bang Boom Burn: Explosive True Crime Gun, Bombing, and Arson Cases from a Federal Agent’s Career. AuthorHouse, 2021. ISBN 978-1-7333403-5-9. Hardiman, Thomas, et al. Dr. Thomas Hardiman, Affiliated Foot Care, PC, Plaintiffs, v. United States of America, Defendant. Available at: https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914f558add7b0493498a0b6 Kocsis, R. N. (2004). Psychological Profiling of Serial Arson Offenses: An Assessment of Skills and Accuracy. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 31(3), 341–361. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854803262586 Patriot Ledger Staff. (2010, October 6). Prosecutor: Plymouth arsonist wanted to go back to jail. The Patriot Ledger. https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2010/10/06/prosecutor-plymouth-arsonist-wanted-to/40167801007/

Episode 102 In the conclusion of our coverage of the Seton Hall University dorm fire, we return to January of 2000, when flames broke out inside Boland Hall, trapping students behind smoke-filled corridors and turning a college residence hall into the scene of one of the most devastating campus fires in recent memory. In this episode, we walk through the fire investigation itself—how investigators began piecing together what happened that night and why, despite the lack of clear physical evidence, they quickly suspected the fire had been intentionally set. We examine the subtle clues that pointed investigators toward arson, from burn patterns and witness accounts to inconsistencies in the early explanations coming from students who had been in the building that night. But the investigation quickly ran into a wall. Witnesses began clamming up, stories changed, and the tight-knit social circles inside the dorm made it difficult for investigators to get reliable information about what had really happened in the lounge where the fire began. As the case stalled, law enforcement took increasingly aggressive steps to move the investigation forward, including compelling testimony through a grand jury in an effort to break through the silence. Eventually, an unexpected development helped investigators finally connect the dots: the involvement of a notorious mafia hitman who had information that helped push the investigation toward indictments. Those indictments would ultimately reach beyond the two students accused of setting the fire. Prosecutors also charged members of one suspect’s family with witness tampering, alleging attempts to interfere with the investigation as authorities worked to determine who was responsible for the fire that night. In the final chapter of this story, we examine how the investigation unfolded, how the case was built despite limited physical evidence, and how the legal consequences spread far beyond the two young men accused of starting the fire. Purchase the book After The Fire that we sourced for this episode here: https://a.co/d/08OUjIBm or watch the documentary on Tubi. The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  SOURCES: After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival (Robin Gaby Fisher) • Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Company • 2008 (paperback ed. 2010) After the Fire: A True Story of Heroes & Cowards (dir. Guido Verweyen) • Documentary • 2013 • Featuring Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos “Suits filed in Seton Hall dorm fire” • Arizona Daily Sun • Jan 19, 2002 https://azdailysun.com/suits-filed-in-seton-hall-dorm-fire/article_46018ce6-ff78-5daa-b309-879a91f2501e.html “Experts for defense fault Seton Hall in fatal dorm fire” • Chicago Tribune • Aug 18, 2006 (updated Aug 21, 2021) https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/08/18/experts-for-defense-fault-seton-hall-in-fatal-dorm-fire/ “University community reflects 25 years after the Boland Hall fire” (Thomas Canela) • The Setonian • Feb 27, 2025 https://www.thesetonian.com/article/2025/02/25-years-after-boland-fire “Parole denied for 2 who set Seton Hall dorm fire that killed 3 students in 2000” (David Porter, AP) • tucson.com • Apr 1, 2008 https://tucson.com/news/national/article_ddddebb6-d3b8-554c-85fb-0aa0e6cf0c12.html “After the fire: Seton Hall students tell story” (Greg Watry) • New Jersey Herald • Apr 22, 2015 (updated Apr 25, 2015) https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2015/04/23/after-fire-seton-hall-students/4043405007/ “Seton Hall Arsonists Get 5 Years” • CBS News • Jan 26, 2007 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/seton-hall-arsonists-get-5-years/ “Three Die in Dormitory Fire at Seton Hall University” (John J. Goldman) • Los Angeles Times • Jan 20, 2000 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jan-20-mn-55831-story.html “Seton Hall Dorm Arsonist Out on Parole” (Tamara Vostok) • NBC Philadelphia • May 6, 2009 https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/seton-hall-dorm-arsonist/1881069/ “2 Students Charged with Setting Fatal Dorm Fire 3 Years Ago at Seton Hall U.” (Jeffrey R. Young) • The Chronicle of Higher Education • Jun 13, 2003 https://www.chronicle.com/article/2-students-charged-with-setting-fatal-dorm-fire-3-years-ago-at-seton-hall-u/ “Police stage alcohol raid in dorm-fire investigation” • Orlando Sentinel • Feb 21, 2000 (updated Oct 27, 2018) https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2000/02/21/police-stage-alcohol-raid-in-dorm-fire-investigation/ “Seton Hall dorm arsonist gets parole” (Bryan T. Murray / The Star-Ledger) • nj.com • Mar 25, 2009 https://www.nj.com/news/2009/03/seton_hall_dorm_arsonist_gets.html “Students charged years after dorm fire” • Tampa Bay Times • Jun 13, 2003 (updated Sept 1, 2005) https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/06/13/students-charged-years-after-dorm-fire/ “Murder Charges In Deadly Dorm Fire” (Dan Collins) • CBS News • Jun 13, 2003 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/murder-charges-in-deadly-dorm-fire/ “Students go on trial for killer dorm fire” (Emanuella Grinberg / Court TV) • CNN • Nov 14, 2006 https://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/11/14/student.arson/ “Grand Jury Misconduct Alleged in Seton Hall Dorm Fire Prosecution” • law.com • May 23, 2005 https://www.law.com/article/almID/900005429568/?slreturn=20260222213434 “3 Seton Hall Funerals Held” • CBS News • Jan 19, 2000 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/3-seton-hall-funerals-held/

Episode 101 On January 19, 2000, a fire broke out in a third-floor lounge inside Boland Hall at Seton Hall University. Within minutes, thick smoke filled the hallway. Students pounded on doors. Some thought it was a false alarm. Others ran. Three students would not survive. In Part 1, we focus on the night of the fire — what happened, how it unfolded, and why conditions became so deadly so quickly. We discuss: The timeline of events as students began to realize something was wrong The rapid buildup of smoke on the third floor The confusion and delays during evacuation And how the building’s concrete construction trapped heat and intensified conditions inside Three young lives were lost in a matter of minutes. Part 1 centers on the human experience — the chaos, the survival decisions, and the early rumors that began circulating almost immediately. In Part 2, we’ll examine the investigation, the forensic findings, and the legal aftermath that would divide a campus and raise lasting questions about accountability. Because sometimes the story of a fire isn’t just about ignition. It's about what happens after the flames are out.  Purchase the book After The Fire that we sourced for this episode here: https://a.co/d/08OUjIBm or watch the documentary on Tubi. The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  SOURCES: After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival (Robin Gaby Fisher) • Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Company • 2008 (paperback ed. 2010) After the Fire: A True Story of Heroes & Cowards (dir. Guido Verweyen) • Documentary • 2013 • Featuring Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos “Suits filed in Seton Hall dorm fire” • Arizona Daily Sun • Jan 19, 2002 https://azdailysun.com/suits-filed-in-seton-hall-dorm-fire/article_46018ce6-ff78-5daa-b309-879a91f2501e.html “Experts for defense fault Seton Hall in fatal dorm fire” • Chicago Tribune • Aug 18, 2006 (updated Aug 21, 2021) https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/08/18/experts-for-defense-fault-seton-hall-in-fatal-dorm-fire/ “University community reflects 25 years after the Boland Hall fire” (Thomas Canela) • The Setonian • Feb 27, 2025 https://www.thesetonian.com/article/2025/02/25-years-after-boland-fire “Parole denied for 2 who set Seton Hall dorm fire that killed 3 students in 2000” (David Porter, AP) • tucson.com • Apr 1, 2008 https://tucson.com/news/national/article_ddddebb6-d3b8-554c-85fb-0aa0e6cf0c12.html “After the fire: Seton Hall students tell story” (Greg Watry) • New Jersey Herald • Apr 22, 2015 (updated Apr 25, 2015) https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2015/04/23/after-fire-seton-hall-students/4043405007/ “Seton Hall Arsonists Get 5 Years” • CBS News • Jan 26, 2007 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/seton-hall-arsonists-get-5-years/ “Three Die in Dormitory Fire at Seton Hall University” (John J. Goldman) • Los Angeles Times • Jan 20, 2000 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jan-20-mn-55831-story.html “Seton Hall Dorm Arsonist Out on Parole” (Tamara Vostok) • NBC Philadelphia • May 6, 2009 https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/seton-hall-dorm-arsonist/1881069/ “2 Students Charged with Setting Fatal Dorm Fire 3 Years Ago at Seton Hall U.” (Jeffrey R. Young) • The Chronicle of Higher Education • Jun 13, 2003 https://www.chronicle.com/article/2-students-charged-with-setting-fatal-dorm-fire-3-years-ago-at-seton-hall-u/ “Police stage alcohol raid in dorm-fire investigation” • Orlando Sentinel • Feb 21, 2000 (updated Oct 27, 2018) https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2000/02/21/police-stage-alcohol-raid-in-dorm-fire-investigation/ “Seton Hall dorm arsonist gets parole” (Bryan T. Murray / The Star-Ledger) • nj.com • Mar 25, 2009 https://www.nj.com/news/2009/03/seton_hall_dorm_arsonist_gets.html “Students charged years after dorm fire” • Tampa Bay Times • Jun 13, 2003 (updated Sept 1, 2005) https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/06/13/students-charged-years-after-dorm-fire/ “Murder Charges In Deadly Dorm Fire” (Dan Collins) • CBS News • Jun 13, 2003 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/murder-charges-in-deadly-dorm-fire/ “Students go on trial for killer dorm fire” (Emanuella Grinberg / Court TV) • CNN • Nov 14, 2006 https://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/11/14/student.arson/ “Grand Jury Misconduct Alleged in Seton Hall Dorm Fire Prosecution” • law.com • May 23, 2005 https://www.law.com/article/almID/900005429568/?slreturn=20260222213434 “3 Seton Hall Funerals Held” • CBS News • Jan 19, 2000 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/3-seton-hall-funerals-held/

Episode 100 In Part 2 of Domestic Detonation, we move deeper into the investigation and unravel how a domestic violence case escalated into a coordinated bombing plot that nearly claimed multiple lives. As investigators began connecting the devices, forensic evidence and witness testimony painted a chilling picture of planning, coercion, and control — revealing just how far one person was willing to go to keep a partner from leaving. We explore the forensic evidence that helped build the case, including tool mark comparisons, and discuss the strengths and limitations of these techniques in the broader context of modern forensic science. We also walk through the critical moments that prevented additional bombs from being delivered, highlighting how coordination between investigators and rapid communication helped stop further attacks before they could occur. This case is a stark reminder of how domestic violence can escalate and how manipulation and coercive control can lead to extreme violence. Buy Burn Boston Burn by Wayne M. Miller: https://a.co/d/ipCuGL2 Buy Bang Boom Burn by Wayne M. Miller: https://a.co/d/a2EACYf The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Miller, Wayne M. Bang Boom Burn: Explosive True Crime Gun, Bombing, and Arson Cases from a Federal Agent’s Career. AuthorHouse, 2021. ISBN 978-1-7333403-5-9. Craig, Gary. “Christmas package bomber who killed 5 in New York dies in prison.” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Updated Nov. 14, 2024. “His mouth got him in trouble.” Associated Press, published in The Roanoke Times, Dec. 31, 1993 (Virginia Tech newspaper archive). United States of America v. Michael T. Stevens, 83 F.3d 60 (2d Cir. 1996). Justia. Van Biema, David. “Death on Delivery.” TIME. Jan. 10, 1994. “A Conviction in Case of 5 Deaths by Bombs.” The New York Times. Apr. 1, 1995. (Accessed via Murderpedia; direct link not captured.) “Jury Is Seated in Upstate Mail Bombing.” The New York Times. Mar. 7, 1995. (Accessed via Murderpedia; direct link not captured.) Van Gelder, Lawrence. “Plea Bargain in Mail Bombings That Killed 5 Upstate.” The New York Times. Feb. 9, 1995. (Accessed via Murderpedia; direct link not captured.) “How Detectives Caught the New York Serial Bomber.” Real Responders (YouTube). Posted Feb. 24, 2020. “N.Y. bombing plot may have taken shape as long as year ago.” Tampa Bay Times. Published Jan. 2, 1994; updated Oct. 6, 2005.

Episode 99 Some crimes are impulsive. This one wasn’t. In December 1993, six bombs were delivered across upstate New York in less than ninety minutes. Five people were killed. One survived by pure chance. Another device failed to detonate. And one bomb was unknowingly driven around the region in the back of a courier van before police could stop it. The victims weren’t politicians. They weren’t business rivals. They weren’t part of an organized crime war. They were a family. In this episode, we begin breaking down Domestic Detonation—a coordinated bombing campaign driven not by ideology or profit, but by control. According to investigators, the targets shared one connection: they were the support system of a woman trying to leave a volatile relationship. Part 1 focuses on the human story and the investigation: The victims and the nearly identical package bombs How investigators realized these attacks were connected Why one woman was spared while the rest of her family was targeted The early suspects—and why nothing was as simple as it first appeared The unsettling role of loyalty, manipulation, and obsession in escalating violence We’ll also introduce the two men at the center of the case—and the red flags investigators couldn’t ignore. In Part 2, we’ll shift into the forensic evidence: How investigators linked the bombs What the explosive components revealed The confession—and the questions surrounding it How forensic reconstruction unraveled the plot piece by piece Buy Burn Boston Burn by Wayne M. Miller: https://a.co/d/ipCuGL2 Buy Bang Boom Burn by Wayne M. Miller: https://a.co/d/a2EACYf The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Miller, Wayne M. Bang Boom Burn: Explosive True Crime Gun, Bombing, and Arson Cases from a Federal Agent’s Career. AuthorHouse, 2021. ISBN 978-1-7333403-5-9. Craig, Gary. “Christmas package bomber who killed 5 in New York dies in prison.” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Updated Nov. 14, 2024. “His mouth got him in trouble.” Associated Press, published in The Roanoke Times, Dec. 31, 1993 (Virginia Tech newspaper archive). United States of America v. Michael T. Stevens, 83 F.3d 60 (2d Cir. 1996). Justia. Van Biema, David. “Death on Delivery.” TIME. Jan. 10, 1994. “A Conviction in Case of 5 Deaths by Bombs.” The New York Times. Apr. 1, 1995. (Accessed via Murderpedia; direct link not captured.) “Jury Is Seated in Upstate Mail Bombing.” The New York Times. Mar. 7, 1995. (Accessed via Murderpedia; direct link not captured.) Van Gelder, Lawrence. “Plea Bargain in Mail Bombings That Killed 5 Upstate.” The New York Times. Feb. 9, 1995. (Accessed via Murderpedia; direct link not captured.) “How Detectives Caught the New York Serial Bomber.” Real Responders (YouTube). Posted Feb. 24, 2020. “N.Y. bombing plot may have taken shape as long as year ago.” Tampa Bay Times. Published Jan. 2, 1994; updated Oct. 6, 2005.

Episode 98 In 1999, Garland “Butch” Martin was convicted of killing his girlfriend, Marcia Poole, and her two young children, Brady and Kristin, and was sentenced on three counts of capital murder in Midland, Texas. The State told a compelling story: domestic abuse, accelerant-driven fire, pre-fire blunt force trauma, and motive. A jury believed it. Twenty-four years later, Butch Martin was exonerated. In Part Two of this two-part series, April breaks down what the jury didn’t hear: conflicting fire science, flawed forensic anthropology testimony, discarded physical evidence, and the physics of fire that contradict the State’s entire arson-murder theory. We examine the defense, the appellate process, modern NFPA-aligned fire investigation principles, and how the work of Dr. Gerald Hurst and John Lentini unraveled the narrative. Because before you can call something arson-murder, you have to prove arson — and in this case, there is zero credible evidence that this fire was intentionally set. In this episode we cover: The defense’s accidental fire theory Conflicting chemical analysis (Norpar & “deparaffinated kerosene”) What Dr. Gerald Hurst and John Lentini found years later Why NFPA 921 rejects “pour pattern” folklore The missing extension cord and freezer on the back porch 40 mph winds and the physics problem for the State’s origin theory Cerebral edema vs. “blunt force trauma” Anthropologist vs. medical examiner expertise boundaries The appellate court’s reasoning for exoneration How wrongful arson convictions keep happening When you strip away mythology and examine only evidence, this case collapses. Every credible data point points to an accidental fire — and an innocent man lost 24 years of his life. The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources: Please see the source list from Episode 97. 

Episode 97 In this first episode of our two-part series, we go to Midland, Texas, where a fatal house fire claimed the lives of Marcia Pool and two children, Brady and Kristin. In the aftermath, investigators concluded the blaze was intentionally set — and they pointed to one man: Butch Martin. The state built its theory around burn patterns, accelerant findings, eyewitness accounts, and interpretations of fire behavior that were considered reliable at the time, but would later come under scrutiny as fire folklore. Claims about liquid accelerants, pour patterns, and “arson indicators” formed the backbone of the prosecution’s case. In Part 1, we cover: The timeline leading up to the fire How investigators interpreted burn patterns and damage The prosecution’s theory of how and why the fire was set Eyewitness testimony that shaped the narrative The role accelerant testing played in the case This episode focuses on the fire itself and the state’s case. It sets the stage for a larger discussion about how outdated investigative practices — including the interpretation of burn patterns during flashover and the assumed meaning of “pour patterns” — contributed to arson convictions during this era. Next week in Part 2, we take a critical look at the defense, the evolution of modern fire science, and the post-conviction efforts that challenged the original findings. The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Texas Tech University — Fearless (S4 Episode 4) “Butch Martin and Allison Clayton | Part 1” (Published October 2, 2024) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW3ASCLIu9s Texas Tech University — Fearless (S4 Episode 5) “Butch Martin and Allison Clayton | Part 2” (Published October 9, 2024) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uH2sK2_10E Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng — Episode #339 “Maggie Freleng with Garland Leon ‘Butch’ Martin” (Published March 6, 2023) https://www.firstalert7.com/2024/05/23/midland-man-exonerated-after-23-years-prison/ International Network of Innocent Arson Defendants (NIAD). “Butch Martin.” https://www.niad.info/Butch_Martin.html “Judge Recommends Vacating Conviction for Midland Man Serving Life in Prison.” NewsWest9 (November 2, 2022). https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/judge-recommends-vacating-conviction-for-midland-man/513-81762bbe-303c-4289-b63d-6ad0a042f099 NewsWest9 (YouTube). “Friends of the late Marcia Pool recall alleged abuse from ‘Butch’ Martin.” (Posted May 23, 2022). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPvq0AMbsl4 “Beaumont Jury Finds Man Guilty of Pushing Painkillers.” Houston Chronicle (July 1, 2010). https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Beaumont-jury-finds-man-guilty-of-pushing-728398.php Ratemds.com. Physician Reviews for Dr. David Hobbit (reviews as recent as 2015). https://www.ratemds.com

Episode 96 On December 31, 1986, just hours before Puerto Rico would ring in the New Year, flames tore through the luxurious Dupont Plaza Hotel and Casino in San Juan. What began as a labor dispute escalated into one of the deadliest hotel fires in U.S. history, killing 97 people and injuring more than 140. In the aftermath, investigators would uncover arson, negligence, ignored safety recommendations, a chaotic evacuation, and a legal battle that reshaped fire codes across the hospitality industry. In this episode, we examine: The labor tensions and strike that set the stage for disaster The timeline of the fire and how it spread so rapidly How smoke and toxic gases became the primary killers Failures in life safety systems, egress, and emergency planning The investigation that quickly identified arson Criminal charges against arsonists Massive civil litigation and code reforms that followed Lessons learned in the context of other hotel/casino fires of the era The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Video & Documentary Sources Dupont Plaza Hotel Arson Investigation. Señor Onion’s Archives. YouTube, April 13, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JyUjUoX_so Dupont Plaza Hotel Arson of 1986. Señor Onion’s Archives. YouTube, October 21, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJsFLgxuDJ8 Government / Technical / Legal Reports Nelson, Harold E. “An Engineering Analysis of the Early Stages of Fire Development — The Fire at the Dupont Plaza Hotel and Casino — December 31, 1986.” NBSIR 87-3560, National Bureau of Standards, Center for Fire Research, U.S. Department of Commerce, April 1987. Levy, Harold M. “The Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire Litigation: A Case Study in Cooperative Defense.” Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation, Vol. 7, No. 12, December 1989, pp. 215–233. José Francisco Rivera-Lopez, Plaintiff, Appellant, v. United States of America, Defendant, Appellee. U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 4 F.3d 982, September 15, 1993. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/4/982/525384/ (Note: First Circuit Local Rule 36.2(b)6 — Unpublished opinions may be cited only in related cases.) News & Contemporary Coverage (1987) “Teamsters Dispute with Dupont Plaza Dates Back Four Months.” UPI Archives, January 13, 1987. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/01/13/Teamsters-dispute-with-Dupont-Plaza-dates-back-four-months/7070215305413/ Brossy, Julie. “A Dupont Plaza Bar Boy Was Charged Today With…” UPI Archives, January 14, 1987. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/01/14/A-Dupont-Plaza-bar-boy-was-charged-today-with/8362537598800/ Hernandez, Moises. “Suspect in Hotel Fire Was Honored for Saving ‘Many Lives.’” UPI Archives, January 14, 1987. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/01/14/Suspect-in-hotel-fire-was-honored-for-saving-many-lives/2708537598800/ Gaulin, Edward J. “Defendants Plead Guilty in Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire.” UPI Archives, April 24, 1987. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/04/24/Defendants-plead-guilty-in-Dupont-Plaza-Hotel-fire/8801546235200/ Wilentz, Amy. “A New Year We’ll Never Forget.” TIME, January 12, 1987. https://time.com/archive/6708028/a-new-year-well-never-forget/ Features, Retrospectives & Later Reporting Tepfer, Daniel. “A Vacation in Paradise Turns into Fiery Hell.” CTPost, Updated December 30, 2011. https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/a-vacation-in-paradise-turns-into-fiery-hell-2432149.php Reference / Encyclopedia & Summary Sources Dewey, Joseph. “Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire.” EBSCO Knowledge Advantage Research Starters, 2022. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/law/dupont-plaza-hotel-fire “Dupont Plaza Hotel Arson.” Grokipedia. https://grokipedia.com/page/Dupont_Plaza_Hotel_arson

Episode 95 In 1980, a seemingly unremarkable fire threatened to expose something far more dangerous than arson. What investigators uncovered was a trail that pointed toward an arms pipeline linked directly to the Irish Republican Army, operating quietly while The Troubles raged overseas. At the center of it all was Charles Galant—a small-time thief who never set out to be part of something so vast, but who became the sole link between a suspicious fire and an armory heist that tied someone in his network to the IRA. In this episode of Crime to Burn, we explore: The fire that first drew police attention How investigators connected a local blaze to an international arms network The role of theft, secrecy, and compartmentalization in terrorist operations How Galant’s actions exposed vulnerabilities inside a tightly controlled system And how one overlooked incident nearly unraveled an entire pipeline This is a story about unintended consequences, criminal blind spots, and how fire once again became the catalyst that revealed what was never meant to be seen. Because even the most disciplined organizations fail at their weakest link. Buy Burn Boston Burn by Wayne M. Miller: https://a.co/d/ipCuGL2 Buy Bang Boom Burn by Wayne M. Miller: https://a.co/d/a2EACYf The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Miller, Wayne M. Bang Boom Burn: Explosive True Crime Gun, Bombing, and Arson Cases from a Federal Agent’s Career. AuthorHouse, 2021. ISBN 978-1-7333403-5-9. Gagnon, Daniel A. “Danvers Armory Robbery, 1976.” Specters of Salem Village, March 17, 2019. https://spectersofsalemvillage.com/2019/03/17/danvers-armory-robbery-1976/ “Official Irish Republican Army.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Irish_Republican_Army “Frank Salemme.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Salemme  

Episode 94 In Part 2 of our series on the Iroquois Theatre Fire, we examine what happened after the flames went out — and why, despite hundreds of deaths, no one was ever held criminally accountable. Although the fire was accidental, the failures that made it lethal were anything but unforeseeable. In the aftermath, Chicago demanded answers. A coroner’s inquest, multiple grand juries, and a wave of indictments followed — implicating theater owners, city officials, inspectors, fire officials, and contractors. For a brief moment, it looked like accountability might finally arrive. But the law proved unequal to the scale of the tragedy. In this episode, we break down how rigid legal standards, gaps in evidence collection, political power struggles, and a failure to clearly assign responsibility allowed every criminal case to collapse. We explore why manslaughter charges failed, how loopholes in municipal authority undermined enforcement, and how even civil lawsuits left victims’ families without compensation. Finally, we look at what did change — the life safety reforms born from the Iroquois Theatre Fire that still protect us today, from outward-swinging exit doors to panic hardware and illuminated exit signs. This is the story of a tragedy that reshaped fire and building codes across the world — and a justice system that, when tested, quietly stepped aside. The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster, 1903 Hatch, Anthony P. Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster, 1903. Chicago, IL: Academy Chicago Publishers, 2003. Woodward, Frederic C., & Smith, Frank O. The Iroquois Theater Cases—A Flagrant Instance of the Law’s Delays. Illinois Law Review, Vol. 1 (1906–1907).

Episode 93 On December 30, 1903, Chicago gathered for a matinee performance at the Iroquois Theater—a venue that had opened just five weeks earlier and was widely promoted as one of the safest, most modern theaters in the country. It was advertised as “absolutely fireproof.” It was anything but. In this episode of Crime to Burn, we examine the Iroquois Theater Fire, one of the deadliest single-building fires in U.S. history—and a catastrophe that unfolded in minutes inside a brand-new building that had never been tested by an emergency evacuation. What began as a small stage fire rapidly escalated as design flaws, concealed exits, inadequate fire protection, and human panic collided. Patrons were funneled into dead ends, trapped behind locked or hidden doors, or forced toward fire escapes that had never been completed. Mothers and children were separated. Entire families were lost. Outside the theater, rescue attempts turned deadly as ladders slipped and fire escapes collapsed. In the aftermath, even identifying the dead became a challenge—there was no accurate way to know how many people had attended the performance or who had successfully escaped. The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster, 1903 Hatch, Anthony P. Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster, 1903. Chicago, IL: Academy Chicago Publishers, 2003.

Episode 92 In the conclusion of Samarcand, we turn away from the fire itself and examine what happened after sixteen teenage girls were arrested — and what the justice system did when it realized it had no good options left. With Samarcand no longer able to house them, the state faced a question it wasn’t prepared to answer: What do you do with traumatized, rebellious, and violently angry teenage girls the system has already failed? In this episode, we explore: The debate over how — or whether — the girls should be tried The real possibility of sending minors to adult penitentiaries The fear of releasing them back into the public And the consequences of incarcerating them in county jails unequipped to handle them As the girls were moved through the system, tensions exploded. Jail riots broke out. Authorities lost control. And the public narrative hardened around fear rather than reform. We examine how this case exposed a fundamental flaw in the justice system: it is built to punish or release — not to rehabilitate. Especially not when the defendants are young, angry, and shaped by institutional neglect. Finally, we look at what the Samarcand case changed — and what it didn’t. How it influenced conversations around juvenile justice, where reform stalled, and why the same structural failures continue to repeat themselves today. This is not a story about guilt or innocence alone. It’s about a system that had already run out of answers before it ever asked the right questions. The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Bennett, Barbara. Smoke Signals from Samarcand: The 1931 Reform School Fire and Its Aftermath. University of South Carolina Press, 2018. ISBN 978-1-61117-860-9 (cloth) • ISBN 978-1-61117-861-6 (ebook). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: https://www.sc.edu/uscpress/ Mentioned in Episode (not used as a research source): Zipf, Karin L. Bad Girls at Samarcand: Sexuality and Sterilization in a Southern Juvenile Reformatory. University of North Carolina Press, April 4, 2016. ISBN 978-1-4696-2791-9 (hardcover). Note: This book was referenced by title during the episode but was not used as a source or basis for research for this show.

Episode 91 Sixteen girls. Multiple fires. A system built to control them — and a desperate act that forced the nation to look closer. In this episode, we step inside the walls of the Samarcand Reform School for Girls in North Carolina, where young women lived under harsh discipline, forced labor, and relentless institutional oversight. On the night they began setting fires, they weren’t just striking a match — they were striking back. This is a story of defiance, injustice, and the blurred line between rebellion and survival. Were these girls arsonists — or victims fighting for autonomy the only way they could? Listen as we follow the smoke through history and confront the uncomfortable truth about who society punishes, who it protects, and what incendiary acts are born from desperation. The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Bennett, Barbara. Smoke Signals from Samarcand: The 1931 Reform School Fire and Its Aftermath. University of South Carolina Press, 2018. ISBN 978-1-61117-860-9 (cloth) • ISBN 978-1-61117-861-6 (ebook). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: https://www.sc.edu/uscpress/ Mentioned in Episode (not used as a research source): Zipf, Karin L. Bad Girls at Samarcand: Sexuality and Sterilization in a Southern Juvenile Reformatory. University of North Carolina Press, April 4, 2016. ISBN 978-1-4696-2791-9 (hardcover). Note: This book was referenced by title during the episode but was not used as a source or basis for research for this show.

Episode 90 In the final installment of our deep dive into the deadly world of Sarah Hartsfield, we unravel the last threads of a case that spiraled from chaos to calculated cruelty. This episode pulls together the full picture of Sarah’s violent history, her pattern of manipulation, and the chilling timeline that led investigators—and ultimately a jury—to label her actions for what they were. We break down the pivotal moments from Sarah's past that shifted the direction of the trial. From the ignored medical alarms to her past partners’ harrowing accounts, we follow every red flag Sarah left fluttering in her wake. And we return to the question that kicked this series off: Did the jury get it right, was Joe Hartsfield's death murder? Listen to You Should Be Here on your favorite podcast app including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The new season, Cases that Haunt us is out now! The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources: For a full list of sources, please see the show notes for Episode 88 (part 1 of this series)

Episode 89 In Part 2 of our deep dive into the life and crimes of Sarah Hartsfield, we follow the tangled threads back to the beginning. Because before the alleged poisoning, before the string of dead or endangered husbands, before the Dateline episode… there was a childhood already splintered by chaos. This week, we explore: Sarah’s early life — the patterns that began long before her first “I do.” Marriage #1: A relationship marked by volatility, control, and infidelity Her marriage to Chris — the escalating behaviors, the violence, and the fear her family lives with Her brother’s house fire — a nearly fatal fire that was never ruled arson, but relatives think Sarah may be responsible How Sarah’s ability to reinvent herself, charm authority, and flip narratives became the defining machinery of her survival. Part 2 is the setup for where this case truly becomes unbelievable — but as you’ll hear, the warning signs were there all along. Listen to You Should Be Here on your favorite podcast app including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The new season, Cases that Haunt us is out now! The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources: For a full list of sources, please see the show notes for Episode 88 (part 1 of this series)

Episode 88 Sarah Hartsfield didn’t weave a web of silk — she wove a web of control. A web of manipulation. A web she masked with charisma and charm until it finally snapped under its own weight. In October 2025, a jury convicted Sarah Hartsfield of murdering her husband, Joseph Hartsfield, after deliberating for just one hour. One hour — despite the fact that the physical evidence was thin, the investigation delayed, and the medical questions complex. But what wasn’t thin was the pattern that emerged the moment investigators stepped back and looked at Sarah’s life in full. In this episode, we strip away the decades of allegations — the shootings, the fires, the chaos — and start exactly where the jury started: with Joe’s death. With the 911 call. With the deleted searches. With the late-night texts from a man who should have been unconscious. With the video Sarah recorded of her husband gasping for breath. Then we will explore what prosecutors revealed once the pattern of Sarah’s past began to surface — a shocking trail of manipulation, alleged violence, suspicious fires, and the relentless pursuit of control that followed Sarah from childhood to court. This is not just the story of one death. It’s the story of a woman who built an entire life on domination — a Black Widow who spun a web so tangled that, in the end, she became trapped in it herself. Welcome to “Burn, Marry, Kill: The Wicked Web of Sarah Hartsfield.” A story of murder, manipulation, and the flames she allegedly used to keep control. Listen to You Should Be Here on your favorite podcast app including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The new season, Cases that Haunt us is out now! The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Tim Stelloh, Kelley Moody, Mario J. Garcia, Vince Sturla. After woman was charged in her husband’s murder, authorities take a fresh look at other deaths close to her. NBC News. April 28, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sarah-hartsfield-alleged-murder-husband-david-bragg-dateline-rcna81260 KPRC 2 Click2Houston (YouTube). Sarah Hartsfield Trial: Bombshell phone records from Sarah show contradicting story. Posted October 8, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHDVdNpTuZI Bryce Newberry, Bill Carruthers, Wlad Moquete, Adrian Montes, Adrian Crooks, Matt James, Ana Lastra. The Two Sides of Sarah: Chambers County woman accused of murdering husband Joseph Hartsfield. Click2Houston. Published May 18, 2023; updated February 23, 2024. https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/05/18/the-two-sides-of-sarah-chambers-county-woman-accused-of-murdering-husband-joseph-hartsfield/ KPRC 2 Click2Houston (YouTube). New Evidence in Sarah Hartsfield Trial | Toxicology shows insulin, possible prescriptions. Posted October 1, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzyHJHmWBsA KPRC 2 Click2Houston (YouTube). Lead detective details phone data, deleted messages in Sarah Hartsfield’s insulin murder trial. Posted October 7, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKAB5PAo4kU FOX 26 Houston (YouTube). Sarah Hartsfield murder trial: Full closing arguments. Posted October 8, 2025. https://youtu.be/Fyj1bQbRz1E?si=wJ2ZnARKgtXFkKng Dateline NBC. Along Came Sarah. Season 31, Episode 30. Aired April 28, 2023. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27417687/

Episode 87 Hidden beneath the hills of northeast New Mexico lies a ghost that industry left behind. Dawson was once a model mining town — a company-built community boasting schools, golf courses, and an opera house. Phelps Dodge called it progress. But twice, in just ten years, that progress went up in smoke. In 1913 and again in 1923, massive explosions ripped through Dawson’s coal mines, killing 383 miners — fathers, sons, and brothers — in two of the deadliest mining disasters in American history. This episode digs deep into how “safety-forward” operations, good intentions, and one impatient decision turned an idealized town into a field of iron crosses. We’ll explore coal dust explosions, early fire protection efforts underground, and how greed, apathy, and bad timing turned progress into tragedy. Because when profit becomes the accelerant… all it takes is a spark. Listen to You Should Be Here on your favorite podcast app including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The new season, Cases that Haunt us is out now! The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  Pappas, Nick. Crosses of Iron: The Tragic Story of Dawson, New Mexico, and Its Twin Mining Disasters. Foreword by Richard Melzer. University of New Mexico Press, 2023. ISBN 978-0-8263-6528-6 (paper), 978-0-8263-6529-3 (electronic). Library of Congress Control Number: 2023940430. https://a.co/d/8sTa5em Sharpe, Tom. “Remembering the Dawson Mining Disaster, 100 Years Later.” The Santa Fe New Mexican, October 19, 2013. https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/remembering-the-dawson-mining-disaster-100-years-later/article_446074ce-ea6b-54cf-a818-992408f6a398.html Villa, Elizabeth. “Dawson, NM: Booming Mine Town Turned Ghost Town.” New Mexico State University Archives Blog, posted May 3, 2022. https://nmsu.libguides.com/blogs/asc/openstacks/posts/Dawson-NM-Booming-mine-town-turned-ghost-town Hawker Vanguard. “Eerie Enchantment: Dawson, New Mexico.” KOB4 News, published November 1, 2024. https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/eerie-enchantment-dawson-history/

Episode 86 In the early hours of November 1st, 1970, celebration turned to catastrophe when a fire tore through the Club Cinq-Sept near Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, France. Within minutes, 146 young people were dead — trapped behind padlocked exits, a full-height turnstile, and flammable décor that turned the dance floor into a death trap. This wasn’t just a fire — it was the inevitable result of greed, negligence, and a system that valued profit over safety. In this episode, April breaks down how the building’s design doomed its occupants, why its owners never should’ve been allowed to open, and how French philosopher Guy Debord later used the tragedy to expose the rot beneath a complacent society. Because not every fire should keep burning — and some should have never started at all. Listen to You Should Be Here on your favorite podcast app including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The new season, Cases that Haunt us is out now! The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments: Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes. Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources:  The Raven’s Eye. France’s Worst Discotheque Fire – The Horror of the Club 5-7 Disaster. YouTube, Sept 12 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ_C77jqfW4&t=9s Manic Manor Podcast. The Club Cinq-Sept Fire. YouTube, Mar 19 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lnQIkFvw7s Time Magazine. France: An Unusual Silence. Nov 16 1970. https://time.com/archive/6838296/france-an-unusual-silence/ Guy Debord. On the Fire of Saint-Laurent-du-Pont (1971). Translated from French; introduction by René Viénet. BBC News. 1970: Nightclub Inferno ‘Wipes Out a Generation’. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/1/newsid_2537000/2537937.stm Associated Press. 142 Are Killed by Fire in Locked Dance Hall in France. The New York Times, Nov 2 1970. https://www.nytimes.com/1970/11/02/archives/142-are-killed-by-fire-in-locked-dance-hall-in-france-20-survive.html