If the name Dick Harpootlian sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because he was involved one of the most high-profile murder cases in the past 20 years. He was one of Alex Murdaugh’s defense attorneys in South Carolina, and represented Alex during his trial in 2023. One of the most notorious criminals Harpootlian ever crossed paths with was a man named Pee Wee Gaskins, a South Carolina man who was known to have murdered over a dozen people, and didn't let incarceration temper his homicidal tendencies. The attorney turned author shares his thoughts on what made Pee Wee tick, how his views on the death penalty have changed, and why he decided to write his own true crime book now. Learn about the "Dig Me a Grave" here.
Renee shares stories of people who went missing in North Carolina during the month of November from the show catalogue. Jeffrey Mays, Ted Wall, Bill Hollingsworth, and Joseph Johnson all are presumed to be lost at sea. Young Chang walked away from a nursing home more than 20 years ago. Theresa Fetter disappeared from Wilmington after falling in with the wrong crowd. And Horry County officials have identified a man whose identity was unknown after he drowned in a hotel pool in 2016.Episodes Mentioned:Episode 55-Missing in the WaterEpisode 58-Missing and Murdered in WilmingtonEp. 73-Missing Senior Citizens From the CarolinasEp. 120-Jeffrey Mays, Ted Wall, Bill Hollingsworth, and the Missing in America Program for Veterans
When a South Carolina couple went missing in the fall of 2016, their friends and family knew something was wrong. Using cell phone data, investigators tracked the pair to an isolated piece of property in Woodruff, and what they found there was shocking. The discovery would also provide answers to an unsolved quadruple homicide from 2003.Show Sponsors:Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order. Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.
Teens Gary Locklear and Kristina Porco both went unexpectedly missing from two South Carolina towns in the 70s and 80s. Although rumors have swirled with theories, they have never been found. Three-year-old Paul Baker went missing from his home in 1987, and although law enforcement believes there is a family connection, it has never been proven. We also have an update on the identity of New Hope Jane Doe from North Carolina. This episode originally aired on Sept. 29, 2023.Research Coordinator: Renee RobersonCo-Writers: Erin Settlemier and Nicole Pyles
In November of 2006, a quiet residential neighborhood in Raleigh was stunned when 29-year-old Michelle Young was found murdered in her home, while her 2-year-old daughter was emotionally distraught but unharmed physically. Michelle's husband had been traveling for work at the time of her death. When he learned of the crime, he cooperated with investigators only to a certain extent, staying quiet about all other details of their life or the night she was murdered until a civil lawsuit finally prompted a criminal trial three years later. Show Sponsors:Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order. Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.
South Carolina physician and assistant county coroner Dr. Joe Smith, Jr. probably never expected to be the subject of a murder investigation. But when he was found murdered in his home on October 29, 1979, all signs pointed to his killer being someone who knew him well. Show Sponsors:Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.Check out Renee's digital course on podcasting!
Renee discusses origin stories from Carolina folklore, whether or not places can hold onto spiritual energy, and why so many universities seem to be haunted.Episodes Mentioned:Ep. 16-Ghostly Tales from the CarolinasEp. 22-Two True Tales from the CarolinasEp. 31-Where Are the Children?Show Sponsors:Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.Check out Renee's digital course on podcasting!
Thirty-seven years ago, two women and longtime friends fell to their deaths from a popular overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Authorities quickly grew suspicious of James Gibbs, the husband of one of the victims. When they took a closer look at the Gibbs marriage, they saw signs of turmoil and a motive for murder. It would take two trials for a jury to make a final decision on what they believe happened to Helen Gibbs and Susan Haire.Show Sponsors:Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order.
In October 2016, 22-year-old Cati Blauvelt was separated from her husband, John Blauvelt, a recruiter for the U.S. Army. When she went missing and was discovered murdered a few days later, her family knew who was responsible. But before he could be charged, John Blauvelt disappeared with his new girlfriend, a 17-year-old high school student, and it would be six years before he had to answer for his crimes.If you are a victim of domestic violence and need to seek help, you can visit thehotline.org, call 800.799.SAFE or text START to 88788. There’s also a National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at 866.311.9474.Other episodes mentioned:Ep. 45-Across State LinesEp. 48-Two Wives, Two DeathsEp. 85-Denise Durham, Shelby Wilkie, and Marissa CarmichaelEp. 116-Mary Ann Willis and Dara Watson, Two Stories of Domestic ViolenceShow Sponsors:Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order.
Two stories. Four missing children. What happened to Diane Moon, Mark Yoli and Alan and Terry Westerfield who went missing from North Carolina in the 1960s?Show Notes: For a full list of resources used to compile this episode, visit missinginthecarolinas.com.
In 1937, 16-year-old Elva Brannock vanished into the winter fog of the Blue Ridge Mountains, only to be found murdered four days later. When North Carolina resident Stacy Hawks learned about this unsolved murder in her community, she used her research to explore the possibilities of what happened to the young woman in her historical fiction novel, "Dividing Ridge." Host Renee Roberson interviews Stacy Hawks to learn more about this mystery and the process of researching and writing the book. This episode originally aired on November 25, 2021.Learn more about the book and author .Cover art by Mackintosh Multimedia Sound Sound Editing by Mia Roberson Post Production by Daniel Roberson
Pulling from the catalogue, Renee discusses the cold cases of Nancy Morgan from Madison County, Beverly Sherman and Pamela Murray from Asheville, the solved murder of Denise Durham from East Flat Rock, and the workplace shooting of Michelle Marlowe in Hickory.
In August 1993, 35-year-old Janet Siclari was murdered on the last night of her vacation on the Outer Banks, within walking distance to her hotel room. Based on physical evidence left on her body and at the scene, investigators were able to pinpoint the killer four years later with the help of CODIS. The 1997 murder of 33-year-old Kill Devil Hills resident Denise Johnson remains unsolved. Show Sponsors:Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order.
In August of 1989, 34-year-old Cynthia Kirk was stabbed in the driveway of home in a suburban Durham neighborhood. While eyewitnesses helped zero in on a suspect, the killer was never found. And what really happened to North Carolina resident Giovanni Pelletier when he fled from a car while visiting family in Florida earlier this month?Show Sponsors:Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order.
Pulling from the show's catalogue, Renee discusses the disappearance of Kenneth Beasley from 1905, the murders of Carrie Wilkerson and Jean Fewel from the mid-1980s, the abduction and murder of Hania Aguilar from 2018, the unsolved murder of Brittany Locklear from 1998, and stories of paranormal activity from schools and universities in both North and South Carolina. Learn more:The Senator's Son: The Shocking Disappearance, The Celebrated Trial, and The Mystery That Remains A Century Later by Charles OldhamShow Sponsors:Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.Check out Renee's Digital Course on Podcasting.
He was only 27, but Peter Lucas Moses, Jr. exerted power and control over a small group of women, requiring them to call him "Lord," fathering multiple children with them, and subscribing to the ideology of Black Hebrews. When a woman and small child went missing from this tight-knit circle in Durham in 2010, investigators feared correctly that Peter's control had spiraled into murder. Show Sponsors:Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order. Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.
Renee discusses the cases of Jeffrey MacDonald, Timothy Hennis, Susie Newsom Lynch and Fritz Klenner, Chris Pritchard, Neal Henderson, and Bart Upchurch. These crimes all appeared in true crime novels by bestselling authors such as Jerry Bledsoe, Joe McGinnis, and then made their way to the networks at CBS and NBC as "movies of the week."Episode 65 originally aired on Sept. 22, 2023.
On October 13, 2021, 65-year-old Bradley Post discovered his fiancée, 41-year-old Christina Parcell, covered in blood and unresponsive at her sister’s home inGreer, South Carolina. Her body was surrounded by rose petals. As investigators began to unravel the mystery of the victim, her fiancee, and the father of her daughter, they were shocked to uncover thousands of shocking images on USB drives and cell phones in the home, pointing to a possible motive in the murder. We also discuss the 2024 murder of Phonesia Machado-Fore, and how her killer embarked on a nationwide crime spree that ended in one more death before he was through. Co-Writer: Mia RobersonShow Sponsors:Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order. Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.
Renee discusses ethics when creating true crime content, the elements of a compelling story, books that have aided in her research, and fiction inspired by real-life cases.Show Sponsors:Skincare by SkinxErin-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10 for 10 percent off your order. Want to try out Riverside FM for all your podcasting and videoconferencing needs? Use my affiliate link.
This week we have a fun bonus episode. Hope Andersen is the author of five books, and she has a very inspiring creative journey. Her latest release is the suspense thriller, MotherLove, by Warren Publishing. We talk all things writing, the different ways she published her books, and what she loves about living in North Carolina.The podcast will return next week with a brand-new true crime episode. Learn more about Hope and her books at her website.
Megan
Zahra's father is often perceived as a victim himself. I am not impressed with his decision making and his failure to protect his daughter. I feel like holding him to the same standard that mothers are held to when they are perceived to choose an abusive monster over their own children, resulting in those children's horrific deaths.