Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

American musical producer and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in September  2024 on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation for purposes of prostitution.  He is currently in federal custody awaiting trial in Brooklyn, New York.  Almost daily, new accusers are coming forward to share additional information about Combs’ alleged history of sexual assault, abuse, and sexual exploitation. In this 2-part series, we’ll dig into Sean Combs’ early life, career, and relationships to answer the question - why Diddy do it?  How did Sean Diddy Combs, a man who seemed to have it all - fame, money, and success - end up in scandal, disgrace, and facing dozens of felony charges and lawsuits?  In this first episode, you’ll learn how the bombshell allegations against Combs came to light. We’ll also examine his childhood and early life to determine what factors contributed to his behavior and alleged criminal activities. We’ll discover that, early on, cracks in the image Diddy presented to the world as a professional businessperson and star marker masked a narcissistic need for control that turned abusive in both his personal and professional lives.  Sources: Timeline: https://www.billboard.com/lists/sean-diddy-combs-allegations-timeline/november-28-2023-diddy-steps-down-as-chairman-from-revolt/ Nov 2023 - Cassie’s statement and lawsuit. https://apnews.com/article/diddy-sean-combs-cassie-lawsuit-e3681f1abbe38c11d829c269c9a89260 https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sean-combs-read-full-indictment-1235103933/  Complete text of lawsuit - https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/diddy-cassie.pdf  https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-cassie-relationship-timeline-2023-11#september-2019-cassie-marries-alex-fine-9 https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/diddy-friends-bad-boy-artists-abuse-violence-1235028178/ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/diddy-assault-women-college-1235028172/ United States District Court Southern District of New York, United States of American V. Sean Combs, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/media/1368556/dl Sponsors:  BetterHelp - Visit BetterHelp.com/once to get 10% of your first month of online therapy. Uncommon Goods - For 15% off your next gift, go to  Mint Mobile - Visit MintMobile.com/once to get a new 3-month premium wireless plan for $15 a month.  Air Doctor - AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code ONCE to receive up to $300 off air purifiers.  Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  Our Website -  www.truecrimepodcast.com  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast  

Over two days in 1980, prisoners at a New Mexico penitentiary, angry at the conditions they experienced inside its walls, rose up against their jailers and wreaked havoc upon officers and inmates alike.  It would be called the bloodiest prison riot in U.S. history.  Over thirty-six hours, thirty-three prisoners were killed, eight guards were brutally assaulted, and hundreds were injured.  The prison would never completely recover from the unprecedented violence that took place. In the years since, the Penitentiary of New Mexico, known as the Old Main Prison, has gained a reputation as one of the most haunted places in the state. After hearing the true story I’m about to tell you, you’ll understand why these traumatized spirits may still be lurking. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_State_Penitentiary_riot https://www.koat.com/article/new-mexico-state-prison-riot-1908/42746860  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtxL6C_dNKw  Report of the Attorney General on the February 2 and 3, 1980 Riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico - https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/72933NCJRS.pdf New Mexico Corrections Department website - https://www.cd.nm.gov/divisions/corrections-industries/old-main/  https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/devastating-penitentiary-riot-of-1980-changed-new-mexico-and-its-prisons/article_be64a016-31ae-11ea-a754-fb85e49fca77.html  Reports of hauntings at the prison -  https://www.codypolston.com/new-mexico-state-penitentiary-santa-fe-nm-more-witness-accounts-and-ghost-stories/   Sponsors:  Uncommon Goods - For 15% off your next gift, go to uncommongoods.com/once.   Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  Our Website -  www.truecrimepodcast.com  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast  

In this episode, I’ll share a story of an alleged demonic possession of a young boy in the 1940s.  While you may be skeptical of such a claim, several sources officially documented the case, including first-person eyewitnesses, making it difficult to dismiss these claims as mere superstition.   You’ll also hear how this case inspired a best-selling novel and blockbuster movie that helped to usher in an era of “Satanic Panic,” a phenomenon that would lead to accusations and criminal charges leveled against innocent people, some of whom were falsely convicted.    Sources: https://www.thescottsmithblog.com/2023/08/the-real-story-behind-exorcist-movie.html https://allthatsinteresting.com/roland-doe-the-exorcist-true-story https://play.max.com/video/watch/ec95d53c-2050-4361-afca-db7f96836670/94f26393-35be-4945-9fbf-b99b005674a0  https://www.slu.edu/universitas/archive/2014/exorcism.php https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/20/the-exorcist-boy-named-magazine   Sponsors:  MeUndies - Go to MeUndies.com/once and enter promo code ONCE for 20% off your first order plus free shipping.    Links:  Season 6: Episode 248: Final Curtain Call - Paul Bateson and The Exorcist - https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s6-ep248-final-curtain-call-paul-bateson-and-the-exorcist/ Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  Our website: www.truecrimepodcast.com 

In this special Halloween episode, horror comes to a family in the middle of the night.  But unlike ghostly tales, this was all too real and was the last thing they’d ever expected as they invited the monster into their home.    Resources:  https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-suspect-allegedly-bludgeoned-victims-3217121.php https://www.therotundaonline.com/remembering-associate-professor-of-sociology-dr-debra-s-kelley/article_2fab25df-a3f5-527c-ba59-cf14588b4e00.html   Slain mom, teen had counseling over music - https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32992286   Links:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime 

In July 1993, Mia Zapata, a rising star in the genre of punk rock music, joined what is morbidly referred to as “The 27 Club” - artists and celebrities whose lives ended at the age of 27. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse all qualify. But like other members of this unfortunate club, Mia Zapata didn’t die as the result of a drug overdose or by her own hand.  She was murdered on the streets of Seattle just before she reached success with her band, The Gits. In this episode, I’ll detail the life, death, and lasting legacy of Mia Zapata. Resources:  Mia Zapata and The Gits: A Story of Art, Rock, and Revolution, Steve Moriarty, (2024) https://amzn.to/3T2cjgv  https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a44362322/a-cross-between-janis-joplin-and-johnny-rotten-remembering-mia-zapata-of-the-gits/ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/mia-zapata-murderer-dead-1170206/ https://web.archive.org/web/20130406042509/http://thegits.com/?page_id=410 https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/singer-s-killer-gets-37-years-1143741.php “Mia: Mia Zapata left her Louisville roots for a shot at success with her band, The Gits. But death ended her dream, and her killer is still at large,” James Nold, Jr., The Courier-Journal, Oct. 9, 1993.  Sponsor:  Mochi Health - Use code ONCE to get $40 off at joinmochi.com  Links:  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  Our website: www.truecrimepodcast.com 

In 1975, a renowned drummer who played with some of the most prominent artists of the 1960s and ‘70s was found shot and killed after an apparent botched robbery.    But some suspected Al Jackson, Jr. had been set up for murder.  Was his soon-to-be ex-wife involved in his slaying? Was a friend’s relationship with a wanted fugitive to blame?  Or was he privy to sensitive music business information that made him a target?    Resources:  https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/25/al-jackson-jr-memphis-sunset-the-mysterious-death-of-stax-heartbeat  http://staxrecords.free.fr/aljacksonpage.htm https://torontosun.com/news/world/hunter-murder-music-and-the-memphis-sound-of-stax-volt http://vancouverdrummer.blogspot.com/2017/09/al-jackson.html   Sponsor:  Mochi Health - Use code ONCE to get $40 off at joinmochi.com    Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  Our website: www.truecrimepodcast.com 

In this episode, a young Ohio man begins playing music before he is barely out of diapers. He and his brothers would form a band and shoot to the top of the charts. They were hometown heroes and certified music stars, but a baffling turn of events would end in a double tragedy.     This is chapter one in the Rocktober series, “Murdered Musicians” - Zapped - The Life and Death of Funk Musician Roger.    Resources:  https://www.dayton.com/news/local/icon-lost-one-dayton-most-gut-wrenching-murders-years-ago/g0LamsZlgO9s7NvR6Ar6cM/ https://www.daytondailynews.com/what-to-know/troutman-brothers-shot-dead-recording-artist-believed-victim-in-murder-suicide/HDHRGKMFV5BP5DQVK53FIE7DX4/ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/zapp-brothers-found-dead-90905/ https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/photos-roger-troutman-and-the-legendary-zapp-band-through-the-years/s5jkHsjNadR3ym8L3YLK9H/ https://vimeopro.com/user15889254/unsung/video/301288752  https://www.grunge.com/931330/the-tragic-1999-murder-of-funk-legend-roger-troutman-explained/ https://ohtravel88.wordpress.com/2020/06/14/the-tragic-stories-of-roger-larry-troutman-and-ray-combs/   Sponsor:  Mochi Health - Use code ONCE to get $40 off at joinmochi.com    Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  

A formerly peace-loving man becomes obsessed with extreme political conspiracy theories. David DePape falls down a rabbit hole, consuming ever-more radical views on YouTube, blogs, and social media posts.   A perfect storm of factors will cause him to carry out a baffling and horrific attack after breaking into the home of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.    Resources:  “Paul Pelosi attack: From nudist activism to online hate, suspect David DePape’s strange descent,” Rachel Swan, Dustin Gardiner, and Sarah Ravani, The San Francisco Chronicle, November 16, 2023.    “Where is Nancy?: Here’s what happened, minute by minute, inside the Pelosi home,” Megan Cassidy, The San Francisco Chronicle, November 3, 2022.    “David DePape Sentenced after Conviction on Assault and Attempted Kidnapping Charges,” Press Release, Office of the Attorney General, May 17, 2024.   “Gypsy Taub Speaks Out About Ex-Boyfriend David DePape,” Jay Barmann, SFist.com, October 31, 2022.    “Ex-wife of man who attacked Paul Pelosi is barred from court,” Brian Krans, KQED, June 18, 2024.    Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime   Dani After Dark - Watch my interview on “Dani After Dark” on YouTube - https://youtu.be/_krzF5A1t7I?si=1dY4TgRrQA3DtrLC

In this month’s series, “The Politics of Murder,” we’ll take a look at cases where violent acts are perpetrated upon political figures.  In this episode, a disgruntled man whose life is unraveling due to his own actions places the blame on the policies of one political party.  His random act of violence will turn a pleasant day at a ballpark into ten minutes of horror and chaos.     Sources:  https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2020-06/Hodgkinson.pdf https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/05/28/terrifying-story-of-the-congressional-baseball-shooting-steve-scalise/ https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/21/2017-baseball-field-shooting-fbi-conculsion-483993   Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  

In this month’s series, “The Politics of Murder,” we’ll take a look at cases where violent acts are perpetrated upon political figures.  First up, a young man begins to lose his grip on reality and fixates on a congressperson whom he targets for assassination.  Jared Lee Loughner’s mass shooting at a community political event will spark debate regarding violent political rhetoric, gun control laws, and the state of mental health care in the U.S.   Sources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tucson_shooting   http://edition.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/08/arizona.shooting.suspect/   http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/09/arizona.shooting.investigation/index.html   https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/27/gabby-giffords-shooting-records/2024589/   http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/15/arizona.shooting.images/index.html   https://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/08/justice/arizona-loughner-sentencing/index.html   https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/27/gabby-giffords-shooting-records/2024589/   https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/us/arizona-loughner-plea/index.html    https://theweek.com/articles/488172/arizona-massacre-should-sarah-palin-share-blame   Links:  Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast   Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  

Before Ted Bundy became a collective symbol of a real-life boogeyman and the person who helped coin the term “serial killer,” he was a son, a brother, a grandson, and a cousin - someone with friends and family members who loved him and never could have suspected the evil that lay within him and would come to destroy so many lives.    In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with one of those family members - someone who grew up with Ted Bundy and with whom he shared a close relationship.   Edna Cowell Martin knew Bundy as “cousin Ted.”  Having to face the horror of what her cousin had done and the chaos of the media circus surrounding his arrest, trial, and execution, Edna and her family chose to remain anonymous…until now.     Edna’s new memoir, “Dark Tide: Growing Up with Ted Bundy,” reveals new details of his life, personality, and family relationships through his cousin Edna’s memories, photographs, and letters from Bundy himself.  We learn what it was like for his family members to grapple with the realization that a person they loved and thought they knew well was one of the most infamous serial killers in U.S. history.    *** You can purchase the book “Dark Tide: Growing Up with Ted Bundy” at the link below or ask for it at your favorite independent bookstore.    https://amzn.to/3SQ3MNR   One listener will win a copy of the book.  To enter, go to our Instagram page, look for the “Dark Tide” post, and follow the instructions to have a chance to win. Good luck!  https://www.instagram.com/OnceUponaCrimePod/  

A young woman grows up hearing stories about her abusive grandfather. She takes it upon herself to learn the whole truth about him. In the course of her investigation, shocking revelations come to light, and she begins to ask the question - was Jim Mordecai a serial killer?   Sources: The Truth About Jim, 2024, Skye Borgman, director. Distributed by HBO Max.  https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-woman-suspects-relative-was-serial-killer-uncovering-family-secrets  https://www.the-sun.com/news/10391888/truth-about-jim-mordecai-hbo-sierra-barter/ https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/the-truth-about-jim-docuseries-1234968110/  https://www.businessinsider.com/jim-mordecai-zodiac-killer-the-truth-about-jim-sierra-barter-2024-2  https://www.theeducationisthub.com/jim-mordecai/    Links. Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast

In this month’s series, “Buried Family Secrets,” I’ll share stories about family secrets that hid decades-old murders and may have prevented the killers from facing justice. Fortunately, in each case, one family member dared to share the truth so justice could be served.  In this first episode, when Lloyd Ford disappears in 1980, his wife claims he’s run off with another woman. But her 12-year-old knows the truth and will be forced to keep her mother’s deadly secret for over two decades.    Sources:  The Devil You Know, Season 3, Episode 5. (2012) Director: Mary Bissell https://www.idahopress.com/news/gough-admits-to-1980-murder/article_cf5cb179-e997-57c2-bd80-08239f2f9b3e.html https://thecinemaholic.com/judy-gough-where-is-lloyd-fords-wife-now/   Links: Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast

A Devil Went Down to Georgia: Race, Power, Privilege, and the Murder of Lita McClinton, written by Deb Miller Landau, is the story of the murder-for-hire of Lita McClinton Sullivan in 1987.     Lita was a beautiful, accomplished woman from a respected Atlanta family. Her interracial marriage to millionaire Jim Sullivan in 1970s Georgia was noteworthy in itself. Their differences fueled their deep attraction for each other in the beginning—she was a college-educated, Black debutante from the South. He was a white entrepreneur from working-class Boston, ten years her senior.     They fell in love and soon married.  But, before long, Lita found herself trapped in a marriage with a controlling man who treated her as a possession. When Lita filed for divorce from Jim Sullivan a decade later, it set off a series of events that ended in her violent death and subjected her family to a decades-long search for justice.    I spoke with Deb Miller Landau about this decades-old murder case detailed in her book, available now in your favorite bookstore or online retailer.    Links:  The author’s website - www.debword.com and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dml_author/   A Devil Went Down to Georgia: Race, Power, Privilege and the Murder of Lita McClinton, Deb Miller Landau, Pegasus Books, 2024. ISBN 9781639366835    To purchase the book on Amazon - https://amzn.to/4dk0zOD

In this week’s episode, a young woman, newly engaged and expecting a baby, goes for a morning run in the serene beachfront town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico, and finds herself trapped in a nightmare.  Still finding the inner courage to keep her wits about her, the terrified woman’s actions would help solve her own murder.   Sources:  “Kidnap Victim Called Fiancee Before Slaying,” SFGate.com, Feb 7, 2009. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Kidnap-victim-called-fiance-before-slaying-3173177.php  “Murder in Puerto Rico,” Latitude38.com, Feb 6, 2009. https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/murder-in-puerto-rico/  “Puerto Rican Indicted in Pregnant Woman’s Slaying,” SavannahNow.com, Feb 5, 2009. https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2009/02/06/puerto-rican-indicted-pregnant-womans-slaying/13603126007/  “Puerto Rican Man Gets 105 Years in Killing of Pregnant San Jose Native,” Associated Press, June 1, 2009.  https://coastalcourier.com/news/state-national/puerto-rican-gets-105-years-for-killing-savannah-woman/    Sponsors:  Lume - get 15% off with promo code ONCE at LumeDeodorant.com   Links:  Trova Trip - Complete our survey to help me decide where we should travel next!   https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/esther--fr746 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast

In this month’s series, “Resorting to Murder,” I share cases proving that murder never takes a holiday. This week’s case tells the story of a rocky mother-daughter relationship, a fight over an inheritance, and a cold-blooded murder that occurred at a luxury resort.  Was the murder of socialite Sheila von Wiese-Mack the desperate act of an abused child or spurred on by an entitled young woman’s greed?   Sources:  https://www.chicagotribune.com/2015/12/09/heather-mack-accuses-slain-mom-of-cheating-her-out-of-inheritance/ https://people.com/heather-mack-suitcase-killer-everything-to-know-7509623  Heather Mack discusses her relationship with mother: Exclusive (people.com) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-couple-sentenced-to-prison-for-bali-suitcase-murder/  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/interviews-with-bali-suitcase-killers-uncovers-disturbing-details-behind-the-gruesome-murder/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3838671/Body-Suitcase-killer-Tommy-Schaefer-claims-ex-Heather-Mack-does-drugs-drinks-sex-female-prisoners-daughter-close-speaking-time-conviction-letter-friends.html   Sponsor:  Gabb - $25 off any device for new customers at www.GABB.com/once.    Links:  Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast  

In this month’s series, I’ll share cases of vacations that turned deadly.  Even in the most serene and beautiful locations, murder never takes a holiday.   This week, an award-winning television producer, his beautiful and successful Brazilian-born wife, and young children take a family vacation to a tropical resort.  When Monica Beresford-Redman is found murdered just yards from their hotel suite, her husband becomes the main suspect.   Was the circumstantial evidence all pointing to Bruce Beresford-Redman as the murderer merely a series of coincidences or proof of his guilt?  Was he a victim of terrible luck, or did he resort to murder?    Sources:  48 Hours: Bruce Beresford-Redman: The Verdict, Season 28, Episode 22, 2015.  In the Matter of the EXTRADITION OF Bruce Ainsley BERESFORD-REDMAN. United States District Court, Ninth Circuit, California, C.D. California. Dec. 2, 2010.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Beresford-Redman https://abcnews.go.com/US/documents-detail-beresford-redman-death-mexico/story?id=12815694 https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/beresford-redman-cancun-murder-tv-producer/2419136/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7453793/Survivor-producer-jailed-wifes-death-spotted-release.html https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/a-survivor-producer-a-dead-2-755386/   Sponsors:  Lume - www.lumedeodorant.com - Use discount code ONCE    Links:  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast CrimeCon UK - September 21st and 22nd in London. Get your discounted ticket by using my discount code ONCEUPON when you purchase your ticket at www.crimecon.co.uk. 

In this episode of Once Upon A Crime, we delve into the horrific story of Christian Longo, a man who portrayed himself to his family, friends, and community as a devoted husband, loving father, and successful businessman while leading a double life. He lived a life of lies and deception.  When he could no longer keep up the facade, he disposed of his old life in favor of a new one…by destroying his entire family.   This is the second installment of the 'Deadly Dads' series, highlighting fathers who became nightmares for their families.   00:00 Introduction 01:32 The Discovery Of Bodies 03:06 Investigations and Christian Longo's Lies 06:09 Family Background and Financial Deception 09:38 A Life of Crime and On The Run 11:58 Final Crimes and Capture 17:05 Trial, Sentencing, and Aftermath   Sources: State v. Longo, Filed Nov. 9, 2006, Supreme Court of the State of Oregon “The Journalist and the Murderer,” Michael Finkel, Vanity Fair Magazine, June 2005.  “Longo Prosecutors Offer Motive,” Andrew Kramer, Associated Press, March 12, 2003 “The Pretender: The Case of Christian Longo”, 48 Hours, CBS News, Original air date May 31, 2005.    Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime Our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast

In this first episode of season 9 I’ll share the harrowing story of family annihilator, Ronald Gene Simmons. Known for his obsessive need for control and order, Simmons carried out a meticulously planned series of murders in December 1987, ultimately killing 14 of his family members and two others. This episode captures the disturbing details of his life, his manipulative and abusive behavior, and his final act of violent retaliation that led to his arrest, trial, and eventual execution in 1990.    00:00 Introduction to Family Annihilators 00:39 Case Overview: Ronald Gene Simmons 01:33 Early Life of Ronald Gene Simmons 07:16 Family Life and Military Career 22:09 Abuse and Control 38:32 Escalation and Mass Murder 44:05 Aftermath and Legal Proceedings 47:08 Conclusion Sources:  “Zero at the Bone,” authors Bryce Marshall and Paul Williams, Pocket Star Books, New York, NY, 1991. https://archive.org/details/zeroatbone00mars/page/n5/mode/2up?view=theater  https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s1/simmons-ronald-gene.htm https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/ronald-gene-simmons-3731/  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362847782_Defending_Ronald_Gene_Simmons_A_Question_and_Answer_Session_with_Attorney_John_Harris     Sponsor:  Gabb Mobile - gabb.com/once Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast/

We kick off the ninth season of Once Upon a Crime with an episode that dives into the chilling case of Michael Cummins, a 25-year-old from Westmoreland, Tennessee, who committed one of the state's most horrific mass murders. Cummins, who had a history of mental health issues and violent behavior, murdered eight people, including six family members, in 2019. 00:00 Celebrating a Milestone: 8 Years of Once Upon a Crime 00:47 Start of Season 9: Family Annihilators 01:35 Case Overview: Michael Cummins 02:11 Cummins' Troubled History 02:48 Escalating Violent Behavior 03:34 Cumulative Legal Troubles 06:27 Mental Health Struggles 07:37 2017-2019: Increased Violence and Arrests 14:26 The Massacre 19:29 Investigation and Capture 20:29 Trial and Sentencing 22:40 Community and Family Reactions 25:18 Concluding Remarks    Resources:  https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2019/04/30/sumner-county-killings-micheal-cummins-family-victims/3622442002/ ​​https://www.newschannel5.com/news/westmoreland-murder-suspect-armed-and-on-the-run https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2019/04/29/sumner-county-killings-who-suspect-michael-lee-cummins-tennessee-homicide-mass-murder/3609438002/ https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/brain-scans-of-tennessee-man-who-admits-to-killing-eight-convince-prosecutors-to-drop-death-penalty   Sponsors:  Lume:  new customers get 15% using promo code: ONCE. www.lumedeodorant.com   Links:  Once Upon a Crime on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast