Criminal Broads
74 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 964 ratingsCriminal Broads is a true crime + history podcast about wild women who’ve ended up on the wrong side of the law, whether for leading a cult, serially murdering their husbands, swindling billionaires, or faking ectoplasm. The podcast is hosted by Tori Telfer, author of “Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History.”
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Episodes
Crime-Fighting Broad 009: Violette Szabo, Secret Agent
September 01, 2021 12:00 - 1 hourThe ugly: Nazis. The bad: a husband killed in battle. The good: one spunky, silly, kinda-loopy, very brave young woman. Meet Violette Szabo, the secret agent who packed a machine gun…just in case she ran into any Nazis on her mission. ___ ****STAY IN TOUCH!**** toritelfer.com [email protected] tinyletter.com/toridotgov instagram.com/tori__telfer ___ Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to calm.com/criminalbroads for 40% off Calm’s entire library of soothing meditations. Go ...
Juvenile for Life: Sharon Wiggins
August 25, 2021 17:21 - 47 minutesSharon Wiggins killed a man in a bank robbery gone wrong when she was seventeen. Her state locked her up for life, no chance of parole. Then the Supreme Court stepped in, and Sharon started dreaming. This is the story of a woman with a dubious superlative: the longest-serving juvenile lifer in the world. __ Subscribe to my newsletter: tinyletter.com/toridotgov Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to dameproducts.com/criminalbroads for 15% off sitewide. Or become a patron at patr...
Crime-Fighting Broad 008: Mary Vincent and the Survivor Narrative
August 18, 2021 12:00 - 47 minutesIn 1978, a man left Mary Vincent for dead. Ten years later, she told a journalist she’d never get over it. This is a story about surviving and about the narrative of the survivor—what we want from her, what she can’t always give us. Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to dameproducts.com/criminalbroads for 15% off sitewide. Or become a patron at patreon.com/criminalbroads. Follow on Instagram: Instagram.com/criminalbroads Find sources here: criminalbroads.com/sources/episode69 ...
The Parker-Hulme Murder Case
August 11, 2021 12:54 - 55 minutesIn the 1950s, two lonely, imaginative teenage girls became best friends. Before long they had convinced themselves that they were the most mad, genius girls in the world. And then they began to dream of murder. — Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to calm.com/criminalbroads for 40% off Calm’s entire library of soothing meditations. Or become a patron at patreon.com/criminalbroads. Follow on Instagram: Instagram.com/criminalbroads Find sources here: criminalbroads.com/sources/e...
American Juvenile: Cyntoia Brown
August 04, 2021 12:00 - 48 minutes“Imagine at the age of 16 being sex-trafficked by a pimp named Kutthroat.” That was how the meme about Cyntoia Brown started. Cyntoia herself couldn’t believe it when she heard Kim Kardashian was tweeting about her. After a lifetime of being thought of as a bad kid—people were suddenly on her side? Cyntoia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyntoiabrownofficial/?hl=en Falicia Blakely episode: https://www.criminalbroads.com/episodes/2018/11/28/episode-14-teenager-in-love-falicia-blakely Su...
The Massie Affair
July 28, 2021 19:12 - 1 hourOne night in September, a white lady in a long green dress reported that she’d been the victim of a horrific crime. Her story transformed Hawaii—some people were outraged, some were sure she was lying. And then her mother got involved. Read David Stannard’s book on the Massie case here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/291248/honor-killing-by-david-e-stannard/ Become a patron: patreon.com/criminalbroads Follow on Instagram: Instagram.com/criminalbroads Find sources here: criminalbroad...
Mother of Six: Hannah Overton
July 21, 2021 20:13 - 47 minutesHannah Overton loved kids. Everyone who knew her thought she was a wonderful mother. But then she found herself in court, with the media calling her a baby-killer and people on the witness stand saying she was a psychopath. Read Pamela Colloff’s article here: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/hannah-and-andrew/ Support Hannah Overton’s nonprofit here: https://www.syndeoministries.com/ Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to dameproducts.com/criminalbroads for 15% off si...
No Drama Pam: Pamela Hupp
July 14, 2021 12:58 - 59 minutesPoor Pam Hupp and her bad luck. First her best friend Betsy gets stabbed 55 times. Then her mother falls off a balcony. Then she gets KIDNAPPED. And now Pam, who wouldn’t hurt a fly, is in prison for life?! Some people just can’t catch a break, no matter how hard they lie. Read Jeanette Cooperman’s longform piece on Pam: https://www.stlmag.com/longform/pam-hupp/ Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to modernfamily.com/criminalbroads for $20 off your fertility test, and dipseasto...
The Quietest Girlfriend: Catherine PiIeggi
July 07, 2021 12:00 - 47 minutesCatherine Pileggi went from a flight attendant to a multimillionaire’s girlfriend. But after eighteen years, her relationship was on the rocks. Then one night—someone cracked. Was it him? Or was it her? Check out: lastprisonerproject.org Support the podcast at: patreon.com/criminalbroads Follow on Instagram: Instagram.com/criminalbroads Find sources here: criminalbroads.com/sources/episode63 Music: Matthew Noble and Stereodog Productions (Dan Pierson & Peter Manheim). Intro and conclusio...
The Hitwoman Who Wasn’t: Blanche Wright
June 30, 2021 12:00 - 45 minutesWhen Blanche Wright was captured in 1980, police said they’d found a vicious killer. And for decades, no one dug any further to find out who the real Blanche was. Michael Wilson of the New York Times comes on the podcast to tell us her story. Read Michael’s article on Blanche here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/26/nyregion/prince-charming-hit-man.html?searchResultPosition=1 Read more of Michael’s work here: https://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-wilson *** Support the podcast by supporting its ...
Bonus Episode: An Interview With My Own Sister
June 25, 2021 12:00 - 29 minutesFaithful friends, how could I conclude sister month without interviewing MY OWN SISTER? Enjoy this mini just-for-fun interview with the iconic Anna Telfer, actress, little sis, and—controversially—someone who once identified with Kitty in Pride and Prejudice. Follow Anna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna.telfer/?hl=en Follow the podcast on Instagram: Instagram.com/criminalbroads Intro and conclusion: “Sisters” by Irving Berlin, sung by Anna Telfer. Learn more about your ad choices...
Sister Month 04: The Gibbons Twins
June 23, 2021 12:00 - 1 hourJune and Jennifer Gibbons made a pact with each other when they were eight: they weren’t going to speak to anyone but each other. Decades later, they found themselves in a high-security psychiatric hospital, putting the final touches on their pact that had turned surreal, all-encompassing, and…deadly. *** Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to dailyharvest.com and enter promo code criminalbroads to get twenty-five dollars off your first box! Go to dipseastories.com/criminalbroa...
Introducing: Sinisterhood
June 17, 2021 11:00 - 14 minutesHi, my loves! I'm super excited to introduce you all to Sinisterhood, a true crime comedy podcast that covers all things creepy and gives you the deep dives and thorough research you want. Best friends and long time comedians Christie Wallace and Heather McKinney cover serial killers, disappearances, cults, cryptids—and even do legal deep dives into things like the Britney Spears conservatorship. If you like this preview, subscribe below! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sinisterhood/id...
Sister Month 03: The Khachaturyan Sisters
June 16, 2021 12:00 - 57 minutesWelcome to week three of SISTER MONTH. The three Khachaturyan sisters liked to take selfies and go to the movies. They looked like typical teenage girls from the outside—but behind the scenes, they were locked in a house of horrors with their cruel father and a wall covered in angels. Email your sister stories to [email protected]. Sign the change.org petition: https://www.change.org/p/stop-prosecution-of-khachaturyan-sisters-victims-of-sexual-and-domestic-violence Read Matthew Luxmoor...
Sister Month 02: The Mirabal Sisters
June 09, 2021 12:00 - 41 minutesWelcome to week two of SISTER MONTH. Today we’re traveling to the midcentury Dominican Republic, where three of the four Mirabal sisters are facing off against notorious dictator Rafael Trujillo. Who wins? That depends on whether or not you take the long view. Email your sister stories to [email protected]. *** Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to athenaclub.com/criminalbroads for 20% off your new favorite razor. Head to Onmolecule.com and use promo code criminal fo...
Sister Month 01: The Papin Sisters
June 02, 2021 12:00 - 44 minutesWelcome to SISTER MONTH. We’re starting in 1930s France, where Christine and Lea Papin do everything together. They work together. They live together. They ignore everyone else together. They kill together. *** Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! Go to dipseastories.com/criminalbroads for a free month of sensual stories! And go to dailyharvest.com and enter promo code criminalbroads to get twenty-five dollars off your first box! Or become a patron at patreon.com/criminalbroads! **...
Re-release: Phoolan Devi!
May 26, 2021 12:00 - 52 minutesYour faithful correspondent is on vacation, so please enjoy this re-release (with brand new introduction) about one of the most iconic broads we’ve ever covered. In 2018, I described it as follows: “A surreal story of abuse and revenge, one that starts in poverty and ends in power.” And then meet me back here next month for our June theme: SISTERS. *** Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! *Smoothie time? Go to dailyharvest.com and enter promo code criminalbroads to get twenty-fiv...
The Broads of Episodes Past
May 19, 2021 12:00 - 50 minutesWe’ve covered over fifty broads on this podcast, from serial killers and cult leaders to lady lawyers and forensic artists. But their stories don’t end when the episode does. Today we’re taking a look at what some of our most infamous broads—Amy Bishop, Jasmuheen, Caril Ann Fugate, and more—have been doing lately. This episode contains everything from war crimes to nine nights spent in a dark cave with a “guru.” Buckle up. EPISODES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 46 (Sister Abhaya), 6 (Beatrice Mu...
Crime-Fighting Broad 007: Eliza Orlins, Manhattan DA Contender
May 12, 2021 12:00 - 40 minutesOne of the most powerful offices in the country is up for grabs this year, and it’s never been held by a woman. It’s the office of Manhattan District Attorney. And Eliza Orlins wants the job. She’s a public defender who’s represented over 3000 New Yorkers and now she’s ready to cross the courtroom aisle and reimagine criminal justice across the US. Oh: and she almost won Survivor. Join the fight at elizaorlins.com! Tell your friends about Eliza on social: instagram.com/eorlins and twitter.com...
Marie Hilley, Part 2: Robbi and Teri, Best Friends Forever
May 05, 2021 12:00 - 1 hourLast time we encountered Marie Hilley, she was running from the FBI. Now, she’s changed her name and her backstory and (eventually) even her hair color. Meet Robbi. No, meet Teri. You’ll like her. She’ll MAKE you like her. *** Thanks to Alex Taylor and Anna Telfer for the great voiceover work. :) Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! *Go to dailyharvest.com and enter promo code criminalbroads to get twenty-five dollars off your first box… *And go to sundayscaries.com and use promo ...
Marie Hilley, Part 1: Sophisticated Lady
April 28, 2021 12:00 - 44 minutesMarie Hilley grew up thinking she was special. Marie Hilley spent a lot of money. Marie Hilley said she had a twin in Texas. Marie Hilley started carrying around hypodermic syringes. MEET MARIE. PART ONE OF TWO. *** Sign Sister Eli's petition: https://www.change.org/p/ned-lamont-more-recreational-time-for-cheshire-ci?redirect=false Support the podcast by supporting its sponsors! *hellofresh.com/criminalbroads12 and use promo code criminalbroads12 for TWELVE FREE MEALS! *betterhelp.com/crimina...
American Dreamer: Anna Delvey
April 21, 2021 12:00 - 47 minutesShe came to New York to make a name for herself, and despite a little, um, detour on Rikers Island, Anna Delvey succeeded. Netflix and HBO dueled over her life story; people dressed up as the scammer for Halloween. But behind the bravado and the $400 eyelash extensions, what can we say about the real Anna? …Is there a real Anna? Support the podcast! Go to dailyharvest.com and enter promo code criminalbroads to get twenty-five dollars off your first box! (YUM.) And go to sundayscaries.com and ...
Archrivals: The Han Twins
April 14, 2021 12:00 - 38 minutesIt was a crime made for the headlines: GOOD TWIN VS. EVIL TWIN. The twins themselves, Sunny and Gina Han, disagreed with the headlines. But you couldn’t deny that something had gone wrong between them, because now one of them was in shackles, and one of them was on the witness stand. *** Support the podcast by supporting today’s sponsor. Go to athenaclub.com/criminalbroads for 20% off your new favorite razor. Or check out: patreon.com/criminalbroads *** Follow on Instagram: Instagram.com/cri...
Queen of Burglars: Sophie Lyons
April 07, 2021 14:08 - 58 minutesNobody conquered crime quite like Sophie Lyons, who grew from a childhood pickpocket to a career criminal with a talent for disguises, netting husbands, and talking her way out of sticky situations. Author Shayne Davidson comes on the podcast to tell me Sophie’s story from her book Queen of the Burglars: The Scandalous Life of Sophie Lyons. *** Find more of Shayne’s work (lots of fabulous vintage mugshots!) at capturedandexposed.com Support the podcast by supporting this episode’s sponsor: T...
The Lady Vanishes: Dorothy Arnold
March 31, 2021 13:16 - 41 minutesSomewhere on the icy sidewalks of New York in 1910, an heiress vanished into thin air. Her family waited six weeks to call the police. This is the tale of Dorothy Arnold, one of America’s original front-page missing person stories. *** LINKS I MENTIONED IN THE INTRO: Donate to the Women’s Prison Association—if you become a quarterly or monthly donor and put “Criminal Broads” in the details section, you’ll get a free tote!: https://www.wpaonline.org/donate/ Watch the new series on John Wayne ...
A Woman Detained
March 24, 2021 15:01 - 1 hourOn January 17, 2014, Sister Eli decided not to go to a party because she was too pregnant. Three years later, she was taking a plea deal for something she hadn't done that night—to avoid a three-to-ten year prison sentence. This is the story of how the criminal justice system can come crashing down on an innocent woman like a wave and make it very hard for her to come up for air. Big thanks to Sister Eli, Somil Trivedi, and Diana McHugh at the Women’s Prison Association for making this episod...
The Half-Life of Casey Anthony
March 17, 2021 13:00 - 58 minutesCasey Anthony is a woman whose face launched a thousand death threats, because most Americans believe she killed her daughter. After her high-profile trial and shocking acquittal, she became an odd sort of celebrity: a famous recluse. What’s she been up to for the past ten years? Why do we care? How accurate are the headlines about her? And does it all add up to anything at all? *** Support the podcast by supporting this episode’s sponsor: Try affordable online counseling (and get 10% off!) b...
The Death of Sister Abhaya
March 04, 2021 13:25 - 31 minutesIn 1992, the body of a young nun named Sister Abhaya was pulled from a well with fingernail marks on her neck. Why did it take thirty years for anyone to be charged for her murder? Support the podcast: patreon.com/criminalbroads Sources: “Regressive, crude,” Indian Express, 24 July 2009 “Sister Sephy burst into tears, Fr Kottoor kept a stoic face,” The Times of India, 23 Dec 2020 “She was murdered for catching an Indian priest and nun in a sex act. Three decades later, justice is served,” Ye...
Crime-Obsessed Broad 002: Rebekah Sebastian
February 24, 2021 16:09 - 59 minutesRebekah Sebastian has interviewed pretty much everyone in the true crime universe on her podcast Die-Alogue. Now, for our second ever Crime-Obsessed Broad episode, I’m interviewing HER! She talks about the most emotional moments she’s heard during her interviews, why a jury trial scares her, and a HILARIOUS trend involving people who don’t turn down their…um…TV. Oh, and a conspiracy theory involving THE TITANIC. —Listen to Die-Alogue! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/die-alogue-a-true-c...
The Soothsayer: Rose Marks
February 17, 2021 13:22 - 39 minutesThe story of a fortune teller, a romance novelist, and millions and millions of missing dollars. From CONFIDENT WOMEN: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion. —Preorder my new book, Confident Women, at Pilsen Community Books or Binnacle Books or wherever you get your reads! —SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patron. —See photos from the episode on Instagram. Sources: This episode is an abbreviated version of a chapter in my book. For all the sources and more wild detail...
Shooter: Amy Bishop
February 10, 2021 14:33 - 41 minutesAmy Bishop was obsessed with her Harvard degree, but the rest of the world failed to bow down to her, and she couldn’t take it. “These people are against me,” she ranted to a coworker. So she decided to take matters into her own hands. —Preorder my new book, Confident Women, at Pilsen Community Books or Binnacle Books or wherever you get your reads! —Here’s my Atlantic article about women who commit mass shootings. —SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patron. —See heartbreaking photos of young Amy ...
The Girl From the Talk Shows: Jennifer Mee
February 03, 2021 18:00 - 31 minutesIn 2007, Jennifer Mee got her fifteen minutes of fame when she couldn’t stop hiccuping. In 2016, she was once again on TV—this time on a show called “Killer Women.” Fame is a curse, and it had cursed her. *** SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patron.*** Sources: Jennifer Mee advocacy website: jmeefree.com St. Petersburg Times coverage of Jennifer Mee, 2007-2013, especially coverage from journalist Mary Jane Park “Fla. ‘hiccup girl’ charged with first-degree murder,” Charleston Daily Mail, 18 Sep...
Most Wanted: Marie Dean Arrington
January 27, 2021 13:00 - 38 minutesMarie Dean Arrington looked out her window, saw a car parked outside, and knew it was the FBI. She’d been running from the law her entire life. And for this last crime—a vanished woman, a ransom note, blood in the trunk of a car—she knew she was going to have to pay. *** SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patron.*** Sources: “Mean Marie” by Gary Corsair, Lake & Sumter Style, 1 July 2014 “30 Days of Mean Marie,” supplement to the above article, Lake & Sumter Style “Lake Lawyer Bob Pierce Dies a...
Crime-Fighting Broad 006: Jessie Levy, Defense Lawyer for the Dillinger Gang
January 20, 2021 14:01 - 1 hourDefending murderers and professional jail-breakers isn't for the faint of heart, but thankfully, 1930s defense lawyer Jessie Levy was anything but fainthearted. In a world where women were almost never seen in criminal defense, Jessie and her fabulous shoes stepped up to the plate to represent some of the most notorious gangsters of the day: John Dillinger's men. Denise M. Testa, author of Defending the Dillinger Gang: Jessie Levy and Bess Robbins in the Courtroom, comes on the podcast to wal...
The Nightmare: Lisa Montgomery
January 13, 2021 20:23 - 45 minutesSomething unbelievably awful was about to happen to Bobbie Jo Stinnett. She was about to live a nightmare. But the nightmare was already with Lisa Montgomery, swirling around her, never letting up. The nightmare had molded her, turning her into the sort of person that would knock on Bobbie Jo’s door with a knife beneath her jacket. *** SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patreon supporter. Purchase THE UNQUIET ENGLISHMAN from this episode’s sponsor, W. W. Norton. And you can preorder my new book C...
Silent Lady: Juana Barraza
January 06, 2021 15:29 - 44 minutesFIRST EPISODE OF 2021 IS HERE. Meet Juana Barraza, who loved wrestling and her children, who hated elderly women and her mother. Our expert for this episode is Susana Vargas Cervantes, author of THE LITTLE OLD LADY KILLER: The Sensationalized Crimes of Mexico’s First Female Serial Killer. Also, you can preorder my new book Confident Women here, and listen to Red Flags (my latest podcast project) here! *** SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patreon supporter. Purchase NOBODY’S NORMAL from this epi...
UPDATE
April 21, 2020 22:05 - 15 minutesA quick state of the Criminal Broads union. This is not goodbye forever, but it is goodbye for now. PLUS, some fun (basic? obvious?) quarantine escapism suggestions. And a bit of rambling. LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLL. Stay in touch! instagram newsletter website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Jolly One: Jane Toppan
October 23, 2019 14:30 - 57 minutesMidnight. A hospital ward. A young woman writhes in her bed in pain. But wait—here comes the night nurse, Jane Toppan, with a cool glass of water, promising to make it all…go…away… The story of Jane Toppan will chill you to your core, shake you to your bones, and remind you of the inconvenient truth that female serial killers can be just as deadly as the male ones. Want more Criminal Broads? Come to Caveat NYC on October 30 at 70 pm to see me and the host of DIE-ALOGUE talk about female cult ...
Evil Blonde: Suzane Von Richthofen
October 09, 2019 14:30 - 40 minutesOn Halloween night, a young woman sneaks her boyfriend into her house…to kill her parents. Meet Suzane Von Richthofen, Brazil’s biggest teen girl psychopath. Mega-thanks to Luiz Alberto Moura for the research assistance! Read his work on serial killers here. Want more Criminal Broads? Come to Caveat NYC on October 30 at 70 pm to see me the host of DIE-ALOGUE talk about female cult leaders!!! Get your tickets here! *** SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patreon supporter and get a cool postcard an...
The Cause Célèbre: Joan Little
September 25, 2019 14:00 - 39 minutesWhen a young black woman named Joan Little ran from her jail cell, leaving her white male guard dead on the floor—without his pants—the country couldn’t decide who, exactly, Joan Little was. The prosecution said she was a vicious seductress who’d lured the guard in specifically to kill him. The defense said she was an innocent angel who hadn’t even known he was dead. Who in the world was Joan Little, really? Want more Criminal Broads? Come to Caveat NYC on October 30 at 70 pm to see me the ho...
Crime-Obsessed Broads: An Interview With Rachel Monroe
September 11, 2019 17:23 - 1 hourWhy do women love true crime? Wait, no—why do people love true crime? Author Rachel Monroe comes on the podcast to deconstruct our appetite for horrifying true stories. Also covered: relating to the Manson girls, why true crime is not the same as a bowl of oatmeal, the ethics of crime scene photos, and the murky side of the victim's rights movement. Check out Rachel’s new book, Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsessiontoday! Want more #content? 1) Subscribe to the new...
Crime-Fighting Broad 005: Kathy Kleiner, Who Survived Ted Bundy
August 28, 2019 13:31 - 54 minutesOn the night of January 15, 1978, Kathy Kleiner opened her eyes to see the serial killer Ted Bundy standing over her bed. One year later, she stared him down in the courtroom, thinking, “I’m standing, now, and you’re in the bed.” This is her story, in her own words. Here’s the Vulture article about Ted Bundy that I wrote…and my profile of Kathy for Rolling Stone. *** SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patreon supporter and get a cool postcard. Get a free month of courses at The Great Courses Plus ...
Charlie’s Angel: Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme
August 14, 2019 13:00 - 49 minutesFifty years ago, a wild-eyed maniac named Charles Manson sent a gaggle of his girls into the night to murder seven people. But his most loyal girl, his second-in-command, a teenager named Squeaky Fromme, didn’t head out with the group. Since she didn’t kill for Charlie that night, she spent the rest of her life trying to prove that she was just as loyal to him—and so, long after Manson's murderesses had disowned him, Squeaky remained. *** SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patreon supporter and g...
The Betrayer: Tanya Nelson
July 31, 2019 14:00 - 42 minutesTanya Nelson believed everything her fortuneteller, Ha Jade Smith, told her—until Tanya’s life spiraled out of control, and Ha couldn’t seem to help her. With that, Tanya decided that someone was going to have to pay for the wreckage that was her life. Someone was going to have to die. *** SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Become a Patreon supporter and get a cool postcard. Support Crimibox on Kickstarter. Get 25% off your Care/of order by heading to takecareof.com and using code CRIMINALBROADS. And chec...
Crime-Fighting Broads 004: The Nazi-Killers
July 17, 2019 16:45 - 1 hourThere were plenty of jobs for women in WW2: nurse, ambulance driver, factory worker. But then there were the other jobs, the ones no one really talked about. Spy. Resistance fighter. Killer. These are the stories of five women—Nadezhda Popova, Vitka Kempner, Noor Inayat Khan, Nancy Wake, and Lyudmila Pavlichenko—who fought the Nazis. They terrorized them from the sky, blew up their trains, endured their torture, rode bikes through their territory, and shot them down with their rifles. In a wo...
Hyena of Auschwitz: Irma Grese
July 03, 2019 13:26 - 44 minutesMeet Irma Grese. She likes boys, girls, movies, makeup, and sadistic torture. She hates her dad, but loves Adolf Hitler. This is horrific story of the story of how propaganda—and a large dose of teenage boredom—transformed an unskilled peasant girl into one of the Holocaust’s most successful concentration camp guards.(Become a Patreon supporter.) Sources: The Beautiful Beast: The Life & Crimes of SS-Aufseherin Irma Grese, by Daniel Patrick Brown “The Violence of Female Guards in Nazi Concentr...
Making a Murderess: Belva Gaertner and Beulah Annan (feat. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi)
June 19, 2019 16:01 - 49 minutesHistory remembers them as beautiful booze-hounds. Hollywood turned them into fame-hungry starlets. But who were these murderesses, really? With Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, author of UGLY PREY: An Innocent Woman and the Death Sentence That Scandalized Jazz Age Chicago, we dive into the stories of Belva Gaertner and Beulah Annan, the most infamous lady killers of 1920s Chicago. What did the press get wrong about them? What do we get wrong about them today? WHY WERE THEIR JURIES SO UTTERLY MAD? And...
Crime-Fighting Broad 003: Isabella Goodwin, Detective
June 08, 2019 18:41 - 49 minutesThe story behind New York’s first-ever female detective! In 1896, Isabella Goodwin was a quiet, hard-working police matron who wrangled murderesses, made up the prison beds, and earned about half of what her male coworkers did. As far as she knew, she’d be a police matron forever…until one day, a gruff captain called her over to his desk and asked if she’d like to take a crack at going undercover. (Become a Patreon supporter for rewards and bonus content!) Sources: The Fearless Mrs. Goodwin: ...
The Duchess: Juanita Spinelli
May 22, 2019 18:06 - 48 minutesJuanita Spinelli ran a gang of embarrassingly awful Northern Californian crooks who could barely rob enough gas stations to stay afloat. And yet three years after forming her gang, she was walking toward the gas chamber, while citizens across the country clamored that it wasn’t right to execute a woman. (Become a Patreon supporter for rewards and bonus content! And here’s the slideshow of California’s death row inmates that I mention at the end of the episode…) Sources: All Juanita Spinelli c...
Woman of Seven Faces: Kazuko Fukuda
May 08, 2019 22:05 - 39 minutesIn 1982, Kazuko Fukuda strangled her coworker, changed her name, and went on the run—for fifteen years. She was playing a game of chicken with the law, trying to stay free until the statute of limitations for her crime ran out. To do this, she had to go under the knife. (Become a Patreon supporter for rewards and bonus content!) Sources: Crime stats for Japan and the US: The Japanese Industrial System (De Gruyter Studies in Organization, 3rd Edition), Page 46, and “The U.S. Murder Rate Is Up ...