Murder Most Foul

Dig Me a Grave, is the definitive true “Southern Gothic” account of the life, crimes, conviction, and execution of Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins, the charismatic, brutal,well-liked, remorseless South Carolina serial killer who was dubbed the Charles Manson of the South—written by Dick Harpootlian - the prosecutor who brought him to justice.As personable as he was ruthless, Pee Wee defied easy categories. He killed to avenge minor slights as well as for pleasure, using any convenient method—including stabbing, shooting, poison, suffocation, and drowning. Evidence suggested he forced at least one victim to dig his own grave, stand in it, and be shot to death. Ice-cold within but outwardly charming, he joked with judges, reporters, and Harpootlian himself, but didn’t hesitate to hatch a plot while incarcerated to kidnap theprosecutor’s daughter in order to extort an escape.Dig Me a Grave is a haunting look at a prolific, remorseless killer, as well as a provocative exploration of justice and the death penalty. Author Dick Harpootlian joins me today on Murder Most Foul.  

“A pitbull with lipstick.” That’s how Cathy Terkanian has been described due to her relentless quest to uncover the truth about her daughter, Aundria Bowman, who disappeared in 1989 after being placed for adoption years earlier. With the help of web sleuth Carl Koppelman and dedicated detectives from two states, Cathy discovers the truth about what happened to the little girl she named Alexis and she joins me now on Murder Most Foul. 

Bobby Fuller was one of America's hottest rock stars when he died under mysterious circumstances. Beaten and bloodied, his body had been soaked in gasoline and left in his car in the heart of Hollywood. The Bobby Fuller Four had just entered the Top 10 with "I Fought The Law" when it all came to a violent end. But who had a motive to kill the soft-spoken Texan? A jealous boyfriend? A New York record mogul known for violence? Or someone looking to cash in on a $1,000,000 life insurance policy?He Fought the Mob, written by Ron Smith, provides an amazing insight into the world of Sixties rock 'n' roll and the Hollywood club scene. An incredible tale of organized crime's influence over the record industry and how one promising artist was cut down in his prime when he pushed the Mob too far.

I’m sure you’ve all heard the adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Or perhaps, “The third time’s the charm.” Well, Kouri Richens did, as she tried 3 times to poison her husband with narcotics before succeeding in 2022.Ms. Richens has just been convicted of murder and attempted murder of her husband Eric. The motive? The oldest in the book: MONEY! She felt she didn’t have enough, so she took out life insurance policies on Eric. She even took out policies on her 3 young children. Luckily, she was caught before she could harm them!In addition, she actually wrote a book for children on grieving for a lost parent before she was arrested entitled: "Are You With Me?" I kid you not!My guest today is Kathleen McKenna Hewtson whose book, "Dream House - The Home to Die For," a deep-dive into the case BEFORE Richens was tried and just recently convicted.

Arguably the most talked about trial since the O.J.Simpson Murder Trial is the Karen Read Murder Case of Massachusetts. Her saga dominated the local and national media for over two years, covered by Court TV, 20/20, Dateline and 48 Hours, just to name a few. There were documentaries galore and even a Lifetime original movie with real actors! Promotion for the Lifetime biopic celebrated the flick with the description: “Karen’s story is one of resilience, integrity, and the growing movement of supporters rallying behind her.” Today we explore that “movement of supporters” that did more than just “rally behind her.” My guest today is Kay Marie, who as an observer of the Karen Read phenomenon, faced often vicious pushback for daring to try to have civil debate. I say trials because Karen was tried twice. The first trial ending in a hung jury and the second in acquittal for Ms. Read. But wait! There’s more! As a quintessential “gift that keeps giving,” there are currently two dueling civil lawsuits currently occurring to keep us Read Junkies entertained throughout the summer!

Robert Bruce Spahalski and Stephen Spahalski were identical twins. Same hair, same eyes, same thirst for blood. Stephen was the first brother to kill - by viciously bashing in storeowner Ronald Ripley's head with a hammer when he was 17 years old!Unlike Stephen, Robert didn't stop with just one victim. With the cord of an iron, Robert strangled prostitute Morraine Armstrong while having sex. With his bare hands, he choked his girlfriend, Adrian Berger. He brutally bludgeoned to death businessman Charles Grande. Even his friend Vivian Irizarry didn't escape his lurid killing spree. Robert ultimately confessed to the four murders in vivid detail. But police suspected there were many more. The twins' twisted story became even more bizarre as the true nature of their sick psyches came to light. Robert Spahalski reveals for the first time the horrific details of his life and crimes in the book KILLER TWINS, a disturbing look at the inner workings of a homicidal mind. KILLER TWINS author, Michael Benson joins me today on MMF

Imagine you come home from a pick-up basketball game at your church’s gym, to find your wife and two small children slaughtered in your garage. But wait! It gets worse!Now imagine after a few short days of inept, possibly corrupt, investigation and, despite the fact you have 11 witnesses swearing you were with them at the precise time the murders took place, you are arrested for the crime. Not done yet.  You are convicted twice with twoappeals vacating your previous convictions. Three times the charm you say?  Join me today as we navigate the 13-year odyssey that is the case of former Indianna State Trooper David Camm and his quest for justice. My guest is former FBI Agent and Investigator for the defense, Gary Dunn.Producer’s Note: This edition of MMF is just under 2 hours in length. I hope you will take the time to follow the story to its conclusion…for David Camm.

HER CASE HAD BEEN CLOSED—BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. On an unseasonably warm winter evening in Pennsylvania,15-year-old Patty Desmond sneaked out through a basement window. She had a history of running away, and that, combined with an argument with her mother, gave police reason to suspect she’d come home in a week or two. The year was 1965. That night was the last time her family ever saw her. Conrad Eugene Miller was well-known to local law enforcement. An older married man with a child, Miller’s association with Patty was questionable at best. Yet he was the last person known to have seen her alive—and the suspect police continued to circle back toward.After nothing but false sightings and rumors, the case was moved to the backburner—where it stayed. As decades crept by, reality sunk in: Patty Desmond was never coming back. Then, a tiny crack unleashed a flood of information, and a mystery long kept unraveled.Author and Journalist, Maureen Boyle joins us today to share the story of CHILD LAST SEEN.

After his December 2003 arrest, nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed "The Angel of Death" by the media. But he was no mercy killer nor a simple monster. But he was perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history, implicated in the deaths of as many as 400 patients.Cullen's murderous career spanned sixteen years and nine hospitals. Now, in a riveting piece of investigative journalism, Charles Graeber uncovers how Cullen gamed the system and tells the unbelievable true story of the confidential informant asked to risk her life and career to betray a friend and finally stop a serial killer. Based on extensive never-before-seen evidence and years of exclusive jailhouse conversations with Cullen himself.THE GOOD NURSE is a mesmerizing and irresistibly paced portrait of medicine and madness. This book will make you look at hospitals and the people who work in them in an entirely different way.Journalist and author, Chales Graeber is my guest today on Murder Most Foul. 

If you believe serial killers are not entitled to defense lawyers, STOP HERE! This episode is not for you. On the other hand, if you are curious what it is like to defend one of America's most notorious serial killers during his final deathrow appeals-Welcome.  "Killing Time with John Wayne Gacy" is a gripping account by Karen Conti, detailing her experiences defending John Wayne Gacy-“The Killer Clown.”In addition to Gacy, Ms. Conti also defended Jeffrey MacDonald of “Fatal Vision” fame and weighs in on that case as well in this episode of MURDER MOST FOUL.