353. Family Ties, Killer Lies: Murder of Peter Porco

It was November 15, 2004, 52-year-old Peter Porco woke up like he always did: early, well before his alarm, with a few minutes to gather his thoughts in the quiet of his Delmar, New York, home. Peter was a fixture in the local legal community, serving as a state Appellate Division court clerk. Peter got out of bed, walked to the bathroom, and stood at the sink.  He then made his way to the kitchen to pack his lunch for the day, just like any other workday. He always enjoyed the quiet mornings before the day started. He performed his morning routine like he always did. He started to load the dishwasher. He packed his lunch. He even wrote a check to pay a parking ticket.  Peter was known as someone you could count on to be there every day, doing his job no matter what. So when Peter failed to show up to work, one of his coworkers was sent to his home to check on him. When he arrived at the Porco home, something immediately stood out. The house was eerily quiet, the blinds drawn. He tried calling the landline. No answer. He called the police.  Officers arrived on the scene and approached the front door. He noticed something strange: a smear of blood on the doorknob, small droplets trailing down the porch.  The front door was slightly ajar. With a sense of dread, Officers opened the door. And that’s when he saw it. Peter Porco was on the ground, his face covered in blood and his eyes wide open. Peter was dead. Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Family Ties, Killer Lies: The Murder of Peter Porco.’ Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS All music is by our editing team @theinkypawprint Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-porco-murder-did-a-college-student-take-an-ax-to-his-parents/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0911062/ https://www.timesunion.com/porco/ https://abcnews.com/US/LegalCenter/story?id=2179489&page=1 https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/christopher-porcos-bid-to-overturn-conviction-in-the-hands-of-schenectady-prosecutor-albany-kindlon-bethlehem-axe-murder https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/2006/08/11/porco-guilty-ax-murder-hacking/53064979007/ https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Porcos-son-indicted-578542.php https://www.spotlightnews.com/news/2006/07/20/jurors-see-video-of-yellow-jeep-leaving-campus/ https://www.spotlightnews.com/news/2006/08/11/jury-delivers-quick-verdict-porco-mom-absent/ https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/ax-murderer-Christopher-Porco-new-lawyer-17705959.php https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK_5DMwS20Y https://web.archive.org/web/20070205100216/http://www.cbs6albany.com/sections/news/porco/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pc8B9PQ0To http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2012/dec/05/porco-case-grist-tv-movie-drama https://www.spotlightnews.com/news/2006/12/12/christopher-porco-gets-maximum-sentence-convicted/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month's special, Cam and Jen talk with Jenny from It's Murder Up North. Her podcast covers crimes from the north of England; everything from the obscure to the infamous. In 1986, Diane Sindall's van ran out of gas, and she set off on foot to find a gas station. Her body was found in an alley. She had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death. Peter Sullivan was convicted of Diane's murder the following year. In 2023, DNA from the crime scene was tested and exonerated Sullivan as Diane's murderer. He was finally released from prison in 2025. Leaving Diane Sindall's murder unsolved and Peter Sullivan as one of the UK's longest wrongful imprisonment cases. Jenny did want us to mention that Sullivan had been diagnosed with the mental age of a ten-year-old, but she misspoke; she was thinking of the case she is working on currently. A psychologist said that Peter is "suggestible" and has a "limited intellectual capacity." Please make sure to subscribe to Jenny's podcast, It's Murder Up North. Her 10-part series of the White Farm House Murders is fantastic. Listener Discretion by Edward Octoberpod from Octoberpod AM Editing and music by Nico & Jesse from The Inky Paw Print Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many young travelers, a gap year is a chance to explore, to grow, to feel free. For Grace Millane, it was all of that and more. She had already crossed continents, shared daily memories with her family, and embraced every moment of her journey. But in Auckland, New Zealand, a simple date would mark the beginning of her final known hours. When Grace suddenly went silent, those closest to her knew something wasn’t right. As investigators retraced her steps, a chilling picture began to emerge, one that would leave an entire country asking how something like this could happen. If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic abuse, you’re not alone. Help is available through the following numbers In the United States National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text 8878 In the UK 0808 2000 247 In Australia 1800 737 732 or text 0458 737 792 In South Africa 0800 150 150 If you would like to donate to the charities mentioned in this episode: Visit Love Grace at https://www.lovegrace.co.uk/ to donate  https://www.lovegrace.co.uk/donate Visit the White Ribbon Campaign at  https://www.lovegrace.co.uk/donate A huge Thank You to our team: Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/07/grace-millane-trial-cctv-footage-shows-uk-backpackers-final-hours https://www.the-sun.com/news/32364/grace-millane-inside-blood-stained-hotel-room-where-brit-backpacker-was-strangled-to-death-by-tinder-date/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Grace_Millane https://youtu.be/QSwuN4pgTmw?si=53XtPF74rqZx7xOG https://youtu.be/uP3lSc3jwMw?si=0Wk5cYYmBf7-UmG7 https://youtu.be/qvrTGrQZtSs?si=iBoAQ78eM30ewGXq Faking It: Season 1 Episode 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1125339782/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1135744594/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1133440647/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1126113738/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1217485915/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1217485905/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 (rough sex article) https://www.newspapers.com/image/1126158104/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1126153960/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1159276964/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1137086337/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/512871617/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1217468266/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1217353512/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1137052189/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1133183143/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1128428887/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1126025057/?match=1&terms=%22Grace%20Millane%22 https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6628&context=jclc https://historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-rough-sex-defence-lessons-from-history/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1970, 85-year-old Nellie Farmer lived quietly in a modest retirement hotel. A retired schoolteacher, she had spent her life helping others and asking for very little in return. One night, that safety was shattered. An intruder broke into her room while she slept. Nellie Farmer had been brutally raped and strangled with a scarf. Her body was discovered face down on the bed, partially covered by blankets, as if someone had tried to hide what they had done. At first, it looked like a single, terrible crime. But it wasn’t. Police quickly arrested a man who admitted he had been in Nellie Farmer’s room the night she died, but he insisted someone else was responsible. His story pointed the finger at a mysterious accomplice known only by a nickname. That testimony would send a man to prison, but was he the right man? As the years passed, the case began to unravel because Nellie Farmer’s murder was not the end of the story. It was only the beginning. Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘The Stocking Strangler: Carlton Gary.’ Listener Discretion is by our bestie Edward OctoberpodVHS That fabu music you hear is from our EP and Editor Nico @theinkypawprint Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20121210082304/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/carlton_gary/1.html http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article173673116.html https://web.archive.org/web/20180520193920/http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/NewsRoom/PressReleases/gary-execution-final-media-advisory https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrEs751aLhpaWcAtd4PxQt.;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzIEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1774902646/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fcrimelibrary.org%2fserial_killers%2fpredators%2fcarlton_gary%2f/RK=2/RS=1bcBJSzIqzj2iI9ciMWTtVSHvPM- https://www.themarshallproject.org/next-to-die/ga/6tn2v24m https://www.aetv.com/articles/carlton-gray-serial-killer https://digitalcollections.library.gsu.edu/digital/collection/ajc/id/13576/ https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/last-words-stocking-strangler-talks-faith-innocence-and-truth-hours-before-execution/85-528753134 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0prdgKP11g https://web.archive.org/web/20120415164736/http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story/DNA-Links-Georgia-Killer-to-Local-1975-Murder-Case/-hJVZ-1q7ECe3VOlVbyi2A.cspx https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114369053/woman-84-apparently-strangled/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220930151228/https://www.mupress.org/The-Columbus-Stocking-Strangler-P1208.aspx https://apnews.com/general-news-7c23df3f40bc48b3a02bcfe8c48eb009 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-troy-record-strangulation-ruled-in-w/114368426/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114369053/woman-84-apparently-strangled/ https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/gone-cold/the-hunt-southern-ghosts-a-serial-killers-stranglehold-on-the-past/85-520576459 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November 2019, hikers traveling through a remote mountain region in British Columbia discovered a burned-out truck abandoned on a rugged forest trail. The area lies deep within the Tolkien Range, far away from any roads and even farther from the life of the man who owned the vehicle. The truck belonged to 26-year-old IT student Marshal Iwaasa, who had last been seen nearly 700 miles away in Alberta. How his truck ended up there and what happened to him remains a mystery. Just days later, another man, Daniel Reock, disappeared under strange circumstances not far from the same region. Are these two cases connected, or is it a chilling coincidence? Join Cam and Jen as they discuss '700 Miles to Nowhere: Marshal Iwassa.' If You Have Information Marshal Iwaasa 5'11", approximately 170 lbs Brown eyes, curly brown hair Distinct tattoos Last seen wearing red high-top sneakers, a green hoodie, a gray knit hat, and black denim pants Driving a blue 2009 GMC Sierra (Alberta plate BLL-1099) If you have information about Marshal’s disappearance, contact: Lethbridge Police Service: 403-328-4444 Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-8477 or p3tips.com Case #19030078 Daniel Reock If you have information regarding Daniel’s disappearance, contact: Squamish RCMP: 604-892-6100 Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-8477File #2020-121 A huge Thank You to our team: Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9tbUSK__3M  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yueni460aM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Marshal_Iwaasa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHJ5t0YLASY&t=1s https://www.newspapers.com/image/619970689/?match=1&terms=Iwaasa https://www.newspapers.com/image/680176348/?match=1&terms=Iwaasa https://www.newspapers.com/image/616734014/?match=1&terms=Marshal%20Iwaasa https://www.newspapers.com/image/616731902/?match=1&terms=Marshal%20Iwaasa https://www.canadaunsolved.com/cases/tag/Marshal+Iwaasa+missing https://www.newspapers.com/image/913493820/?match=1&terms=Marshal%20Iwaasa https://www.ucfiles.com/CA/104200185.php https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/6-men-missing-in-same-region-of-b-c-s-southern-interior-but-no-links-in-cases-police-say-1.5702425 https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/routes-places/brian-waddington-hut https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/6248dmab.html https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/cover-stories/findmarshy-8906288 https://mysteriesofcanada.com/bc/the-british-columbia-triangle-6-6-canadian-manhunts-2019/ https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5947a2.htm https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/losangeles/news/former-olympian-added-to-fbis-list-of-ten-most-wanted-fugitives https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Wedding https://www.squamishchief.com/local-news/squamish-vigil-aims-to-keep-daniel-reochs-memory-alive-7837653 https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/dead-surrey-man-had-crime-related-link-to-prince-george-3737747 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the morning of September 11, 1979, nineteen-year-old Micki Jo West left her mother’s home in St. Joseph, Missouri, as she had every morning. She wore her nurse’s aide uniform, pulled on a khaki coat, carried her white purse, and adjusted her glasses, marked with her name on the right lens. Bright, outgoing, and compassionate, she had a quick laugh and a warmth that drew people to her. She walked the familiar four-block route to the bus stop that would take her to St. Joseph State Hospital. She never made it. Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Dead Girls Don’t Talk: The Case of Micki Jo West.’ Listener discretion by Edward October of @octoberpodVHS All music is by our EP at @theinkypawprint Sources:  https://www.oxygen.com/buried-in-the-backyard/crime-news/micki-jo-west-case-family-killer-marvin-irvin-hunt-body https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94341424/neighbors-awaken-to-nightmare/ https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2212dfmo.html https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94260117/irvin-pleads-guilty-to-murders-of-3/ https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Micki_Jo_Westhttps://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP18179 https://charleyproject.org/case/micki-jo-west https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94343713/ex-officer-held-in-missing-womans/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94354374/law-officers-halt-search-for-body/ https://mysterydelver.com/st-josephs-devil/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94343327/skeletal-remains-identified/ https://websleuths.com/threads/mo-micki-west-19-st-joseph-11-sept-1979-m-irwin-guilty.88462/ https://murderpedia.org/male.I/i/irvin-marvin-lee.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktbaB-i1uZ8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you, Petra, for the episode suggestion. In 1990, a teenage girl escaped from a house in Pretoria, South Africa, narrowly avoiding an unimaginable fate. Her story revealed that she was not the first of several young girls taken under suspicious circumstances. Evidence suggested the girls were being held and moved, possibly for a wider trafficking network that spanned beyond the city. Despite investigations, no remains were ever recovered, and the true scope of what happened remains unknown. Almost 40 years later, the disappearances remain unsolved, leaving a shadow over the city and haunting questions about the children who were never found. Join Jen & Cam as they discuss The Missing Six & The Monster of Melherbe Street. A huge Thank You to our team: Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can find the sources for this episode on ourtruecrimepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this month’s special, Cam and Jen talk with Hopper from Final Trace. In the summer of 1986, 18-year-old Brent Brand went to a party in Vincennes, Indiana, and never made it home. Eight days later, across state lines, Brent’s body was found face down in a drainage ditch. No injuries. No clear cause of death. What began as a missing-person case soon spiraled into something bigger: accusations, rumors, and more than 30 witnesses — including police officers — drawn into the investigation. Listen as Hopper returns to his hometown to revisit a mystery still shadowed by unanswered questions and a silence that refuses to fade. Don’t forget to subscribe to Hopper’s podcast, Final Trace. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Music by Nico Fyffe-Vettese Editing by Jesse Fyffe-Vettese Check them out , The Inky Paw Print Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a bitterly cold night just before New Year’s Eve, 23-year-old Ashley Kline disappeared from her home in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, after walking to a friend’s house just four blocks away. She was never seen alive again. When Ashley vanished, her family and community were left searching for answers, clinging to hope that she would return. But as investigators traced her final movements, they uncovered a devastating truth and a brutal betrayal. Join Cam and Jen of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode entitled “The Cruelest Betrayal: Ashley Kline.’ Listener Discretion by @octoberpodVHS Music is by our EP @theinkypawprint Sources:  https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/two-pennsylvania-men-get-life-in-prison-in-murder-of-disabled-woman-idUSKBN0JM2HX/ https://www.facebook.com/ashleyklinelaw/ https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/family-to-charged-killers-i-just-dont-want-them-to-ever-be-able-to-hurt/article_03564a38-6ff6-11e4-82b6-37d915877836.html https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/194741/woman-raped-stabbed-burned-alive-friends-she-left-home-new-year-s-eve https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/family-reacts-to-death-penalty-for-accused-killers-of-ashley-kline/article_4fb044ec-1ad9-5456-abbc-bb3dabbc9e30.html https://lancasteronline.com/news/woman-found-in-wildlife-area-idd-as-ashley-lynn-kline/article_9b0912f8-8934-53f4-8a8e-bc2a6df4b862.html https://6abc.com/archive/9395586/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM14Hin5ktM https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28616008/ https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/world-news/woman-told-family-going-nye-33145175 https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/victims-father-was-ashley-klines-killer-upset-over-rejection/article_6a1b59b4-7edf-11e4-8759-17ebcd4c9538.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the middle of a spring night in 1988, Margie slipped from her bed, which she shared with her husband, and slowly crept into the other room where he kept his briefcase with all his important documents. There was no doubt that her husband’s behavior had changed since their wedding day just seven weeks ago. Some things that he said just didn’t make sense. Things didn’t line up. His temper was shorter, and his intensity was stronger. And sometimes she just felt overwhelmingly afraid of him. She retrieved his briefcase from the closet and realized that he’d locked it. Luckily, she’d been paying attention and remembered the combination. The briefcase popped open, and she slowly took each document out and photographed it, all the while listening for him to wake up. Then she put each document back in the briefcase and returned the numbers to their exact locations. Maybe this was all part of that witness relocation program that he’d told her about? But what if it wasn’t? Join Jen & Cam as they discuss "Charmed: Margie's Story." Thank you, Samantha S, for the request! Promo by our friends Neil and Megan of Mortal Musings. A huge Thank You to our team: Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sources: 1) https://www.familysearch.org/en/memories/memory/88280195 2) https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/4th/11/1466.html 3) https://amw.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Steven_Mack 4) https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/id-shows/evil-lives-here/a-utah-wife-and-mother-slowly-realized-her-new-husband-was-lying-about-his-identity 5) https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/woman-discovers-husband-is-a-murderer-weeks-after-wedding/WYYSVYT6WQ2C3ZV577SZLVAEEI/ 6) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207701494/karen-grace-winslett 7) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147636377/annette-ramelle-huddle 8) https://www.oxygen.com/charmed-to-death/crime-news/margie-danielsen-learns-husband-paul-mack-is-murder-suspect 9) https://www.newspapers.com/image/1236834971/?match=1&terms=Annette%20Huddle%20murder - Sacramento Union May 12, 1987 10) https://www.newspapers.com/image/294507813/?match=1&terms=Annette%20Huddle%20murder - The Marion Star Aug 11, 1981 11) https://www.newspapers.com/image/624357885/?match=1&terms=Annette%20Huddle%20murder - the Sacramento Bee Oct 19 1988 12) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjTlE35s4V4 Charmed to Death Season 1 Episode 3 13) https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B00LOSBGYG/ref=atv_sr_fle_c_src13fdd_1_1_1?sr=1-1&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B00LOSCTS8&qid=1768408872149 (Handsome Devils Season        1 Episode 1) 14) https://www.newspapers.com/image/601928702/?match=1&terms=%22Annette%20Huddle%22 15) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-court-of-appeal/1771949.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices