22 - Lancaster Extortion Letters

Lee Selwyn was a popular figure in the downtown Los Angeles night life. He was a musician, thoughtful person, and beloved by his community. Then, he became the target of a bizarre, violent road rage incident. Join us for the tragic story of the murder of Lee Selwyn and the search for his deranged killer. Thanks as always to Raven for our music! UPDATE: in this episode, Athena talks about the attacks on people experiencing homelessness in New York. A suspect was arrested shortly after: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/suspect-arrested-in-murders-of-homeless-men-in-nyc-dc/3599068/ Sources

In December of 1944, the Dentai family found themselves living in an abandoned train car, refugees from war-torn Budapest. But their suffering was alleviated by a kind soldier named Philip who befriended the family and restored their faith in humanity. 35 years later, they were still looking Philip, to reconnect with him and share their thanks.  Thanks to Raven for our music! Sources: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Philip_Pelletier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRAhLWQW69k&t=10s https://www.newspapers.com/image/310621626/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/310623764/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungary_in_World_War_II https://www.newspapers.com/image/204778804/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/310623416/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/01/belgian-police-arrest-25-men-including-mep-as-sex-party-breaks-curfew-coronavirus

Popular home-town boy Steven Cox promised his friends and neighbors returns of 20-24% on their investments. Then, he disappeared- along with 3.5 million dollars. He eluded capture for 4 years- but he couldn't evade a keen-eyed lodge manager named Edna. Thanks to Raven for our music! Sources: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Steven_Cox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPoghcn7W7I https://www.newspapers.com/image/385109866/?terms=%22Steven%20Cox%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/385113296/?terms=%22Steven%20Cox%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/200475613/?terms=%22Steven%20Cox%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/199782785/?terms=%22bud%20richmond%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/338409752/?terms=%22bud%20richmond%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/200275002/?terms=%22Steven%20Cox%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/394794411/?terms=%22steven%20cox%22&match=1 https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19881215&id=6QJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JIwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3159,2818406 https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/904/1399/388075/ https://bouldercityreview.com/opinion/national-splash-leads-to-fraudsters-capture-54422/

In 1988, more than 250 prominent residents in Lancaster, California received threatening, mysterious letters demanding, all together, millions of dollars. The investigator's biggest clue? A high-tech piece of expensive, modern equipment- a word processor. Join us as we discuss the case, identities, and possible motives of the Lancaster extortion writers. Thanks to Raven for our music!

In the 1980s, Los Angeles earned itself the distinguished title of bank robbery capitol of the world. What made it such a hot spot for heists? Why did the Chevy Chase Bandit trip and fall? Which Marx brother would YOU dress up as to rob a bank? And why are we talking about the Twilight Zone?? Learn the answers to some of these questions as we break down Unsolved Mysteries' bank robber roll call! If you need information or help with a chemical dependency or substance abuse disorder, you can go to the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) website, samhsa.gov, or call their helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for help finding resources in your area. *As we continue to try to improve our sound quality, we continue to meet new challenges. Thank you for bearing with us while we work out all the kinks to provide you the best sound we can!* Thanks to Raven for our music! Sources: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Chevy_Chase_Bandit https://www.newspapers.com/image/405847930/ https://crimereads.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-bank-robbery-capital-of-the-world/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/607831161/ https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-31-me-621-story.html https://www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1987/02/21/A-suspected-member-of-the-Marx-Brothers-Bandits-who/8803540882000/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/607831136/ https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-supreme-court/1842080.html  https://wickedhorror.com/top-horror-lists/unsolved-mysteries-10-cases-solved/ https://scocal.stanford.edu/opinion/re-strick-28270 https://www.newspapers.com/image/385260446/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/475427580/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/385321535/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/460741492/ https://apnews.com/article/2c4c4502cc30a6181a91694ccafb2f41 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident https://www.newspapers.com/image/65990374 https://www.anylaw.com/case/united-states-of-america-v-bernard-sabbath-strick/c-d-california/09-10-2012/XIwUQWYBTlTomsSBtlCn

JUST in time for Halloween comes our second seasonal special! This week, Chandra tells us about some of the spookiest hauntings aboard the RMS Queen Mary! Thanks to Raven for our music! (sources coming)

Join us for the chilling tale of Chicago's most famous ghost, Resurrection Mary, and the first of our Halloween specials! Thanks to Raven for our music! Sources: https://www.pjstar.com/article/20071026/news/310269959 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_Mary https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Resurrection_Cemetery https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-10-31-8503140599-story.html https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/06/08/chicago-ghost-hunter-richard-crowe-dies/ https://resources.depaul.edu/newsline/sections/into-the-archives/Pages/Richard-Crowe.aspx https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32029197/ona-marija-norkus https://www.newspapers.com/image/354875592/ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19720716/mary-bregovy https://www.newspapers.com/image/389842935/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/168398564/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Darrow https://ghostresearch.org/sites/resurrection.html https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/alleged-killer-admits-3-unsolved-murders-including-that-author-lois-duncans-daughter/WCJ46R6BJBEPLMMGGGOZPMLDZY/\ https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Kaitlyn_Arquette

On a summer night in 1979, the lives of six teenagers collided, and one was left dead. What followed was a 17 month investigation, an escape from an inescapable prison, and a search for justice by two families: the victim's, and the murderer's. Thanks to Raven for our music! Sources: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Mark_Adams https://www.newspapers.com/image/334043370 https://www.newspapers.com/image/696761219 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691461564 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691455979 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691441498 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691349832 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691458077 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691444098 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691430657 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691824365 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691809262 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691814497 https://www.newspapers.com/image/691793527 https://www.newspapers.com/image/692447742 https://www.newspapers.com/image/692600088 https://www.newspapers.com/image/696645727 https://www.newspapers.com/image/696631493 https://www.newspapers.com/image/696641105 https://www.newspapers.com/image/696764611 https://www.newspapers.com/image/462311118 https://www.newspapers.com/image/693599006 https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Ex-girlfriend-Prison-guard-bragged-of-killing-3057877.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Quentin_State_Prison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Trejo https://www.britannica.com/topic/San-Quentin-State-Prison

The grand finale is here! TBH, we could have gone on for at least another week about this roller coaster of a case. IF YOU ONLY LISTEN TO ONE EPISODE OF OUR SON OF SAM COVERAGE, MAKE IT THIS ONE! We're coming hard for poorly backed conspiracy theories this week and hopefully offering some food for thought as we challenge Maury Terry's claims about the Carr family, Satanic cults, and David Berkowitz's involvement with both. Check out our Instagram @yousolvedamystery for pictures related to this episode Thanks to Raven for our music! Sources: "Season 1 Episode 4" Unsolved Mysteries. NBC, 1988 "Season 1 Episode 5" Unsolved Mysteries. NBC, 1988 Sons of Sam: a Descent into Madness.  Directed by Joshua Zeman, Netflix, 2021 Son of Sam: the hunt for a killer. Directed by Richard Curson Smith and Hannah James, Investigation Discovery, 2017 https://www.vox.com/culture/22358153/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-conspiracy-theories-explained https://psmag.com/social-justice/make-a-cross-with-your-fingers-its-the-satanic-panic#.61dzb5vo3 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/us/satanic-panic.html https://www.ncsc.org/trends/monthly-trends-articles/2017/the-trouble-with-eyewitness-identification-testimony-in-criminal-cases https://people.howstuffworks.com/police-sketch.htm https://innocenceproject.org/why-we-should-be-skeptical-when-we-hear-police-release-sketch-of-suspect/ https://screenrant.com/sons-sam-sleep-photo-prison-david-berkowitz-controversy/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/715602725/ https://books.google.com/books?id=KuQIEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA269&lpg=PA269&dq=falcons+nest+coffee+shop+north+dakota&source=bl&ots=lRmAhsTrQW&sig=ACfU3U0V8GXR0ueDT5gE-otNUXBCB7FDZg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMzbqBrq7xAhWSZs0KHU9zCZoQ6AF6BAgfEAM#v=onepage&q=falcons%20nest%20coffee%20shop%20north%20dakota&f=false https://www.newspapers.com/image/678975027/ https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/21/archives/notoriety-haunts-reallife-sam-reallife-sam-says-notoriety-is.html https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/son-of-sam-the-hunt-for-a-killer/videos/son-of-sam-satanic-cult-theory https://www.newspapers.com/image/346101112/ https://sonofsamconspiracy.com/articles/WHEATCARRYONKERSFBPOSTS.pdf https://www.newspapers.com/image/482804185/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/678908967/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/162718991/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/483104050/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/483114710/ https://www.nytimes.com/1977/08/13/archives/exlandlady-asserts-she-knew-it-was-he-contends-she-told-new.html https://www.npr.org/2021/05/18/997559036/americas-satanic-panic-returns-this-time-through-qanon https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/19/archives/inquiry-reported-into-new-theory-on-son-of-sam-elder-carr-was.html https://www.npr.org/2020/10/12/923019289/how-conspiracy-theorists-are-disrupting-efforts-to-fight-human-trafficking https://nypost.com/2018/02/06/son-of-sam-killer-recovering-after-another-heart-surgery/ https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/20110425_How_useful_are_police_composite_sketches_.html https://www.npr.org/2021/05/18/997559036/americas-satanic-panic-returns-this-time-through-qanon https://blogs.harvard.edu/houghton/a-deal-with-the-devil/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_Church_of_the_Final_Judgment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_Friends_Animal_Society https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_elephant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89liphas_L%C3%A9vi

Did we say two-parter? Whoops! How were we to know this case had everything?? Serial killers, satanic panic, special agents, cults, conspiracies! Join us as we take a walk through journalist Maury Terry's theory as presented on Unsolved Mysteries and explore the history of moral hysteria and satanic cults. Thank to Raven for our music! Sources: "Season 1 Episode 4" Unsolved Mysteries. NBC, 1988 "Season 1 Episode 5" Unsolved Mysteries. NBC, 1988 Sons of Sam: a Descent into Madness.  Directed by Joshua Zeman, Netflix, 2021 https://www.vox.com/culture/22358153/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-conspiracy-theories-explained https://psmag.com/social-justice/make-a-cross-with-your-fingers-its-the-satanic-panic#.61dzb5vo3 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/us/satanic-panic.html https://www.ncsc.org/trends/monthly-trends-articles/2017/the-trouble-with-eyewitness-identification-testimony-in-criminal-cases https://people.howstuffworks.com/police-sketch.htm https://innocenceproject.org/why-we-should-be-skeptical-when-we-hear-police-release-sketch-of-suspect/ https://screenrant.com/sons-sam-sleep-photo-prison-david-berkowitz-controversy/ https://thecinemaholic.com/how-did-jim-mitteager-die/ https://www.churchofsatan.com/eleven-rules-of-earth/ https://thesatanictemple.com/ https://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Satanic-Temple-Lucien-Greaves-Baphomet-nontheistic-13509157.php#photo-16725727 https://www.findlaw.com/family/child-abuse/child-abuse-background-and-history.html https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/child-abuse-history https://tunedinparents.com/2016/10/13/a-strange-history-the-evolution-of-stranger-danger/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8399749.stm https://sites.google.com/site/witchhuntcomparison/mccuans https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/136592NCJRS.pdf https://www.newspapers.com/image/715602725/ https://books.google.com/books?id=KuQIEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA269&lpg=PA269&dq=falcons+nest+coffee+shop+north+dakota&source=bl&ots=lRmAhsTrQW&sig=ACfU3U0V8GXR0ueDT5gE-otNUXBCB7FDZg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMzbqBrq7xAhWSZs0KHU9zCZoQ6AF6BAgfEAM#v=onepage&q=falcons%20nest%20coffee%20shop%20north%20dakota&f=false https://www.newspapers.com/image/678975027/ https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/21/archives/notoriety-haunts-reallife-sam-reallife-sam-says-notoriety-is.html https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/son-of-sam-the-hunt-for-a-killer/videos/son-of-sam-satanic-cult-theory https://www.newspapers.com/image/346101112/ https://sonofsamconspiracy.com/articles/WHEATCARRYONKERSFBPOSTS.pdf https://www.newspapers.com/image/482804185/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/678908967/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/162718991/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/483104050/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/483114710/ https://www.nytimes.com/1977/08/13/archives/exlandlady-asserts-she-knew-it-was-he-contends-she-told-new.html https://www.npr.org/2021/05/18/997559036/americas-satanic-panic-returns-this-time-through-qanon https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/19/archives/inquiry-reported-into-new-theory-on-son-of-sam-elder-carr-was.html https://www.npr.org/2020/10/12/923019289/how-conspiracy-theorists-are-disrupting-efforts-to-fight-human-trafficking https://nypost.com/2018/02/06/son-of-sam-killer-recovering-after-another-heart-surgery/