A Century of Swindles - Crime Scene 206

Long for the good ol' days when people were honest? Well, keep dreaming! Railey Jane Savage shares stories of the great scammers of history who would cheat you as soon as look at you! You can find her book, A Century of Swindles, at Amazon: https://amzn.to/42PjjQ7 Thanks Railey Jane for a great conversation! -- For more information on our podcast data policy CLICK HERE

https://jimharold.com/retail-gangster-the-story-of-crazy-eddie-crime-scene-205/New Yorkers remember the wild TV ads of Crazy Eddie, a very popular electronics chain in the 70s & 80s. Investigative journalist Gary Weiss joins us to talk about the real Eddie Antar and his machinations to separate customers from their dollars in a, not always, honest way. You can find Gary's book on the subject over at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WTTKvJ Thanks Gary!

Finding mutilated bodies and chasing a mad butcher sounds like something out of a Jack The Ripper book. However, these headlines were found much closer to home for me! In the 1930s, my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio was terrorized by the Torso Killer who may have killed as many as 12-13 people. The criminal left the bodies in a dismembered and mutilated state around the city. Author James Jessen Badal joined us in this classic program from 2014 to talk about this fascinating case. Believe it or not, Eliot Ness of Untouchables fame was a key player and the case is still not officially solved after all of these years. Many of the events involved occurred close to where I grew up and I've always been fascinated by this gruesome tale of Cleveland lore. You can find Dr. Badal's book, In the Wake of the Butcher: Cleveland's Torso Murders can be found at Amazon: https://amzn.to/42KbxHW Thanks Dr. Badal!

Research Psychologist Alexander Parker is confident he has cracked the Jack The Ripper case. We talk about it on this week's edition of Crime Scene! You can find Alexander's recent book, Jack The Ripper: A Cold Case Investigation, at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3LudGjM Thanks Alexander! -- For more information on our podcast data policy CLICK HERE

Forensic psychologist Joni Johnston joins us to answer questions about serial killers. You can find her book on the subject, Serial Killers: 101 Questions True Crime Fans Ask, on Amazon: https://amzn.to/40iKKR3 Thanks Dr. Johnston! -- For more information on our podcast data policy CLICK HERE

Carol Costello has interviewed multiple presidents and covered some of the biggest stories of our time during her decades of work with CNN. Yet, the one case that has stuck with her for decades was one of her very first. It's the terrible story of a woman who was raped and blinded in the 1980s. Carol tells her story on her podcast, Carol Costello Presents Blind Rage. We talk about Phyllis Cottle's story and the making of this podcast. You can find the program on all major podcasts and at the following link: https://killerpodcasts.com/carol-costello-presents-blind-rage Thank you Carol for sharing this important story.

Could a serial killer live next door to any of us? Richard Estep shares tales of serial killers who slipped under the radar while doing their evil deeds. You can find Richard's book, The Serial Killer Next Door: The Double Lives of Notorious Murderers at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YLQhi2 Thanks Richard! -- For more information on our podcast data policy CLICK HERE

John Wayne Gacy murdered AT LEAST 33 young men. Most he buried in his basement. This "killer clown" is one of history's most infamous serial killers. We have a truly disturbing conversation with journalist Brad Hunter about this monster. You can find Brad's recent book Inside the Mind of John Wayne Gacy: The Real-Life Killer Clown at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3xX8tuo We thank Brad for appearing on the show.    

Unsuspecting travelers are murdered by a family that rents them a place to stay...sounds like something from today's headlines BUT this actually happened in the 1870's! Camilla Bruce has written a novel on The Bloody Benders, a family of serial killers, and we discuss these cold-blooded killers on this edition of Crime Scene! You can find it, All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YNxTGt Thanks Camilla! Artwork image generated by Dall E 2 with text and Jim Harold logo added by Jim Harold Media.  

Murder, hijacking, and a global conspiracy involving a huge oil tanker. Journalist Kit Chellel joins us to discuss the subject and his recent book, Dead in the Water: A True Story of Hijacking, Murder, and a Global Maritime Conspiracy, at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XI0Hix Thanks Kit!