216: The Wellnitz Family Murders

Today's episode is a "best of October" Southern Fried is from 2022, 167: The Murder of Fred JablinDr. Fred Jablin, a highly regarded professor of communication, was a dedicated husband to his wife, Piper Rountree. For years, he did everything in his power to make her happy, but nothing he did was ever enough. In 2002, the Jablin marriage came to an end and Fred was awarded full custody of their three children. Following the divorce, it took some time for Fred and the kids to adjust to their new normal. Luckily, by the fall of 2004, things were starting to look up. The children were adjusting well, and Fred was moving on romantically. He was even looking forward to his favorite holiday, Halloween. But Fred would never get the chance to celebrate. Piper would make sure of that. Hosted and produced by Erica KelleyResearched and written by Haley Gray & Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley HornerOriginal Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma RadioEdited & Mixed by Erica KelleySources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/the-murder-of-fred-jablinSponsors:  -Take off the mask, with BetterHelp. Go to BetterHelp.com/southern for 10% off                                        your first month                  -Treat yourself to the best bras on the market and save 20% Off at                                                           honeylove.com/SFTC.                          -Newspapers.com & use code “SouthernFried” for an exclusive 20% discount                                          on your subscription                  -Protect your home with 50% off a new SimpliSafe system, plus a free indoor                                         security camera, when you sign up for Fast Protect Monitoring at                                                             SimpliSafe.com/southernfried.                  -Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince. Go to Quince.com/SFTC for free                                   shipping on your order and 365 day returns.                  -Go to BlueNile.com to find the perfect, timeless piece of fine jewelry.

The last time anyone saw 49-year-old Emily Anderson was December 29, 2005. As husband, Jerry Anderson was naturally the first suspect. But he seemed to be able to account for his time that day and he passed a polygraph. After an anonymous call, Emily’s body was discovered on January 7, 2006. As the investigation ramped up, police found that the Andersons’ marriage was on the rocks and Jerry had recently taken out more life insurance on his wife. Part 1 of 2. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley & Andrea MarshbankOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Suggested by Susan and ChristenSources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/emily-andersonThis episode is brought to you by:  Financial anxiety anyone? Worrying about it doesn’t help. EarnIn does. Download the EarnIn app today in Google Play or Apple App Store. This summer, pack those vacation bags with affordable luxury essentials! Go to Quince.com and use promo code SFTC for free shipping. Füm: Start the Good Habit at tryfum.com and use code SFTC to get a free gift with. your the Journey Pack. Don’t panic, it’s botanic!Get results you can run your fingers through! For healthier hair, go to Nutrafol.com and enter promo code southernfried to get $10 off your first month and free shipping. 

Texas is known for being tough on crime and those who commit it. Or at least the ones who get caught. There are tens of thousands of unsolved homicides in Texas and nearly as many open missing persons cases. Every week, Gone Cold Podcast—Texas true crime—presents in-depth accounts of unsolved murders and missing persons cases throughout the lone star state, concentrating on lesser-known cases that the media has long left behind. Cases like the recently solved 1974 abduction and murder of Fort Worth High School student Carla Walker, the brazen 2019 murder of Liz Barraza, and the mysterious 1989 disappearance of 13-year-old Elisa Roberson, who seemingly vanished into thin air while she was walking a few blocks from home to meet a friend. On Gone Cold, you’ll also occasionally hear high-profile cases, such as an 8-episode series on the 1996 abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, the little girl behind the Amber Alert.This is a preview of Gone Cold’s coverage of the 2007 case of 19-year-old Brittany Danielle McGlone,who was viciously attacked and savagely slain in her boyfriend’s bed while the rest of the home’sinhabitants were away.As you’re listening, join Gone Cold’s mission to bring these forgotten cases back into the public’sawareness by subscribing to Gone Cold Podcast—Texas true crime wherever you listen to podcasts.https://www.GoneCold.com

On September 1, 2016, 52-year-old Rhonda Oakley was due home from a business trip. Only gone one night, she and her husband of less than three years had missed each other. The empty nester and single dad had been inseparable since they met. Rhonda had recently become a full time stepmom to Phillip’s teenaged kids, who had moved from Indiana to the Oakley’s home on the outskirts of Danville, Kentucky. That afternoon, her stepson came home and found Rhonda in a pool of blood, viciously murdered. His father was devastated and his sister was missing. A national manhunt ensued as investigators realized tried to unravel what happened in this peaceful little town where folks had always felt safe. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley & Gemma HarrisOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/rhonda-oakleyThis episode is brought to you by:  This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SOUTHERN and get on your way to being your best self.Start saving and investing for your future today at Acorns.com/southernfriedGet your coolest and most comfortable sleep with 20% off and free shipping at BollandBranch.com/SFTCVisit SimpliSafe.com/southernfried to get 20% off any new system with Fast Protect Monitoring. There’s no safe like SimpliSafe.Free the pain and discomfort, keep the support with 20% off at HoneyLove.com/SFTCGet the confidence of smelling great from your pits to your feet, go to LumeDeodorant.com and enter code SFTC for 15% off your order. 

In the dark morning hours of September 11th 1991, in the small town of Jasper Alabama, a couple named Earl and Carrie Lawson were awoken by a fake emergency phone call that lured them out of the house. A masked man was waiting in their carport. Earl was bound with duct tape and the assailant forced Carrie their SUV and sped off into the darkness. Carrie had been kidnapped for ransom. It seemed like something you only saw in movies. In the last episode, I told you all about the parade of mistakes the FBI made in this case. Now we’re getting into the repercussions of those mistakes, and even more bad decisions…as Carrie Lawson’s life hung in the balance. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley & Andrea MarshbankOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica KelleySuggested by: Nocturnal Druid, Reagan Williams and AmandaSources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/carrie-lawson-2This episode is brought to you by:  Get 20% OFF @honeylove by going to honeylove.com/SFTC! #honeylovepodThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SOUTHERN and get on your way to being your best self.They say time waits for no one, and neither should payday--See EarnIn.com/TOS for more details.

In the wee hours of September 11, 1991, Earl and Carrie Lawson were awoken by an urgent phone call from a woman claiming to be a nurse who said Earl’s father was hospitalized and might not make it through the night. The couple threw on clothes and rushed out the door, only to be stopped by a masked man as they were getting in their Ford Explorer. He bound Earl with duct tape, then forced 25 year-old Carrie into the Explorer and raced off into the darkness. Their families were shocked to discover this was a kidnapping for ransom. It seemed like something you only saw in movies…but it was very real and they were terrified for Carrie. **Part 1 of 2. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley & Andrea MarshbankOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica KelleySuggested by: Nocturnal Druid, Reagan Williams and AmandaSources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/carrie-lawsonThis episode is brought to you by:  Visit SimpliSafe.com/southernfried to get 20% off any new system with Fast Protect Monitoring. There’s no safe like SimpliSafe.Füm: Start the Good Habit at tryfum.com and use code SFTC to get a free gift with. your the Journey Pack. Don’t panic, it’s botanic!This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SOUTHERN and get on your way to being your best self.Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to Quince.com and use promo code SFTC for free shipping and 365 day returns

In May of 1993, 18-year-old student Charlotte Childs was eagerly anticipating her high school graduation in Holly Hill, South Carolina. She was busy attending all sorts of pre-graduation celebrations in the lead-up to the big day, including a get-together for her fellow high school seniors the evening before. But after dropping her best friend home in the early hours of graduation day, Charlotte never made it home. Instead, her parents were woken by a call in the dark early hours that their daughter was in the hospital, fighting for her life. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES:US National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233National Domestic Violence Hotline: thehotline.orgCanada: visit this website to find the hotline in your areaUK Domestic Abuse Hotline: 0808 2000 247For resources in other countries, visit this websiteHosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Gemma Harris Additional writing by Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica KelleySources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/charlotte-childsThis episode is brought to you by:  This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SOUTHERN and get on your way to being your best self.Visit SimpliSafe.com/southernfried to get 20% off any new system with Fast Protect Monitoring. There’s no safe like SimpliSafe.Don’t pull the covers over your head, your health is too important. Download the Teladoc Health app today, or go to TelaDocHealth.com, to make scheduling your next doctor’s appointment so much easier.Treat yourself to the best bras and shapewear on the market and save 20% Off at honeylove.com/SFTC.Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to Quince.com and use promo code SFTC for free shipping. 

For nearly a decade, the Wellnitz family murders haunted the small town of Columbia, Kentucky. The tight knit community had no clue why these good people were mercilessly executed in their own home. They were known for their thriving veterinary clinic and their kind hearts. But someone had been viciously murdered the family and even though investigators were pretty sure they knew who did it, the case went cold. It took ten years and heroic undercover work to get justice for the Wellnitz family. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional writing by Erica KelleyEdited and Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Suggested by Dana SchmidtSources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/wellnitz-familyThis episode is brought to you by:  Visit SimpliSafe.com/southernfried to get 20% off any new system with Fast Protect Monitoring. There’s no safe like SimpliSafe.Get the confidence of smelling great from your pits to your feet: try Lume, the whole body deodorant. Go to LumeDeodorant.com and enter code SFTC for 15% off your order. Treat yourself to the best bras and shapewear on the market and save 20% off at honeylove.com/SFTC.Füm: Start the Good Habit at tryfum.com/sftc to save 10% off the Journey Pack today. Don’t panic, it’s botanic!Download the Teladoc Health app today, or go to TelaDocHealth.com, to schedule your next doctor’s appointment. Don’t pull the covers over your head, your health is too important!This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Get it off your chest and try online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SOUTHERN. 

Parents have to trust caregivers. It’s just a fact of life. Often we feel more comfortable with a family friend than a daycare. That’s what Tiffany and David Shell did for their daughter Annie. They trusted Brandi Giannunzio. She babysat their two youngest daughters. She was good with their girls. They had no reason to believe Brandi would leave their girls with her boyfriend. They had never met Benjamin Brown. But on August 9, 2018, he was left alone with their daughters. And then they had to face the unthinkable. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley & Gemma HarrisOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma RadioEdited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder and Erica Kelley RESOURCES FOR CHILD ABUSEVisit this website for preventing Shaken Baby SyndromeUS National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453For resources specific to each state, visit this websiteCanada: visit this website to find the hotline in your areaUK Child Abuse Hotline: 0808 800 5000Visit this website for help recognizing child abuseSources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/annie-burkett-shellThis episode is brought to you by:  Don’t pull the covers over your head, your health is too important. Download the Teladoc Health app today, or go to TelaDocHealth.com, to make scheduling your next doctor’s appointment so much easier.  Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to Quince.com and use promo code SFTC for free shipping. Give all the “moms” in your life a unique, heartfelt gift you’ll all cherish for years—go to StoryWorth.com/southernfried and save $10 of your first purchase. 

Nancy Brophy fills her novels with romantic betrayals and murder. It’s a far cry from her quiet life in the suburbs, where she and her chef husband, Dan, are living out their golden years. But when Dan is shot dead, Nancy finds herself at the center of a murder case that could be ripped from the pages of her novels.From Wondery, this is a story about what happens when the line blurs between fiction and reality. Listen to Happily Never After: Dan & Nancy early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. https://wondery.app.link/HNADN_SFTC