The Suitcase Suffocation // 493

Part 2 of 2. Starting in 1978, a Montana man murdered three people and injured 23 others during a nationwide bombing campaign. Hiding behind a comfortable upbringing, mathematician degrees from prestigious universities, and his perspective of doing right by the environment, Ted Kaczynski violently opposed modern technology and industrial society. And through a 35,000-word manifesto and multiple horrific attacks -many of which were on innocent civilians- he plead his case. This is the story of the Unabomber.

Starting in 1978, a Montana man murdered three people and injured 23 others during a nationwide bombing campaign. Hiding behind a comfortable upbringing, mathematician degrees from prestigious universities, and his perspective of doing right by the environment, Ted Kaczynski violently opposed modern technology and industrial society. And through a 35,000-word manifesto and multiple horrific attacks -many of which were on innocent civilians- he plead his case. This is the story of the Unabomber.

 In February of 2020, a 42-year-old Florida man suffocated to death after being zipped into a suitcase during what allegedly started as an innocent game of hide-and-seek. But when an investigation revealed that there had been drinking involved, an ulterior motive presented itself, and so did a suspect whose intentions hadn’t been so playful. This is the murder of Jorge Torres.

In 1988, Dorothea Puente, an elderly and seemingly sweet landlady in Sacramento, California, was arrested after a series of mysterious disappearances plagued her boarding house. When investigators uncovered the remains of several bodies buried on her property, the true horror of her actions came to light: she had been drugging and killing vulnerable elderly and disabled individuals under her care, cashing in on their benefits. As the full extent of her gruesome crimes emerged, a shocking pattern of manipulation and murder was revealed. This is the story of the Death House Landlady.

In March of 2009, a 41-year-old woman living in Grovetown, Georgia was found beaten nearly to death in her home after she and her neighbor were robbed on the same morning. But when said neighbor was shot just two days later while leaving work, police uncovered a tangled web of deception and lies. This is the murder of Kay Parsons.

In April of 1980, a nun was found murdered on the floor of a Toledo, Ohio chapel. She had been brutally murdered, her body found with clear signs of strangulation, and over 30 stab wounds - nine of which were in the shape of an inverted cross. At first, it felt as though her murder had been part of a satanic ritual. But as the investigation unraveled, an otherworldly shock hit detectives and the community when they learned who was really behind it. This is the murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl.

In April of 2015, a 28-year-old mother of three went missing in South Carolina after meeting up with a man from a dating app. Initially, the only suspect in her disappearance was cooperative and helpful. Until her body was found buried in a swamp. This is the murder of Ashley Pegram.

In March of 2015, an 18-year-old college freshman in Virginia went missing after returning home for spring break. Weeks later, her body was found on an abandoned property, proving that her death was a murder. When suspicions turned on her grieving loved ones, and toward the erratic behavior of one person in particular, a shocking suspect revealed themselves. This is the story of Anjelica, or “AJ,” Hadsell.

In April of 1943, a group of teenagers walking through the woods near Birmingham, England made a chilling discovery: a human skull hidden inside the hollow trunk of a wych elm tree. As whispers of witchcraft, espionage, and murder circled the town, investigators uncovered shocking theories that only deepened the mystery… As the woman’s body continued to go unidentified, it sparked speculation and fear, especially after cryptic graffiti began appearing, starting with the haunting question, “Who put Bella down the wych elm?”

When a 43-year-old mother in Colorado slipped into a coma in March of 2023, her grief-stricken loved ones struggled to make sense of it. Otherwise active and healthy, she had been hospitalized multiple times with a mysterious ailment, dying within days. It wasn’t until a shocking source revealed the contents of a suspicious package that a murder plot was uncovered - before she even succumbed to her death. This is the story of Angela Craig.