Episode 50: Keith John Polerecki - Murdered (1996)

On August 9, 1990, Donna Dickey's Thursday began like any other. The 32-year-old mother followed her usual payday routine: cashing her check, grabbing a meal from Burger King, and enjoying her food while feeding ducks at Silver Lake Park. Tragically, this would be the last time Donna followed this routine. The next morning, her strangled, half-naked body was discovered near Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol, with her 1973 gold Ford Pinto close by. What transpired in the hours after Donna left the park, and who could commit such a heartless act?

Everything came to a head on May 22nd, 1992 when Betty came home and found Jack brutally murdered. It was not long before 3 arrests were made which included Betty and her twin sister Peggy. Join us as we discuss this wild case.

Welcome to our first Monthly Mood episode! Our monthly mood episode will be a different host every month gushing about what they are currently obsessed with. Anything from a true crime case, a show, a conspiracy, another podcast episode, etc. The sky's the limit...we even venture out of PA for these episodes! For our first episode of our monthly mood, Chelsea discusses the case of Tracey Nix, which occurred in the state of Florida. 

Join the KCC team for the conclusion of the Craig Rice case!   If you have been listening to our most recent stories you will see we have been slightly dabbling in cases that have controversies. Such as deaths ruled suicide and should have been homicide or even wrongfully convicted. Today we will touch on a wrongfully convicted case with a twist. It involves a murder that was part of a hate crime and an innocent being charged with minimal evidence. I don’t think we have ever done a case that was part of a hate crime. Hate crimes are specifically tricky to convict. Today’s story is going to be a wild ride.

Who doesn’t love a good love story right? It’s really what everyone hopes for. A connection, a partner in crime, your other half if you will. But what happens when love isn’t the driving emotion. What if love is a disguise for control and obsession. When love is so “passionate” it invokes intense reactions. Reactions that are volatile and are irreversible. Today we are going to talk about the case of Terri Lynn Brooks. She was betrayed by the person who was supposed to protect her. He tricked everyone for years until the advancement of DNA which busted this case wide open. 

If you have been listening to our most recent stories you will see we have been slightly dabbling in cases that have controversies. Such as deaths ruled suicide and should have been homicide or even wrongfully convicted. Today we will touch on a wrongfully convicted case with a twist. It involves a murder that was part of a hate crime and an innocent being charged with minimal evidence. I don’t think we have ever done a case that was part of a hate crime. Hate crimes are specifically tricky to convict. Today’s story is going to be a wild ride. 

Carol Ann Dougherty was the older daughter of a “wonderful family”, a happy nine-year-old, who loved to read and frequently rode her bike to her town’s library, usually stopping at St. Mark’s Catholic Church to pray on her way home. On October 22, 1962, Carol Ann was found dead in the church’s loft, having been sexually assaulted and strangled. What monster could have committed such a heinous act to a sweet child, in the most holy of places?

Join KCC with the conclusion of the case of Dolores Della Penna, the 17-year-old that was horrifically murdered July 12, 1972.

In 1972, 17-year-old Dolores Della Penna, a high school student from Philadelphia, vanished just blocks from her home. Known for her kind nature and bright smile, her disappearance shocked her tight-knit community. Days later, disturbing discoveries pointed to a horrifying fate. To this day, questions linger about who was truly behind her tragic end and why justice remains elusive.

In today's episode, we discuss the case of the West Manchester John Doe. Found in 2013, the remains could have been in their resting pace for up to 20 years. The Bureau of Justice Assistance estimates that 4,400 unidentified remains are discovered annually in the United States. At any given time, there may be up to 40,000 unidentified remains across the country. It's truly heartbreaking to think about. How do families and friends not claim these remains?