TRUE CRIME with Bratterstein

The Thing About Pam is.. She’s a Killer 27.07.2026 33min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Betsy Faria, Shirley Neumann, and Louis Gumpenberger with me today. In December 2011, 42‑year‑old Betsy Faria was found stabbed more than 50 times in her Missouri home, and suspicion quickly fell on her husband Russ even though he had a solid alibi. Pam Hupp, Betsy’s close friend and the last person known to see her alive, had recently become the sole beneficiary of a $150,000 life‑insurance policy, and prosecutors later said she used that advantage to frame Russ and divert attention from herself. Russ was wrongly convicted at first, but after new evidence emerged he was acquitted at retrial, turning the case into one of the most notorious wrongful convictions in recent memory.The investigation then widened when Hupp killed another man, Louis Gumpenberger, in 2016 and claimed self‑defense; prosecutors said she staged a fake kidnapping scenario to make him look dangerous and to support her version of events. She ultimately pleaded guilty in 2019 and received life in prison without parole, and in 2021 she was separately charged with Betsy Faria’s murder, a case the state says was carried out for money and covered up with a deliberate frame‑job. The whole story became the basis for The Thing About Pam and remains infamous for its blend of murder, deceit, and a wrongful conviction that sent an innocent man to prison.

High Hopes Dashed : The Defeo Family Destruction 24.07.2026 44min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering the Defeo family with me today. In November 1974, 23‑year‑old Ronald “Butch” DeFeo Jr. murdered six members of his family in their Amityville, New York home as they slept: his parents, two brothers, and two sisters. DeFeo later admitted he was the killer, but his story shifted over time as he blamed the mob, then claimed the house itself and “voices” pushed him into it, while investigators found all six victims face down in their beds with no signs of a struggle.The crime became infamous because it was later turned into the Amityville Horror myth, but the real case was a brutal familicide, not a haunting. After trial, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second‑degree murder and sentenced to six consecutive terms of 25 years to life, meaning he would spend the rest of his life in prison. He died in 2021 while still incarcerated, and the house at 112 Ocean Avenue remains one of the most notorious addresses in American true crime.

He Called 911 Begging for Help… But He Had Already Killed Her 22.07.2026 46min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Maria Lizette Nemeth with me today. In this true crime documentary, we examine the brutal 2015 murder of Maria Nemeth in Sunrise, Florida. What began as a frantic 911 call from her boyfriend, Fidel Lopez, claiming she wasn't breathing quickly turned into one of Florida's most shocking homicide investigations. Detectives uncovered a horrific crime scene that contradicted Lopez's story, leading to his arrest, guilty plea, and life sentence without parole. This video explores the full timeline of the Maria Nemeth murder case, the police investigation, interrogation, forensic evidence, and the disturbing events that led to her tragic death.

Deadly Love Triangles : 3,5 Hours of True Crime 20.07.2026 3h 28min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Kendra Hatcher, Robert Limon, Keiona Braxton, Heather Elvis, and Adrianne Jones with me today.

Teenager Murdered AT WORK by Obsessed Coworker 17.07.2026 33min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Riley Whitelaw with me today. In June 2022, 17‑year‑old Colorado Springs high‑school student Riley Whitelaw went to her part‑time job at a Walgreens and never came home. When she didn’t return from a 15‑minute break, her manager went looking for her and found Riley dead on the floor of the store’s break room, with blood pooled around her and dozens of wounds to her neck and body.Detectives soon focused on 28‑year‑old coworker Joshua Johnson. Riley had already complained that Johnson made her uncomfortable and asked to be scheduled away from him, but when her hours increased their shifts overlapped again. Surveillance footage showed Johnson stacking plastic bins to block the camera’s view of the break room, and an autopsy later revealed 42 sharp‑force injuries and defensive wounds to Riley’s hands, along with “asphyxial wounding” from a lack of oxygen, consistent with a combination of stabbing and strangling. Johnson was arrested the next day walking along I‑25; prosecutors argued he’d become fixated on Riley and killed her over an unreturned crush, pointing to a multi‑tool with both their DNA that they said was used in the attack.In October 2023, a jury needed barely an hour of deliberation to find Johnson guilty of first‑degree murder, and the judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Riley’s name now lives on through an art scholarship and, in Colorado law, through “Riley’s Law,” which was signed by the governor to better protect the identities of underage crime victims and witnesses in public records.

A Mother’s Car Was Found in Flames… But Paige Birgfeld Was Nowhere to Be Found 15.07.2026 1h 13min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Paige Meredith Birgfeld with me today. In June 2007, 34-year-old Paige Birgfeld disappeared from Grand Junction, Colorado, leaving behind her three young children and a mystery that would grip the community for years. When Paige's car was discovered burned and abandoned in a parking lot, what began as a missing persons case quickly transformed into one of Colorado's most shocking true crime investigations. As detectives searched for the missing mother of three, they uncovered a secret life hidden beneath the surface, opening the door to a growing list of suspects and countless unanswered questions. The investigation into Paige Birgfeld's disappearance and murder would span years, leading to multiple trials, a convicted killer, and a case that continues to fascinate true crime audiences today. In this video, we break down the complete timeline of the Paige Birgfeld case, the investigation, the evidence against Lester Jones, and the heartbreaking story behind one of Colorado's most notorious unsolved mysteries turned murder convictions.

A Horrifying Display of Hate : The Gwen Araujo Case 13.07.2026 51min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Gwen Amber Rose Araujo with me today. In October 2002, 17‑year‑old Gwen Amber Rose Araujo, a transgender girl from Newark, California, was attacked at a house party by a group of young men she knew after they forced a “sex check” and discovered she was trans. What started as taunting turned into hours of violence: they beat and choked her, struck her with household objects, strangled her, then hog‑tied her body, drove it into the Sierra foothills, and buried her in a shallow grave.Four men were charged; one cooperated and led police to Gwen’s body, while two, Michael Magidson and Jose Merel were ultimately convicted of second‑degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life, and another accepted a manslaughter plea. The defense’s attempt to use a “gay/trans panic” argument sparked national outrage and helped prompt California’s Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act, which tells juries not to let bias about a victim’s gender identity or sexuality excuse violence. Gwen’s mother, Sylvia Guerrero, became a prominent advocate for trans rights, and Gwen’s name is now invoked every year in conversations about anti‑trans hate crimes and remembrance.

SLAUGHTERMAN Shoots Mother with BOLTGUN in Front of her KIDS 10.07.2026 43min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Mary Griffith with me today. In 2009, 38‑year‑old Mary Griffiths was murdered in her home in Bury St Edmunds, England, by a man who had turned from rejected suitor into obsessive stalker. Mary had worked with John McFarlane and made it clear she did not want a relationship, but he began harassing and following her, to the point that she contacted police the night before her death to say she was scared and felt in danger. In the early hours of the next morning, while Mary and her three daughters were asleep, McFarlane broke into the house, cut the power, and stormed upstairs armed with an axe and a captive‑bolt gun of the type used in slaughterhouses.He dragged Mary from her bedroom and, in front of at least one of her children, fired the bolt gun into her at close range, killing her almost instantly. The sheer brutality of using an industrial animal‑killing device on a mother in her own home horrified the public and highlighted how quickly stalking can escalate into lethal violence when warnings aren’t acted on in time. McFarlane was arrested and later convicted of murder, receiving a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years before he can even be considered for parole. Mary’s case has since been used in discussions and legal commentary about stalking, coercive control, and the duty of police and mental‑health services to respond urgently when a victim reports escalating harassment.

14-Year-Old Girl Plotted the Murder of Her Own Family 08.07.2026 48min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Bennie Jo Tibbets and her son Billy Ray Tower with me today. In 1998, a devastating house fire in rural Oregon claimed the lives of Bennie Jo Tibbets and her son Billy Ray, but investigators soon discovered this was no tragic accident. Evidence revealed that both victims had been attacked with a hatchet before dying from smoke inhalation, launching a shocking double homicide investigation that led police to an unthinkable suspect: Bennie Jo's own 14-year-old daughter, Jessica Tibbets. Prosecutors alleged that Jessica conspired with her 23-year-old boyfriend, Raymond Eddings, to murder her mother and brother in one of Oregon's most disturbing family murder cases. In this true crime documentary, we examine the complete Jessica Tibbets case, including the house fire investigation, the evidence against Jessica and Raymond, the trial and convictions, and the controversy surrounding Jessica's eventual release from prison years later.

Bullying leads to Bloodshed : The Laurie Show Case 06.07.2026 47min

In December 1991, 16‑year‑old Laurie Show was ambushed and killed in her bedroom in East Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania, after months of jealous harassment from 19‑year‑old Lisa Michelle Lambert, who believed Laurie was trying to take her boyfriend, Lawrence “Butch” Yunkin. Laurie’s mother briefly left home because of a fake call posing as a school official; when she returned, she found Laurie on the floor with her throat slashed and multiple stab wounds, and Laurie was able to whisper “Michelle did it” before she died.Investigators concluded Lambert and 17‑year‑old accomplice Tabitha Buck had used the ruse to get Hazel out of the condo, then attacked Laurie together, with Buck restraining her while Lambert carried out the stabbing, and that Yunkin helped set up the plot. Lambert was convicted of first‑degree murder and conspiracy and sentenced to life without parole; Buck, tried as a juvenile, received a life term for second‑degree murder but was later resentenced and eventually paroled, while Yunkin pled to a lesser charge and served a shorter sentence. Laurie’s mother went on to fight for anti‑stalking legislation, and Pennsylvania’s first stalking law, often called “Laurie’s Law”, was passed in direct response to her daughter’s case.

2 Dead and No justice: The Tragic Story of the Killing of Alexis Sharkey 03.07.2026 22min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Alexis Leigh Robinault with me today. In late November 2020, 26‑year‑old Houston Instagram influencer Alexis Leigh Sharkey (née Robinault) disappeared after reportedly leaving her apartment following an argument with her husband, Thomas “Tom” Sharkey. The next morning, a city public‑works employee spotted a pair of feet protruding from bushes along a road in Houston’s Energy Corridor and found Alexis’ nude body; an autopsy later confirmed she had been strangled and ruled her death a homicide.Friends said Alexis had confided that she was scared for her safety and that her marriage was volatile, while police quietly focused on Tom, who had not reported her missing and left Texas soon after her death. In September 2021, Houston detectives obtained a warrant for Tom’s arrest, publicly stating they believed he was the only person with the means, motive, and opportunity to kill Alexis. Days later, U.S. Marshals tracked him to a relative’s home in Fort Myers, Florida; as agents moved in to serve the warrant, Tom went upstairs and shot himself, dying by suicide before he could be taken into custody or tried.With his death, the criminal case effectively ended without a trial, but investigators have maintained that their evidence points to Alexis’ husband as her killer, and her story has since been covered in documentaries about the dark side of influencer life and intimate‑partner violence.

7-Year-Old Vanishes... Her Teenage Killer Hid Her in His Basement 01.07.2026 49min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Ashley Ann Carlson with me today. The murder of Ashley Ann Carlson is one of the most disturbing child murder cases in Oregon true crime history. In February 1999, 7-year-old Ashley Carlson vanished from her neighborhood in Astoria, Oregon, sparking a massive search for the missing child. What investigators eventually uncovered shocked the community: Ashley had been abducted, assaulted, and murdered by her 16-year-old babysitter and neighbor, Patrick Harned. Even more chilling, Harned participated in the search efforts while hiding Ashley's body beneath the floorboards of his basement bedroom. Convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to life in prison, Harned's case later became the subject of debate over juvenile sentencing laws. The Ashley Carlson murder remains one of the most heartbreaking and infamous true crime cases involving a missing child, betrayal of trust, and a killer hiding in plain sight

He Survived 43 Hours with the Bonebreaker 29.06.2026 48min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Thadius Phillips and Chris Steiner with me today.In the summer of 1995, 13‑year‑old Thadius “Thad” Phillips was snatched from his bed in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and carried to the house of 17‑year‑old Joseph “Joe” Clark, who would become known as the “Bonebreaker” killer. Over the next roughly 43 hours, Clark sadistically snapped and twisted Thad’s leg bones, breaking his ankles and femur while refusing him medical help and blocking multiple escape attempts, until Thad, hours from death, smashed his way out of a closet, dragged his shattered legs down the stairs, and crawled to a phone to calmly call 911. His survival and testimony not only saved his own life but also helped expose Clark as the likely killer of another boy, Chris Steiner, leading to Clark’s conviction and a sentence of life plus 100 years in prison.

Killed by her Stalker : The Alice Ruggles Story 26.06.2026 53min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Alice Ruggles with me today. In October 2016, 24‑year‑old Alice Ruggles was murdered in her Gateshead flat by her ex‑boyfriend, army Lance Corporal Trimaan “Harry” Dhillon, after months of obsessive stalking that she had already begged police to help her escape. Alice had broken up with Dhillon after discovering he was contacting other women, but he refused to let go, driving hundreds of miles to her home uninvited, flooding her with messages, leaving flowers and gifts on her windowsill, and threatening her with intimate photos, behaviour her family later said they didn’t realise was so dangerous until it was too late.On the night of 12 October, Dhillon travelled down from his barracks, climbed in through an open window at Alice’s flat and attacked her inside, slashing her throat repeatedly with a kitchen knife in what a pathologist described as a “deep and forceful” cut from ear to ear, along with multiple defensive wounds as she tried to fight him off. He then left her to bleed to death on the floor, and it was Alice’s flatmate who later found her body and alerted police. At trial, Dhillon claimed he acted in self‑defence and that the fatal wound was an accident during a struggle, but the jury rejected that, convicting him of murder; the judge jailed him for life with a minimum term of 22 years and called the killing an act of “utter barbarism.”Since Alice’s death, her family have set up the Alice Ruggles Trust to campaign on stalking, using her story to show how quickly a controlling, “romantic” obsession can cross the line into lethal violence, and how vital it is that repeated reports to the police are treated as a genuine warning rather than just relationship drama.

5-Year-Old Shawnlee Perry was Killed by a “Helpful Neighbor” 24.06.2026 42min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Shawnlee Matilda Perry with me today. In May 1992, 5-year-old Shawnlee Perry disappeared from Earth, Texas, launching a massive missing child investigation that gripped the small community and became one of the state's most heartbreaking true crime cases. After weeks of searching, Shawnlee was found murdered, and investigators spent years working to solve the child abduction and murder. The case took a shocking turn when forensic evidence linked local resident Eddie Rowton to the crime, revealing that the man responsible had participated in search efforts while Shawnlee's family desperately looked for answers. Convicted of capital murder in 1999 and sentenced to death, Rowton's conviction brought long-awaited justice in a case that continues to be remembered as a tragic Texas murder case, child homicide investigation, and chilling example of a killer hiding in plain sight.

Watched her Friends Dig her Grave : The Rachel Burkheimer Case 22.06.2026 48min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Rachel Burkheimer with me today.

One Of The Darkest Things That I Can Ever Imagine : Mary Ann Murphy 19.06.2026 48min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Mary Ann Murphy with me today. In July 2012, 48‑year‑old Mary Ann Murphy was found stabbed to death in her bed in the family home in Humble, Texas, after her teenage daughter Keri ran to a neighbor’s house and called 911 claiming an intruder had kicked in the back door. When police arrived, they discovered a scene of extreme overkill: Mary Ann had been attacked as she slept and stabbed more than 70 times, with wounds covering her arms, hands, neck, and face, clearly far beyond what would be needed to kill.At first, detectives focused on 20‑year‑old Zein Ahmed, a male classmate of Keri’s, but as they dug into phone records and relationships, attention shifted to Keri herself and her older girlfriend, 20‑year‑old Rebecca Keller. Mary Ann had recently tried to stop Keri from seeing Rebecca after catching them alone together, and investigators came to believe the two young women had plotted Mary Ann’s murder so they could be together without interference. Recorded jail calls later captured Rebecca admitting that she was the one who crept into Mary Ann’s bedroom and stabbed her more than 70 times while Keri staged the break‑in story.Rather than go to trial, both Keri and Rebecca pleaded guilty in December 2012; Rebecca received a 60‑year sentence for carrying out the stabbing, while Keri was sentenced to 30 years for orchestrating the plot against her own mother. The case has since been highlighted in documentaries and true‑crime shows as a chilling example of a teenage romance turning homicidal when a parent tried to step in.

Virginia McCullough Murdered Her Parents… Then Lived With Their Bodies 17.06.2026 45min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering John McCullough and Lois McCullough with me today. The Virginia McCullough case is one of the most disturbing family murder cases in recent UK true crime history. In 2019, 36-year-old Virginia McCullough murdered her parents, John McCullough and Lois McCullough, inside their home in Essex, England. Investigators discovered that Virginia poisoned her father and then brutally killed her mother before concealing both bodies inside the house. For nearly four years, she continued living in the home while pretending her parents were still alive, sending messages to family members, making excuses for their absence, and spending money connected to their accounts. The shocking double murder was finally uncovered in 2023 when police conducted a welfare check and found the remains of John and Lois hidden inside the property. Virginia McCullough later admitted to the killings and was sentenced to life in prison, making this chilling case of deception, family murder, and concealed bodies one of the most talked-about true crime stories in the United Kingdom.

Shaylyn Moran and Jack Doherty : The Psychotic Pawtucket Couple 15.06.2026 43min

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Cheryl Smith with me today. On New Year’s Day 2020 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, 18‑year‑old Shaylyn Moran and her new fiancé, 23‑year‑old Jack Doherty, turned a petty grudge into a murder plot when they targeted the mother of Moran’s ex‑boyfriend. Prosecutors said the couple got engaged on New Year’s Eve, then spent the night in a hotel planning revenge, deciding that Doherty would go to the Baxter Street home where Moran’s ex lived and shoot whoever answered the door with a handgun police believe was at least partly 3D‑printed.Around 8 p.m. on January 1, 54‑year‑old Cheryl Smith opened her front door and was shot multiple times in the chest; she later died at the hospital, while a man in dark clothing was seen running from the scene. Detectives quickly traced the plot back to Moran and Doherty, who were found hours later at a nearby Hampton Inn with the gun and arrested on murder and conspiracy charges. Moran ultimately pleaded guilty in 2021 to first‑degree murder, conspiracy, and firearms charges and was sentenced to life in prison plus additional years, while Doherty took his case to trial, claiming mental illness. A jury rejected his insanity defense in 2022 and found him guilty of murder, conspiracy, using a firearm in a violent crime, and carrying a pistol without a permit; in 2023 he was given two consecutive life sentences, ensuring that both he and Moran will likely die in prison for the New Year’s Day execution of Cheryl Smith.