Of Myth and Mercy

Why all the genuine, real life heat for the acclaimed women’s wrestler, wrestling trainer, and the record holder for being the Divas champion in the WWE, first goddess of the squared circle, the Fabulous Moolah? Well, pimping out her women's wrestling students isn't the only abhorrent thing the First Goddess of the Squared Circle did to make herself genuinely and profoundly disliked. Listen for the story.

Jon Burge, a decorated former police commander with his crew if of bad cops torture confessions out of over 330 people over decades. It took years the shameful misdeeds to be exposed costing Chicago taxpayers over $200 million dollars in settlements & more.

When it comes to crime, Floridians seem to be a fertile ground for crimes to be either highly entertaining and ridiculous or especially gruesome and horrific. Maddie Clifton's case, one of a preteen being killed by her teenage neighbor, Joshua Philips, is a tragic example of the latter.

Latasha Harlins was the last spark after repeated injustices, and Rodney King was a final fire from years of racialized violence in southern California... One ignited the other, and together they lit a fuse which set the city of Angels into a justified and chaotic upheaval.  Cassandra and Alice discuss the history leading up to, one nearly forgotten catalyst, and the shameful way one judge's horrendous idea of justice which set the L.A. riots in motion.

When a young black woman with disabilities is found murdered in East Portland, veteran homicide investigators are left reeling. The scene reveals an especially depraved murder... Committing what they suspect was their 4th victim. 

In 1998, Lin "Spit" Newborn and Daniel Shersty were brutally gunned down in the Las Vegas desert by Neo-Nazis. Although almost twenty years have passed, the darker undercurrents of American society that led to the violence still plague us today.

India is a country with a rich culture, complex and interesting history, and mystery.  Two horrific murders under the same roof go unsolved due to years of grossly mishandled evidence and public scrutiny. Successful parents go from suspects, to convicts, to exonerated. But who is guilty? And why? 

s01e07: Aum Shinrikyo - Doomsday Cult (Part 2)

Aum Shinrikyo changed our lives forever but not as many people know about the Japan-based doomsday cult. Hear about how they started, how they became a cult, and how they became notorious in our first two part episode.

After 35 years serving time for a murder she didn't commit, Cathy Woods was exonerated when DNA evidence cleared her of Michelle Mitchell's killing. It sounds like a happy ending, but the investigation and trial make it clear police departments in two separate states didn't care about finding justice. The second episode where mistreatment of a mentally ill person results in the unacceptable.... And a possible serial killer and convicted rapist is irrefutably linked.

Brandon Teena's legacy lives on beyond the blockbuster Hollywood dramatization which won praise, as well as an an Academy Award for Hilary Swank's portrayal of the transgender man. His untimely and brutal end helped pave the way for hate crime laws to be updated and include under their umbrella those of the LGBTQIA+ community.

We have our first interview ever on the podcast with Sara, a former employee at Riker's Island Correctional Facility in NYC. She talks about her experiences there, specifically one in which she testified in a front of a Federal Grand Jury about the negligence which head to the horrific death of mentally ill detainee Jason Echevarria. 

Paul Durousseau was tall, attractive, charming, and unfortunately, a manipulative serial killer who dehumanized women he victimized. There are questions still lingering about the former military man but what is known unfolds to be a horror for Southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida. Toll Free Crisis Hotlines For North America/USA: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

Annie McCann was a happy, picture-perfect 16 year old girl from a picturesque and affluent suburban home... Or so it seemed. As it goes, there are sides to all of us we keep hidden but these secrets we keep don't always lead to danger, mystery, or our death. Cassandra compiled medical texts here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/ofmythandmercy/McCann.pdf Toll Free Crisis Hotlines For North America/USA: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

McCann.pdf