Killafornia Dreaming

WARNING: This episode contains events involving the deaths of very young children, including toddler aged children and may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised. We are going to discuss the stories of 4 different mothers who committed acts of filicide, or were at least suspected of doing so - Susan Smith, Diane Downs, Casey Anthony, and the one right here from California - Stacey Barker. We discuss each of their cases, what they did, and what could have possibly lead to them having committed such a horrific crime. Many thanks to Justin Rimmel of the Mysterious Circumstances Podcast and the Rev 9:6 podcast for lending his voice in reading Tom Findlay’s break up letter to Susan Smith. Promos this week from Life After Linc and The Evidence Locker Podcasts.

This is Part II of a 2-part series on the Life and Death of Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel. We are joined, once again, by the host of the Mysterious Circumstances Podcast, Justin Rimmel.  We delve into Siegel’s humble beginnings just after the turn of the 20th century New York, to his rise in the Jewish Mafia, becoming one of the most violent yet charismatic, brutal, yet charming figures in mob history.  Our story takes us to his time in Hollywood, rubbing elbows with some of the biggest celebrities of the time, his tumultuous relationship with Virginia Hill, the Mafia Queen out of the Chicago Outfit, to when he moved on to fabulous Las Vegas, where he envisioned the most luxurious resort the yet to be gambling Mecca the town had ever seen - The Flamingo…all the way to his untimely death while he sat in is Los Angeles living room reading the evening paper.  Thank you Justin, for all of your hard work in putting this episode together for us!

For this special Bonus Episode, the Life and Death of Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel, we are joined, once again, by the host of the Mysterious Circumstances Podcast, Justin Rimmel. We delve into Siegel’s humble beginnings just after the turn of the 20th century New York, to his rise in the Jewish Mafia, becoming one of the most violent yet charismatic, brutal, yet charming figures in mob history. Our story takes us to his time in Hollywood, rubbing elbows with some of the biggest celebrities of the time, his tumultuous relationship with Virginia Hill, the Mafia Queen out of the Chicago Outfit, to when he moved on to fabulous Las Vegas, where he envisioned the most luxurious resort the yet to be gambling Mecca the town had ever seen - The Flamingo…all the way to his untimely death while he sat in is Los Angeles living room reading the evening paper. Thank you Justin, for all of your hard work in putting this episode together for us!

On the night of January 2, 2018, Blaze Bernstein, home from University, visiting his family on winter break, went out with a former classmate from high school, unbeknownst to his family. He never came back. 7 days later, Blaze’s body would be discovered in a shallow grave in an Orange County Park. Who would want to kill the bright Ivy League college student in such a violent and brutal manner?

In this bonus vacation series episode, we discuss the murders of Shan’ann Watts, her children 4 year old Bella and 3 year old Celeste, and her unborn son to be named Nico at the hands of Shan’ann’s husband. What lead to such a horrendous crime to have taken place, and what was it about his non-verbal mannerisms that told the world before he was arrested that he was the killer? As a follow up, we delve into another Colorado case, the 2011 Kenia Mogne, and how her killer was unable to hide his non-verbal cues in much the same way as our first killer.

Today, we are going to take a look at the stories of Terri Schiavo, Brittany Maynard, and Karen Ann Quinlan. Each of their extraordinary stories had a major impact on the way Americans viewed the controversial issues regarding the right-to-die, death with dignity, and physician assisted death. This episode is not meant to be a lesson in what is right and what is wrong, but rather choices and making the tough decisions. Voicemail intro from Bernadette from the Murderific Podcast. Promos from The Unseen Podcast and I Said God Damn! Podcast

On November 2, 2016, ‘Super Mom’ Sherri Papini reportedly went for a jog and inexplicably vanished. Her phone was discovered a mile away off the side of a country road, which lead to a massive search effort being launched for the missing mother of 2. 22 days later, on Thanksgiving Day, Sherri would inexplicably reappear, leaving many wondering what exactly happened to Sherri Papini? In this addendum to Episode 70, we discuss some listener feedback, comments, opinions, and theories about Sherri Papini and her 22 day ordeal.

On November 2, 2016, ‘Super Mom’ Sherri Papini reportedly went for a jog and inexplicably vanished. Her phone was discovered a mile away off the side of a country road, which lead to a massive search effort being launched for the missing mother of 2. 22 days later, on Thanksgiving Day, Sherri would inexplicably reappear, leaving many wondering what exactly happened to Sherri Papini? Introduction from the Baked and Awake Podcast and Promo from Swindled.

On March 5th, 2016, Air Force Veteran Michael VanZandt met up with some friends in Hermosa Beach, California to watch the UFC fight in the Pier Plaza area, which is filled with a spattering of bars and pubs. After the fight, the group of friends begins a bar hop. Michael steps out of line to look for a restroom and his friends never see him again. What happened to Michael VanZandt?

On October 19th, 1999, Brandon Ketsdever was shot and killed by a disgruntled homeowner from whom they stole a Halloween decoration off his front lawn. For this story, I was fortunate to have the first hand account of people close to the case, one of our listeners Kira, and her best friend, the sister of one of the occupants of in the car when Brandon was shot. The concept of defending one’s home reminded me of the case out of Little Falls, Minnesota where homeowner Byron David Smith shot and killed two teenagers who broke into his home. We discuss the laws that are meant to protect homeowners from prosecution when they use deadly force in defending their property. But where do we draw the line?

On February 12, 1993, an abduction and murder took place in Merseyside, England. The victim was 2 year old James Patrick Bulger. Once the details of the crime, and those who were charged with committing the act emerged and news spread across the country and the world, the murder would go down as one of the most notorious crimes in the country’s history. The shock of this story continues to reverberate with the community in which this took place to this day, as it is one that shook Britain to its core. This is the third and final part of our story. Voicemail intro is from Anya from New York City.

On February 12, 1993, an abduction and murder took place in Merseyside, England. The victim was 2 year old James Patrick Bulger. Once the details of the crime, and those who were charged with committing the act emerged and news spread across the country and the world, the murder would go down as one of the most notorious crimes in the country’s history. The shock of this story continues to reverberate with the community in which this took place to this day, as it is one that shook Britain to its core. This is Part 2 of our story. Voicemail Bumper courtesy of Kira from Buena Park, California. Promos from The Nighttime Podcast and The Mugshot Podcast

On February 12, 1993, an abduction and murder took place in Merseyside, England. The victim was 2 year old James Patrick Bulger. Once the details of the crime, and those who were charged with committing the act emerged and news spread across the country and the world, the murder would go down as one of the most notorious crimes in the country’s history. The shock of this story continues to reverberate with the community in which this took place to this day, as it is one that shook Britain to its core. Voicemail introduction is courtesy of Kate from the Ignorance Was Bliss Podcast and Promos from The Extraordinary Stories Podcast and the Murderific Podcast.

On March 16th, 2009 Ryan Jenkins and Jasmine Fiore had a chance encounter at a pool party in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Two days later, the couple would wed.  That’s right, only two days after meeting.  Not surprisingly, things went bad quickly, and within a matter of months, their marriage would be bombarded with betrayal, both financial and sexual.  But they could not seem to be able to let go of one another, no matter how bad things got.  Things would eventually reach a boiling point, and in the end, two lives, and two families would be destroyed.

This weekend, we will be covering the 1996 murder of Debbie Dorian.  She was bound, gagged, raped, and murdered in her apartment.  Her father was the one who made the horrific discovery, and to this day, her killer has never been apprehended and her case has gone cold.  He did however leave behind his genetic marker...his DNA.  Though he would lay dormant for nearly 3 years, he did strike again, raping at least 7 more women in the Visalia, California area, linked to all those crimes through his DNA.  But Debbie would be the only known victim to die at his hands.  With DNA technology having advanced by leaps and bounds over the last 22 years, as well as some recent, very high profile cases that had long been cold being solved, it is our hope to shine some light on Debbie's case, to bring this killer and rapist to justice, and a measure of closure for Debbie's family and friends who have waited much too long for answers.  With the blessings of Debbie's mother, Sara, and the help and guidance of her best friend, Katina, we are bringing you her story.  IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE MURDER OF DEBBIE DORIAN, THERE IS CURRENTLY A $57,000 REWARD BEING OFFERED.  YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL CRIME STOPPERS AT (559) 498-7867.  YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS.