Killafornia Dreaming

In October of 2012, Newport Beach residents Peter and Quee Choo Chadwick inexplicably failed to show up to pick up their 2 youngest sons from their bus stop. What happened to the couple remained a mystery until the following morning when 911 in San Diego received a call from Peter claiming his wife had been murdered and taken into Mexico to be chopped up. But his story didn’t add up and he was soon arrested and charged with his wife’s murder. Her body was discovered in a trash dumpster the following day. Two months later, Peter was granted bail and two years later, he jumped it. He remained a fugitive from justice for more than 4 years, up until this past week, August 5th, 2019, when he was finally taken into custody in a town about an hour outside Mexico City. Joining me for a portion of this story is the host of the Minds Of Madness Podcast, Tyler. His show covered this case back in July while it was still a manhunt.

In 2002, Brian Banks was living his dream. He was a popular standout linebacker at Poly High School in Long Beach, about to embark on his senior year. By the time he was 16, he was already being noticed by some of the best colleges in the country, yet had already made a verbal commitment to take his talents to USC. He was definitely headed towards being one of the top prospects in his draft class when his time came to realize his dream of one day playing in the NFL. But all of that was sidelined one summer afternoon, when following a romantic encounter with 15 year old classmate Wanetta Gibson turned bad. Really bad. When they parted ways, Brian thought things were good. But they weren’t. Later that same day, Wanetta reported to police that Brian Banks had raped her. And with that, Brian’s life as he knew it was over. A decade later, this story would take an unexpected turn, and in examining this case today, it opens up an important conversation about women and sexual assault.

This is Part 2 of a 2 part series. Dan Broderick, San Diego Attorney and his socialite wife and suburban supermom Betty were among the area’s prominent and well known couples. That is until a pretty young blonde named Linda Kolkena came along after find work as Dan’s so-called legal assistant. As the couple’s marriage had been rocky leading up to Dan meeting Linda, he discord at home only pulled Dan closer to his new love interested. A bitter, vicious and frequently violent divorce ensued, but when the marriage finally came to an end, Betty was not about to let Dan live peacefully, especially not after he married Linda 3 months after the divorce finalized. Betty became the epitome of saying ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…’

Dan Broderick, San Diego Attorney and his socialite wife and suburban supermom Betty were among the area’s prominent and well known couples. That is until a pretty young blonde named Linda Kolkena came along after find work as Dan’s so-called legal assistant. As the couple’s marriage had been rocky leading up to Dan meeting Linda, he discord at home only pulled Dan closer to his new love interested. A bitter, vicious and frequently violent divorce ensued, but when the marriage finally came to an end, Betty was not about to let Dan live peacefully, especially not after he married Linda 3 months after the divorce finalized. Betty became the epitome of saying ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…’

In July of 1998, New York Socialite Irene Silverman mysteriously vanished from her Upper East Side home, never to be seen again. The investigation quickly zeroed in on a mother/son crime duo - Sante and Kenny Kimes - who had been clandestinely stalking and surveilling the 82 year old socialite in a plot to try to take over ownership of her multi-million dollar home. Come to find Sante Kimes had an extraordinary history of criminal behavior that spanned nearly 4 decades, where she would eventually begin to escalate from theft, fraud, arson, insurance scams, larceny, grand theft and the like to murder. To have a chance to receive a free copy of A Sickness in Time, the hardcover book from the Podcast by the same name, narrated by Roseanne, subscribe to A Sickness in Time, and if you have iTunes leave a rating and a review, send a screen shot with your mailing address to MFThomasAuthor@icloud.com

On Sunday, November 25, 2007, graduate student Mandy Stokes left her apartment she shared with her brother Aaron to run some errands.  She would never been seen again.  The ensuing investigation turned up some troubling details involving the aspects of both Mandy and her brother's lives, issues with drug addiction, and fighting between the siblings.  And Aaron's behavior following Mandy's disappearance only heightened investigators suspicions that he might know more than he's letting on.  

In 2016, Disneyland employee Yeweinishet Mesfin (Weini for short) inexplicably failed to show up one night for her shift as a maintenance employee in the "Cars Land" attraction. Twenty days later, the mystery of her disappearance would be solved, but it would become the focal point of a conversation regarding Disneyland not paying its employees livable wages. But would Weini, if she were around, want her story to be considered as a component of the agenda to push higher minimum wages? Maybe not, as her story ran much, much deeper than that. Her story was a matter of pride and dignity which her family felt was being trampled in the fight for higher wages.

California mom Sherri Telnas allegedly drowned her two sons, 7 year old Jacob and 12 year old Jackson on June 29th, 2019. Jacob survived on life support until his death on July 7th, 2019. We also discuss the conviction of Lin Li who drowned her 2 year old daughter, Melody in 2016 in Brooklyn, New York, and Jonathan Zicarelli who attempted to drown his 6 month old daughter in an icy pond in Minnesota, but she survived.

On July 4, 1969, Jim and Artie Mitchell opened up the O’Farrell theater, an innovative venue used for both showing adult films, as well as rooms with live adult entertainment. They became pioneers of the industry, eventually growing their empire into a multi-million dollar business. But one of the brothers seemed to be spiraling out of control, indulging in a lifestyle of excess - drugs, alcohol, and sex, ultimately leading to a confrontation with his own brother that would end up with only one of them walking away alive…

On February 25th, 2010, 17 year old honors student Chelsea King vanished from a jogging trail not far from her San Diego area home. Before she was even found, evidence located related to the case linked DNA to a convicted sex offender, John Albert Gardner III. 3 days after that, Chelsea’s remains would be found in a shallow grave on the banks of the lake near the trail where she had been jogging. While in custody, Gardner would make a stunning admission…he was responsible for another missing girl, 14 year old Amber Dubois, who vanished without a trace one year earlier. How did this man, a registered sex offender manage to commit these two heinous murders and go completely undetected. Listen to this episode and you’ll find out why… To have a chance to receive a free copy of A Sickness in Time, the hardcover book from the Podcast by the same name, narrated by Roseanne, subscribe to A Sickness in Time, and if you have iTunes leave a rating and a review, send a screen shot with your mailing address to MFThomasAuthor@icloud.com

Killafornia Dreaming is celebrating its 2nd anniversary.  In this bonus, we have the voicemails you called in, the Facebook Q & A, and a special interview with Dave Wehr.  Thank you for 2 amazing years!!

This is the second part of a 2 part series. On February 7, 1985, DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped at the behest of the Guadalajara Drug Cartel leaders who suspected he had information as to how and why their overseas bank accounts were suddenly being frozen and seized, in spite of the fact they have connections within the Drug Enforcement Administration. Over the course of two days, Agent Camarena is systematically tortured while being interrogated until his body finally gives out. In the wake of his murder, the DEA would respond with its largest investigation in the Administration’s history - Operation Leyenda To have a chance to receive a free copy of A Sickness in Time, the hardcover book from the Podcast by the same name, narrated by Roseanne, subscribe to A Sickness in Time, and if you have iTunes leave a rating and a review, send a screen shot with your mailing address to MFThomasAuthor@icloud.com

On February 7, 1985, DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped at the behest of the Guadalajara Drug Cartel leaders who suspected he had information as to how and why their overseas bank accounts were suddenly being frozen and seized, in spite of the fact they have connections within the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Over the course of two days, Agent Camarena is systematically tortured while being interrogated until his body finally gives out.  In the wake of his murder, the DEA would respond with its largest investigation in the Administration’s history - Operation Leyenda To have a chance to receive a free copy of A Sickness in Time, the hardcover book from the Podcast by the same name, narrated by Roseanne, subscribe to A Sickness in Time, and if you have iTunes leave a rating and a review, send a screen shot with your mailing address to MFThomasAuthor@icloud.com

On March 12, 2004, Fresno Police answered a 911 call which they first thought was a routine domestic disturbance call.  It turned out to be anything but.  When they finally made their way back in the house, 9 children of the household would be dead of single gunshot wounds thru the eye.  The killings would mark the worst mass killing the city of Fresno had ever seen.  And the man responsible for it all was not only the one who had ordered the killings, but it would come at the culmination of years of sustained and ongoing acts of sexual abuse and incest within the home of self-proclaimed prophet Marcus Wesson. To have a chance to receive a free copy of A Sickness in Time, the hardcover book from the Podcast by the same name, narrated by Roseanne, subscribe to A Sickness in Time, and if you have iTunes leave a rating and a review, send a screen shot with your mailing address to MFThomasAuthor@icloud.com

On November 29, 2004, Robert Palomares was doing his job as an armored truck guard, picking up money from an AMC theater in Phoenix, Arizona, when he was shot 5 times in the head by a gunman that then grabbed the money bag containing $56,000.  The investigation led to the identification of then 35 year old Jason Derek Brown.  Though, to this day, he would manage to evade capture.  He currently sit on the FBIs 10 most wanted list, having been added on December 8th, 2007.  There is currently a $200,000 reward leading to the capture of Brown.