Killafornia Dreaming

Today, we are going to discuss two different stories...two women, one who changed her identity to hide from her family and everyone in her previous life, and the other who was running from the law.  The first story leading into the second involves the sad tale of Lori Erica Ruff...we take a look at how she managed to become a completely different person and the path her life took in the ensuing years.  Next we are going to discuss our fugitive.  In 1975 Susan LeFevre was busted by an undercover Michigan State Trooper selling heroin at a local pizza restaurant.  She claimed that the prosecutor pressured her into pleading guilty, admit to the crimes, and she would avoid jail time and be sentenced to probation.  But, when she went before the judge, he ended up sentencing her to 10 to 20 years...a sentence she says she didn't deserve.  A sentence from which she would escape, with the help of her grandpa, and she would run and hide all the way to California where she began a whole new life, got married, had children...had everything you could ever want...until one day when her past caught up with her.

This is the second part of a two part series, so make sure you listen to part one before you listen to this, otherwise you will be lost. For this special Vacation Series Bonus Episode of Killafornia Dreaming we are headed north to Ontario, Canada. In the 1970s, a trio of friends began their own little criminal enterprise, targeting shipment containers, cargo, and delivery systems throughout Ottawa. Eventually their exploits landed them in prison, but each one of them managed to escape from prison, eventually winding up in California where they graduated to Bank Robbery, earning themselves the moniker, the Stopwatch Gang.

For this special Vacation Series Bonus Episode of Killafornia Dreaming we are headed north to Ontario, Canada. In the 1970s, a trio of friends began their own little criminal enterprise, targeting shipment containers, cargo, and delivery systems throughout Ottawa. Eventually their exploits landed them in prison, but each one of them managed to escape from prison, eventually winding up in California where they graduated to Bank Robbery, earning themselves the moniker, the Stopwatch Gang.

In early 1972, President Richard Nixon was in full swing preparing for the 1972 election, hoping to win a second term. But as you know, Nixon would famously quit as he got broiled in some issue involving some wiretapping thing later on that year. But Watergate wasn’t Nixon’s only scandal. He also was involved what came to be known as the Milk Fund Scandal…he purportedly manipulated the cost of milk in order to compel their union to contribute to his re-election campaign, which they would, and Nixon would, in turn fix the milk prices back to what they had been so. The illegal obtained funds were supposedly stashed in a bank in California in some safe deposit boxes. And a crew of bank robbers based in Youngsville, Ohio were determined to get their hands on Nixon’s secret millions. 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

In September of 1992, Jennifer Asbenson accepted a ride to work from a stranger…the man seemed pleasant, charming even. She had no idea she had just gotten into the car with a sadistic serial killer… and she would be the only one to live to tell about it. This is the story of Andrew Urdiales… 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 4, 1997, 18 year old Nick Howard inexplicably went missing. The following morning, his mother contacted police to report him missing and a search was immediately launched. Two days later, Nick’s car was found submerged in the Sacramento River, but Nick was not with his car. Three weeks later, Nicks body was found a little ways downstream from where his car went into the river. The investigation would uncover the story of a plan involving the faking of Nick’s death, an insurance fraud scheme, and an obsession over a woman, an unrequited love that went on for more than 20 years. And all the while, an elaborate plan for revenge had been in the works for many, many years. 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

Justin, host of the Mysterious Circumstances Podcast joins us once again to delve into another mystery, this time, an intriguing old time Hollywood Murder Mystery - the shooting death of director William Desmond Taylor.

On November 16th, 2010, the much sought after Hollywood publicist, Ronni Chasen was shot and killed as she was driving home from an after party in Beverly Hills. Because of a tip to America’s Most Wanted called in by a tipster with questionable information and motives. And as police descended upon the person of interest, he ended up taking his own life, leaving the Beverly Hills Police Department free to weave the narrative as they saw fit in order to declare the murder of Ronni Chasen as solved and case closed. But still, many questions linger as to the validity of this so called “solved” case. Listen as we go through and try to pick apart this case to try and uncover the truth…if that is even possible. 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

This Episode is the 2nd part of a 2 part series. If you haven’t listened to Episode 87, listen to that first, then come back to this. On January 17th, 1998 40 year old Elizabeth Begaren was shot and killed in a confrontation on the 91 freeway after an evening out with her husband and step-daughter. At first it appeared to be a possible carjacking and robbery committed by some street gang members gone wrong, but the more investigators dug into the killing, the more their sights turned away from the gang theory and towards something closer to home. The case would grow cold, but Elizabeth’s family would never give up and eventually their persistence paid off. 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 January 17th, 1998 40 year old Elizabeth Begaren was shot and killed in a confrontation on the 91 freeway after an evening out with her husband and step-daughter. At first it appeared to be a possible carjacking and robbery committed by some street gang members gone wrong, but the more investigators dug into the killing, the more their sights turned away from the gang theory and towards something closer to home. The case would grow cold, but Elizabeth’s family would never give up and eventually their persistence paid off. 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

In July of 1995, 8 friends took a short overnight road trip out to the Mojave desert, to hang out, for one last hurrah before the start of their senior year in high school. 4 of those friends would never come home. Listen to this story, a lesson in drinking, driving, and what can happen when parents give their children a little bit too much leeway when it comes to drinking and partying with friends. But ultimately, who is to blame? Its up to you to decide. 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

Just a short bonus to clear up a couple mistakes in the show notes of Episode 72 The Tale of Blaze Bernstein, Episode 84 The Tale of a Killing in the Sepulveda Pass, and some comments about politics, mispronunciations, and moms…And don’t forget to download a Sickness in Time everywhere you listen to podcasts!

On September 13th, 2006, a body was discovered floating in the waters of the Newport Beach Harbor, though this person did not drown. The victim had been stabbed more than 50 times elsewhere and dumped into the Harbor. Having to resort to tracing the serial number imprinted on her breast implant, the victim was identified as Barbara Mullenix, a resident of Huntington Beach, California. A couple of suspects immediately came onto the radar of investigators, but the more information was uncovered, the more it became clear that the that the person who did this to Barbara was the unlikeliest of suspects…the victim’s own child. How and why could something like this could have happened? 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 January 16th, 1997, a young man named Mikhail Markhasev was out with a couple of friends looking to rob somebody when he came across another young man pulled over off the 405 freeway to change a flat tire. He approached the stranded motorist, pointed a gun at him and demanded money. Angered that he was taking to long, Markhasev opened fire, shooting the man one time in the head, killing him. What he found out later on that day was he didn’t just kill a random guy…he killed the son of one of the most famous entertainers in the world. He knew he was in some big trouble, as the manhunt for him was underway, as the news of the death of this celebrity’s son spread like wild fire.

Today we are going to visit a murder case in South Los Angeles that received zero media attention. The shooting death of Jerry Wesley, Jr., a man who had just stopped by a local restaurant to pick up some food for his dad before heading off to work was gunned down as he sat in his vehicle, in front of several eyewitnesses. Who would want to kill Jerry in full view of all of these people on a busy weekday morning?