Assassinations

When Sara Ambrusko married her childhood neighbor Fred Tokars in 1986, she thought she'd found her ticket to a life of safety and security in the idyllic suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. But the secrets Fred kept locked away in their basement would put them both in life-or-death danger.  Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/NATIONS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes 2 minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

Just days after the Civil War came to an end in 1865, the nation was thrown into chaos once again when President Abraham Lincoln was killed. The ensuing manhunt for his killer, John Wilkes Booth, would test the loyalties of the still-divided country. Parcasters - What was it like to live through the Titanic tragedy? Find out today on survival! Available now at parcast.com/survival

John Wilkes Booth was a nationally-renowned star actor, but his most memorable performance at Ford's Theater in D.C. would take place in the presidential box. On April 14, 1865, when the Civil War was all but officially over, Booth and his co-conspirators set in motion a last-ditch plan to destabilize the Union government. Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/NATIONS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes 2 minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

Famed actor John Wilkes Booth was rehearsing with a touring company in St. Louis, when he pointed a prop pistol at his castmate and said, "If you were President Abraham Lincoln, what a chance I'd have." He may have been joking at the time, but two years later in 1865, Booth's chance finally arrived.  Parcasters - Need some more true crime history? Check out this weeks episode of Serial killers on the ruthless Cleveland Torso Murderer.

As the sun began to set in Guyana on November 18, 1978, five bodies laid dead on the Port Kaituma airstrip. But the real carnage was still to come. By nightfall, over 900 people would be dead at the Peoples Temple’s Jonestown compound. Sponsors! Robinhood - Robinhood is giving listeners of Assassinations a FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help you build your portfolio. Sign up at Nations.Robinhood.com. Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/NATIONS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes 2 minutes and won’t affect your credit!

In this special crossover with the hosts from Cults, we explore the charismatic preacher, Jim Jones, and his congregation’s move from San Francisco to the newly-constructed jungle settlement of Jonestown, Guyana in 1977. The move was intended to keep the Peoples Temple far away from the prying eyes of the U.S. government and media, who'd been looking into Jones' abuses and financial crimes.  Parcasters - Check out our new podcast, SURVIVAL! Our first episode covers the incredible story of a North Korean defector, out now at parcast.com/survival

Prince Felix Yusupov's perfectly-laid plans to kill Rasputin didn't go as smoothly as he'd hoped. By the time the affair was over in 1916, Rasputin was poisoned, beaten, shot and drowned.The Bolshevik Revolution had officially begun.  Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/NATIONS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes 2 minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

Amidst the slow decline of the Russian aristocracy, a drunk, uneducated peasant arrived in St. Petersburg claiming to have mystical powers. His name was Grigori Rasputin and he became one of the Tsar's most trusted advisors. In 1916, a wealthy young aristocrat Prince Felix Yusupuv, saw a chance to redeem his reputation by saving Russia from its massively unpopular wizard-advisor.  Parcasters - What was behind Rasputin’s supposed powers? We may never know, but we can try to find out. If you’re interested in the obscure or occult, check out our Unexplained Mysteries podcast today! Available at parcast.com/unexplained

On February 21st, 1965, multiple shooters opened fire at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. Within half an hour, Malcolm X was pronounced dead and Talmadge Hayer was in police custody. However, in the coming days, investigators were met with more questions than answers. Parcasters - If you found yourself fascinated by this story of an American icon, check out our our new episode on John McCain on HOSTAGE, wherever you get your shows. Listen now at parcast.com/hostage Sponsors! Robinhood - Robinhood is giving listeners of Assassinations a FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help you build your portfolio. Sign up at Nations.Robinhood.com.

In March of 1964, Malcolm X officially broke away from the Nation of Islam to start his own organization. His rivalry with his former mentor, NOI leader Elijah Muhammad, quickly escalated from a personal dispute to an ideological battle with international consequences. After nearly a year of conflict, NOI enforcers were dispatched to silence their defector once and for all. Parcasters - Don't miss the thrilling conclusion of the Harold Nokes loves triangle on Crimes of Passion! Catch up now at parcast.com/passion

Orphan. Conman. Felon. Prisoner. Messiah. Malcolm X emerged from a life of crime, reborn under the gospel of the Nation of Islam and its leader, Elijah Muhammad. But as Malcolm came to national attention as the face and voice of "Black Nationalism" in the late 1950s, rifts began to form in the organization, and soon Malcolm would be in danger... not from outside forces, but from men within his own brotherhood. Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/NATIONS to find out how low your Upstart rate is! Checking your rate only takes 2 minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

A devout Muslim, teacher and scholar, he originally set out to help Egypt return to its more culturally focused roots. Instead, the Brotherhood he helped create began using violence to achieve its goals. On February 12th, 1949, Hassan al-Banna saw firsthand the violence he was trying to rein in.  Parcasters - Be sure to check out our newest podcast Extraterrestrial! It’s out of this world!  Listen at parcast.com/extraterrestrial

In 1949, Egypt was on the brink. The rapidly growing Muslim Brotherhood had struck out against the government in opposition to the actions of King Farouk I. Farouk, a young and inexperienced King of Egypt. As the violence increased, and both sides prepared for war, one man would pay the price: Hassan al-Banna. Parcasters - Be sure to check out Bill’s new show Extraterrestrial! Listen at parcast.com/extraterrestrial!

We hope you are excited as we are for this sneak peek episode of our new podcast, Extraterrestrial where we try to answer the question: are we really alone?If you enjoyed this preview and want to listen to the second half of the episode, search and subscribe to EXTRATERRESTRIAL wherever you listen to podcasts now to continue listening! 

In less than 24 hours, this famous Denver radio host’s murder became headline news across the nation. Radio stations around the country became fearful of copycat crimes and upped their security. This tragic event made the public aware that militant white supremacist groups were active and a dangerous threat in the 1980s. Parcasters - After this episode of Assassinations, go check out the abduction of Barney and Betty Hill on our new show Extraterrestrial. Listen at parcast.com/extraterrestrial