Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

On October 21, 1836, crowds lined the docks of Saint John, New Brunswick, to watch the steamship Royal Tar depart for Portland, Maine - this time carrying an entire circus. Cages filled with exotic birds, snakes, lions and a tiger rolled on board, along with horses, camels and the star attraction: Mogul, a massive Asian elephant, who took his place on the upper deck. Four days later, after battling fierce storms, the ship caught fire, killing many on board. In desperation, some animals were forced into the icy waters of Penobscot Bay, while others perished in their cages.

My guest is Jane Parks Gardner, author of The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar: Tragedy in Penobscot Bay. She shares details on the disaster, and its impact on Maine’s maritime history.

The author's website: https://janepgardner.com/
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At the close of the nineteenth century, serial killer Joseph Vacher terrorized the French countryside for years, eluding capture while murdering more victims than Jack the Ripper. His sprawling crime wave ultimately drew in prosecutor Emile Fourquet and pioneering criminologist Alexandre Lacassagne, whose pursuit of Vacher helped push criminal investigations toward the modern era.

My guest is Douglas Starr, author of "The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science". He shares details with us about Vacher’s reign of terror and the groundbreaking investigation that led to his conviction.

The author's website: https://douglasstarr.com/
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On April 13, 1788, outrage erupted in New York City when word spread that students from the local medical school were stealing corpses from nearby graveyards, at the direction of their instructors, for classroom dissection and study. A large mob attacked an anatomy lab and then set out in search of the students and doctors believed to be responsible for defiling the bodies of their loved ones. City leaders John Jay and Alexander Hamilton were among those who tried (and failed) to calm the crowd. The unrest ultimately led to a violent confrontation between civilians and the local militia, resulting in serious injuries and loss of life.

My guest is Andy McPhee, author of the new book Doctors’ Riot of 1788: Body Snatching, Bloodletting, and Anatomy in America (out June 6). We discuss the riot itself, the history of body snatching, and the moral question at its core: could stealing bodies for medical training be justified in the name of public health?

The author's website: https://andymcphee.com/

The publisher's author page: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Doctors-Riot-of-1788/Andy-McPhee/9781493088058
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Among the many murder cases handled by South Carolina attorney Dick Harpootlian, one continues to stand apart: the prosecution of Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins. A serial killer and sexual predator, Gaskins claimed to have taken more than 100 lives and is known to have murdered over a dozen people, including a young child and his own teenage niece. He killed for both revenge and gratification, using whatever methods were available - from knives and firearms to poison, suffocation, and drowning. Disturbingly, he maintained a charming persona, presenting himself as friendly and generous while privately committing the most heinous of crimes. One of his most shocking occurred on Death Row, when he murdered another inmate using an explosive device, demonstrating that his capacity for violence extended even behind bars.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dick Harpootlian, author of Dig Me a Grave: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Who Seduced the South, who prosecuted Gaskins, to share firsthand insight into the man and his crimes.

The official book website: https://www.dickharpootlian.com/ or https://digmeagrave.com/
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In January 1947, the bisected body of Elizabeth Short, completely drained of blood, was discovered in an undeveloped lot in Los Angeles. Its gruesome mutilations led to a firestorm of publicity, city-wide panic, and an unprecedented number of investigative paths led by the LAPD—all dead ends. The Black Dahlia murder remained an unsolved mystery for over seventy years.Six years earlier and sixteen hundred miles away, another woman’s life had ended in a similarly horrific manner. Leila Welsh was an ambitious, educated, popular, and socially connected beauty. Though raised modestly on a prairie farm, she was heiress to her Kansas City family’s status and wealth. On a winter morning in 1941, Leila’s butchered body was found in her bedroom bearing the marks of unspeakable trauma. One victim faded into obscurity. The other became notorious. Both had in common a killer whose sadistic mind was a labyrinth of dark secrets.

My guest is Emmy-nominated producer Eli Frankel. He has spent years researching the Black Dahlia case and makes a very convincing argument for his suspect in his recently published book, "SISTERS IN DEATH: The Black Dahlia, The Prairie Heiress & Their Hunter".

The Sisters In Death website: https://www.sistersindeath.com/

The author's personal website: https://www.elibfrankel.com/
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