You know there are quite a few times where we drop an episode on the heels of “A Week From Hell” and this is one of them. It was just THAT kind of week last week. But THIS episode isn’t a bitchfest, like we’ve done in the past. Nope. We dragged our tired, sorry, barely-functioning selves into this episode with GOOD NEWS and WEIRD STORIES and you know what? By the end of the recording we were laughing, uplifted and felt like a bit of weight had been removed from our shoulders. We hope it does the same for you. So if you’re ready for good, strange, and unusual stories (unusual = a nice way for us to say WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, fyi), go on over to wherever you listen to us jabber, and settle in for some spirit raising. Not the Halloween ghosty kind…but you know that is right around the corner, WAHOOO!
First of all, let’s get one thing clear. Even though Kris swears the WTF week was to be blamed on mercury retrograde, she’d be wrong. It ended on August 1, but it’s possible there’s some residual cosmic two-by-four whacking still hanging in the ether. Also, in regards to Kris working as a candy-striper and Kym having her baby while Kris worked in admitting: Kris was a candy-striper at the hospital in high-school, but a few years later went back to work in the Admitting department which is when Kym rolled in ready to have that kid! Either way, Kris was not and never will be qualified to tell anyone how dilated their cervix is.
Moving on. Coff coff.
For the Good News stories, please feel free to visit our favorite warm-fuzzy website, GoodNewsNetwork.org for photos and details of the articles we talk about, but also for so much more that’s good for your heart and soul:
For the Australian study about trees making communities a better place, click here.
For the Hyundai solar Sonata Hybrid article, click here.
For the coral reefs revival in Hawaii article, click here. Also, as Kris so, ah, eloquently stated…or tried to…coral reefs are NOT plants, they ARE animals, and this NOAA article says so much better than Kris ever could because they’re scientists and smartypants and stuff.
For the heartwarming dog stories, read about Steve Grieg’s senior dog rescue family here, (and his Instagram account with pics with his dogs, pig, rabbit AND chicken…yes he is amazing ladies and gentlemen…is here); for the story about six-legged puppy Roo, click here.
To read about the anxious elderly woman and her gallant hero on the plane, click here.
For the other stories we discuss, go ahead and check out goodnewsnetwork.org.
BUT! Before we head into our Strange and Unusual Stories, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take a small singing break. Here’s a clip of Billy Crystal in City Slickers and his rendition of Rawhide:
You’re welcome.
And now on to the Strange and the Unusual:
For the Colorado stories: the big city cattle herding with the longhorn who took a break from the festivities is here ; the creepy crawly ew ew ew tarantulas on the hunt for mates is here. (SHIVERTWITCHshivershiver. Shiver.)
For the real Snow White’s gravestone story, click here.
For the Farmer Boys Bacon Intern Job, click here. Hurry! You only have until 20 August 2019 to apply!
For the “octopiss” biting woman’s face story, read here. And if you have to read the bat-eating spider story which is in TEXAS of these here United States and NOT Australia which is sooooo very, very much farther away from us than Texas which is now waaaay too close to California, click here but why would you. (Dear future Kris, please do not move to Texas either.)
For the 5-year old Florida boy who had to have pizza STAT and the police who brought it to him, read here.
For the idiot prince of toxic masculinity who called in a bomb threat on a Lufthansa flight in order to get a date with a flight attendant, forget it. We’re not promoting that jerk. FOR. SHAME. And TSK also.
For all other stories, go ahead and Google that stuff, we have things to do, people.
As for that Shoe Tart video Kris posted on Facebook 9 years and a closet full of stilettos ago, here you go (sorry about the audio quality):
Check out our “The Good, the Strange, and the Unusual” episode on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.
And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Today we join Paul Wilborn and Doug Clair of the Having Beers With podcast to raise our coffee mugs (and their beer cans) in salute to movies! We have a rousing discussion about some of our all time favorite movies, including those guilty pleasure films we almost don’t want to admit to out loud. You might be surprised at what ours are…and maybe even discover you’re not alone in yours.
Doug stumps us (Ok. Kris. Doug stumps Kris.) as we do a round-robin guess-the-movie-candy game. Apparently when Kris’ brain thinks, “Snickers”, or “Butterfingers,” or “Reeses Pieces,” her mouth spits out Jordan Almonds. Not literally, but you know what we mean. Kris would just like to say in her defense, it’s her mom’s favorite candy and Kris crumbles under pressure. We’re pretty sure Kym won the game, but Kris did guess the number one candy (of course, Paul helped by providing a great clue…ahem). No we’re not telling here. That’s what the podcast is for. Go. Go listen NOW. Shooo. Go on…
Ok, well, thanks for sticking with the blog. Anyhoo, we go on to to talk about the top money-making movies of all time, many of which have made billions of dollars. BILLIONS with a B. NINE. ZEROES. Kris and Kym would like to say, “DAYUM, we are in the wrong business!” Sadly, some of our favorite blockbusters (Jaws, E.T., etc.) were blown out of the water by today’s newfangled upstarts, but Kris’ nerd heart is stilled with the inclusion of two films from her all time favorite franchises, Harry Potter and Star Wars. #nerdsunite.
Of course, what would a podcast episode with the Mugly Truth be – whether it’s ours or one we’re guesting on – without a major detour? So we veer off the Cinema Interstate and take the Bathroom Etiquette offramp. Yes, dear friends, we do Potty Talk on this episode. But fear not, it’s alllll relatable with no discussion about gross stuff. And there’s just one air-biscuit reference. 20 Listener Gold Stars if you know the movie reference without Google, and can answer before Kym.
Check out our “It’s Movie Time!” collaboration episode with Having Beers With on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.
And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
But FIRST! Shoutout to Venture Pal daypack! A few episodes ago Kym shared about her awesome daypack that she uses when she takes her dogs for walks in our local regional park. So her gift to Kris was…TADA!…a Venture Pal daypack to use for her trip! Kris was really excited to see how much she could pack in the nifty backpack, and, let’s just say all the essentials fit: toiletries, night clothes, shoes, change of clothes, and coffee pot. Yes. Because Kris also listened to “Ahoy There Queen Mary!” (ahem) she already knew her stateroom didn’t come with a coffee pot. The Venture Pal daypack had more than enough space for everything she needed. Many thanks to Kym for the awesome birthday present. If you’re interested in buying one for yourself, check out all the lovely colors to choose from here.
Everything that Kris fit into her Venture Pal backpack (cat not included). Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
First stop was Aquarium of the Pacific (discounted tickets highly recommended!) where Kris and the girls pet rays, fed Lorakeets, squeed at the otters, and Hayley made a new friend in the tank walkthrough.
OTTER ALERT!!! Aquarium of the Pacific. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Hayley attracted the attention of this playful sea lion. Aquarium of the Pacific. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Once checked into the Queen Mary, Kris and the kids walked the stateroom hallway alllll the way down to room A171. If you view the Queen Mary Hotel website, all the photos show staterooms with inviting wood paneled walls, built-ins and all the vintage ship vibes you could ask for. Unfortunately, the “family room” A171 – which was quite large with two queen beds – doesn’t resemble those photos in the least. Those paneled rooms probably cost about a hundred bucks more a night, so ‘s’all good. It did come with two working portholes with a drop-dead gorgeous view of Long Beach city and harbor. While the room was quite in need of TLC (and more outlets), it wasn’t all that bad. It wasn’t a true 1930’s stateroom on the Queen Mary experience, but the beds were passable and the bathroom was cute. The ghost lady was nice too.
Daytime porthole view of Long Beach, CA. Room A171 The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Our large, if somewhat shabby, stateroom. Room A171, The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
If you’re a coffee drinker, be sure to bring your own coffee pot. ALSO, an extension cord. Room A171, The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Entrance to our stateroom, and the place where Hayley and Sami saw what they believe to be the ghost of a woman in black. Room A171, The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Our cool little bathroom and the smallest bathtub we’ve ever seen. Room A171, The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
The day was spent exploring the ship, and pretty much every door Kris came across, she tried to open. And if it opened, Kris went in, snoo…checking out wherever they were (the most favorite spot was the Verandah Grill event room. We aren’t sure they were supposed to be in there, but hey, THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED!). Even spending all afternoon walking around the mid-renovation decks (and getting lost more than once), they still weren’t able to see everything there was to see. Probably the creepiest point on their self-guided exploration was the Isolation Ward. And the best part of their adventure? Watching the sunset together. Absolutely beautiful.
Hayley taking advantage of the original panelling and fixtures for, you know, a “great Instagram shot”. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Promenade deck of The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Hayley on the aft deck which is in need of new teak decking. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Gorgeous view of Long Beach. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
The Isolation Ward stairwell: creep factor 15/10. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Sunset view. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Recreating a photo Kris took of the girls almost 10 years ago. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Largest Lego® Queen Mary, in The Shipyard on The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Detail of the largest Lego® Queen Mary, in The Shipyard on The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Probably the most enticing part of staying on The Queen Mary is the history. There is no other hotel in the world with the legendary stories that The Queen Mary has. Originally a luxury cruise ship, she then transformed into the fastest World War II troop ship ever (the enemies could never get her in range to shoot her down), back to a luxury liner, and then as a tourist attraction in Long Beach harbor since the late 60’s. For a great recap of her history and some really poignant personal stories, a must-see on the ship is the film in the small viewing room on the Promenade Deck between the shops and the Observation Lounge. Bring kleenex. And a sweater. There’s a lot of goodness in that documentary and worth sitting for the entire thing (though it is on a loop, so you can go back any time). Also worth checking out is the ship model gallery and The Shipyard room which houses the world’s largest Lego® model of the Queen Mary. Complete with tiny Lego® passengers. No. Not Lego® Batman. Kris would have paid more money to see a tiny Batman somewhere on board that thing. Someone has to make that happen.
And everywhere you go, on every deck, you will see original features in the Art Deco style: lighting fixtures, wood paneling, railings, etched glass, molded metal door handles, all harkening back to the days when the cost of first class passage equaled the price of a new home. Many fixtures and displays have plaques (and sometimes photos showing original use), which are totally Instagram-worthy and totally worth searching out. In fact, probably THE MOST picture-posing 5-star spot on the ship has to be in the Verandah Grill where murals painted by Doris Zinkeisen are still displayed (the largest one, “Entertainment,” is featured below).
If you’re a history buff, architecture geek, or just enjoy master craftsmanship, bring a good camera and capture the elegance and beauty of another era (Kris just had her iPhone…good enough to provide all these shots, so we accept). For some glory-days photos, check this link out.
Historic Stairs. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Verandah Grill mural “Entertainment” b Doris Zinkeisen. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Detail of lovely art deco light fixture. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Detail of incredible mural in The Verandah Grill. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
The long, long walk down the stateroom hallway. Not creepy at all. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Lovely carpet pattern in the stateroom hallway. The Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Lovely art deco light fixture on the Queen Mary. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
The third class lounge where an apparition of a woman in white has been reported – Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
And of course, after retiring to bed, Kris and the girls were sidelined by a spectral visitor in the middle of the night. The story is worth the listen, so if you want to know all about the ghost of room A171, you’ll have to hear it in our podcast episode! Let’s just say when two teenagers agree on something, you need to take it seriously. And Kris’ teenagers agreed they each saw a ghost in their stateroom (at different times), so you decide. We’re going with “yup, highly likely!”.
The next day Kris and the girls (tiredly) ended their trip with a very expensive – but very good – breakfast in the needing-a-carpet-renovation-stat Promenade Cafe. Before heading home they decided to take the Haunted Encounters tour. Their guide was funny and knowledgable (if a bit scruffy), and provided some interesting facts and historical insight, recounting many of the well-known ghost stories making the paranormal rounds (Door-13 crewman, Jackie in the pool, Winston Churchill, Room B340, etc.) as well as some Kris hadn’t heard before (the lady in white in the third class lounge, the stairs of death in third class (Poor poor people. Tsk.), screams heard near the tippy-pointy front of the ship (know by experts and most of the population on Earth as the bow) (creep factor: 20/10 btw), oh, and the hall of death. Yeah, that’s the narrow passage you walk through as you enter the Revenant Room for the Aidan Sinclair show “Illusions of the Passed” where you can see photo after photo after photo of the people who have died on the Queen Mary. Hint: There’s a lot. Kris asked if the Eisenhower room was haunted (if the Churchill suite is, why wouldn’t the Eisenhower be?) but there was no definitive answer. If you want to find out for yourself, be our guest. WE won’t pay for it, and technically you’d be the Queen Mary’s guest…but..anyway…nevermind.
Third Class lounge where a “woman in white” appeared in the center of the room, and then vanished right before everyone’s eyes. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
The third class stairs of death – and a horrible photo at that – Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
At the bow of the ship, looking up to the top deck. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
The very end of the ship, at the bow. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Inside the Revenant Room at the bow of the Queen Mary with light anomaly bottom left corner. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Art Deco styling at the entrance to the First Class Pool (currently closed for renovation) where the ghost of little Jackie is supposed to hang out. Photo courtesy of Kris Core.
Even with the shortcomings of the actual room Kris stayed in, both Kym and Kris HIGHLY recommend staying on the Queen Mary. The ship is in need of some serious (and mechanically necessary) repairs that go beyond cosmetic facelifting, but if you can set aside your expectations of what you think your room should look like (again, if you pay discount you get discount, eh Expedia?), and can overlook some of the surface flaws – if you truly think about the ship and where she has been, what she’s done, WHO she has transported both as luxury liner and warship, it’s a no-brainer. Look underneath, look past (literally and figuratively) and allow the magic and majesty of what the Queen Mary was and still is to set in. Stay in a barebones room if you have to, or splurge for the wood paneling and built ins. Lug a cooler of snacks, or be a big spender in Sir Winston’s or the Promenade Cafe or the on-board Starbucks (they’re expensive everywhere, tbh)…whatever your budget, it’s worth it. You don’t even have to believe in ghosts. But if you DO, and you REALLY want to find a ghost with a professional, there’s a tour for THAT, with real paranormal investigating (oh hai…a bit of friendly advice: If you’re staying on the ship overnight to do your own investigation in your stateroom, the family in the room next to you can hear you talking, opening your bag of chips and generally be paranormal investigating assholes. The walls are paper thin. Be chill.)
Kris will definitely go back again. And maybe this time drop the Benjamins for the wood paneling.
Oh. Don’t forget your coffee pot. AND a fan. You know, small portholes.
Oh yeah…almost forgot. The weird high pitched sound Kris and the girls heard in their room after Hayley saw the ghost, THIS is the what Kris was trying to describe.
Check out our “Queen Mary Ship Revisited” episode on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.
And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Extra! Extra! We got together to record a short-shot follow-up about our experience talking to podcaster and author Mike Morford last week, and it ended up being a bit longer than we anticipated so here’s a rare full-length bonus episode from The Mugly Truth Podcast for your listening pleasure! Check out the links and clarifications below for more details about what we discuss:
The 77 year old man back in jail after being released from prison because he was deemed “too old” to be a threat is named Albert Flick. He was originally served 25 years for fatally stabbing his wife 14 times in front of their daughter in 1979. After he was released he went back to jail for assaulting a woman in 2010 but released in 2014 because the judge felt a longer sentence was unnecessary due to his age. Flick then became infatuated with Kimberly Dobbie and stabbed her 11 times in front of her twins in 2018. Click here for more details,
Kris discusses the timeline of Joseph DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer, citing his last believed murder as the same year of the birth of one of his daughters. DeAngelo does have three daughters. His first daughter was born in September 1981, his second daughter was born in November 1986 (a few months after Janelle Cruz was murdered in Irvine, CA), and his third daughter was born in May 1989. Click here for more details.
Dennis Rader, the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) serial murderer, was convicted of 10 murders. His last known victim, Dolores E. Davis, was killed on January 19, 1991. In 2004 Rader resumed communicating with police which ultimately led to his arrest in 2005. While there is no definitive answer as to why serial killers like Rader may stop murdering, this article looks into why Rader may have gone on hiatus, and how his narcissistic/pathological tendencies led to his capture.
The award-winning 2018 documentary Kris mentions, “Three Identical Strangers”, (directed by Tim Wardlewhich) examines the lives of three identical brothers: Edward Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran, born to an unwed teenage mother in 1961, and adopted out from an agency at 6 months old. None of the adoptive families knew about the siblings, and the boys knew nothing of each other until a coincidence (or was it?) brought them together in college at the age of 19. The boys were actually a set of quadruplets, but the fourth brother died at birth. For more information about the documentary, please click here. The documentary is currently available on Hulu.
Check out our “Bonus Episode: Mike Morford Interview Recap” episode on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.
And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
We are so excited to share our conversation with none other than “True Crime Guy” Mike Morford. If you listen to true crime podcasts, or are interested in the Zodiac Killer and/or Golden State Killer cases, it’s likely you’ve heard his name and voice. Mike, known as “Morf” to friends and listeners, is co-host of Criminology podcast, one-third of the hosting team at 3Men and a Mystery podcast, and hosts The Murder in My Family podcast. He is webmaster at www.zodiackillersite.com, worked on the television series The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer (2017) and The Golden State Killer: It’s Not Over (2018), and consults for television shows. Oh, yeah, he has also authored a couple books with Criminology co-host Mike Ferguson, AND has been a speaker at a little annual gathering called CrimeCon.
Whew.
Don’t know about you, but WE are impressed.
We reached out to Morf a few months ago…don’t even remember what the initial reason was, but all of a sudden the words, “hey would you be willing to do an interview” suddenly appeared in our outgoing Twitter message. When the “yes” came back, we picked our jaws up off the floor and said, “cool, let’s touch base and get a date set.”
Still stunned, we set that date and Kris lost a LOT of sleep about the interview because, you know, we’re a small set up, we have never interviewed anyone via Skype, this is MIKE MORFORD. We are FANS of MIKE MORFORD. We listen to ALL of MIKE MORFORD’S podcasts. This interview HAD TO WORK. OMGsquared.
Other than a wee bit of an issue with sound (which Morf came in and saved the day…THANK YOU AGAIN!) there was nothing to worry about. Morf is truly an awesome guy. For all his success – and very busy schedule – we found him to be gracious, fun, funny, and who knew he loves coffee that much. The moment we started talking to him the nervous jitters (not coffee related) disappeared and we settled in for a nice conversation about a subject we’re all totally obsessed with.
Morf shares how he started on this journey into true crime (it all started with Unsolved Mysteries and a high school report on the Zodiac Killer) and what is was like to leave a career he’d had for 20 years to devote himself to follow his passion: researching and reporting about unsolved cases in the hopes of getting them solved. In 2017 he and Mike Ferguson teamed up to create the wildly popular podcast Criminology based on their shared fascination with the Zodiac Killer. Season two focused on the Golden State Killer (not season one, Kris. TSK), and Ted Bundy was the subject of their third season. They have since changed up the show’s format to extended weekly episodes, each focusing on a single case.
In 2018, Morf started his own show, The Murder in My Family, in which he interviews friends and family of victims, many of whom have cases that are still unsolved. Morf gives voice to people who have been struggling – some for decades – to get justice for their murdered loved ones. Morf’s compassion and respect for his guests creates an environment where these men and women can share their stories with hope that someone listening can provide a clue that breaks the case.
Recently, Morf teamed up with John Lordan and Gray Hughes for 3 Men and a Mystery. This show harkens back to the single case per season format, and each host has their own area of expertise that they bring to the table every episode. The first season, Road To Justice, dives deep into the 1999 murders of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett.
We talk about how important DNA has become in solving rape and murder cases – especially ones that have been cold for decades and how vital resources like GEDmatch are in tracking these killers and rapists down. GEDmatch is the DNA site which allows law enforcement to use data uploaded by registered, consenting users to help solve crimes through familial matches. Other heritage sites, such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe are private and do not allow the government to access data to find criminals. Understandably, privacy rights are a hot issue, but Morf helps explain how GEDmatch works, how important it is to opt back in if you already registered on the site, and what to do if you want to upload your DNA results to their database.
We also delve into the life of podcasting in general. The best advice from all of us? Don’t quit your day job. At least not right away. Start off with a subject you’re passionate about, have fun, work hard and hope for a bit of luck. Morf also talked a bit about CrimeCon 2019 and how amazing the people in the true crime community are. We agree. Based on our interaction with podcasters and fans of true crime podcasts, there is a top-level sense of humanity and compassion these people have for each other and the victims of violent crime. You need help with almost anything? Ask a true crime fan. You commit a crime or are generally a huge jerk? You’re toast in the TC community. Pretty sure the key word here is JUSTICE. True crime fans definitely exude a driving need for things to be made right. Or, as right as can possibly get when talking about death and violence.
It was truly a pleasure to talk to Morf about his podcasting true crime life and we can’t imagine him doing anything other than what he does. He has had the opportunity to talk with and interview all kinds of people in high profile cases, and has been involved in reporting on cases that have been solved recently (GSK for one). Of course, The Big One would be to finally identify the Zodiac Killer, but since there are over 200,000 unsolved murders in the United States alone, Morf will be busy doing what he does best: bringing as many stories to listeners in the hopes of solving the unsolved.
How Access to DNA Caught a Monster: An Abridged Version The biggest case broken wide open using DNA was the 2018 arrest of Joseph DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer. Criminology season two was in full swing when the announcement of DeAngelo’s arrest came and Morf was the one who broke the news on Twitter. DeAngelo began his crime spree in the Sacramento area back in the 70’s. He is associated with over 100 burglaries, 50 rapes, and 13 brutal murders. At one time he was known as the East Area Rapist in Northern California and the Original Night Stalker in Southern California but that nickname became confusing with Nightstalker Richard Ramirez on the loose, so that moniker was shortened to EAR/ONS.
DeAngelo’s DNA was left at crime scenes but because he was active all through California, that evidence wasn’t linked until Contra Costa cold case investigator Paul Holes started talking to key people to compare DNA results in similar cases from agencies throughout California. It was author Michelle McNamara who came up with the name “Golden State Killer” in her writings for the Los Angeles Times and crime blog, truecimediary.com. When McNamara teamed up with Holes in researching her book about the Golden State Killer (I’ll Be Gone in The Dark), missing pieces started to fall into place. Sadly, McNamara died before her book was completed, but in eerie foreshadowing, she had written that she believed the answers to the identity of this brutal rapist and murderer were hidden behind the privacy walls of DNA websites. Holes eventually connected with a genealogy specialist who – using GEDmatch – was able to compare familial DNA with crime scene DNA evidence. Joseph DeAngelo – ironically, an ex police officer from Auburn, CA – came up on the shortlist in a long process of working back through the family tree of matches. After a fairly lengthy stakeout, a current DNA sample from DeAngelo was obtained and with it the identity of the EAR/ONS Golden State Killer was finally established. A name and face surfaced 32 years after 18 year old Janelle Cruz – DeAngelo’s last known victim – was killed in her home near Culver Dr. and Irvine Blvd. in Irvine, California*. Without GEDmatch and access to DNA data, DeAngelo would still be cooking pot-roast, yelling at neighbors and being a general angry asshole. His rape victims (the youngest was Margaret Wardlow, age 13 in 1977) and families of his murder victims would still have no answers. Law enforcement’s access to DNA – again, data that was voluntarily uploaded with the full knowledge it was NOT private – helped put a face and a name to a shadowy, deadly, evil, old monster.
*The location and age of Janelle Cruz is personally important to us. Not because we knew her, but because we – in a frighteningly poignant way – COULD have known her. She was our age and lived only 15 minutes from us. While we were preparing for the end of a school year (and Kris’ graduation), Janelle’s dreams and future were brutally destroyed when she was murdered in her bedroom. If you sit in the patio at the local Starbucks on the corner of Culver and Irvine, you can look across the street at the playground/park that DeAngelo is thought to have walked through to access Janelle’s neighborhood.
Please check out these links for more information:
Check out our “Mike Morford” episode on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.
And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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