Last Podcast On The Left: Side Stories — "The Confession"

Release Date: October 1, 2025
Hosts: Henry Zebrowski & Ed Larson

Episode Overview

This Side Stories installment dives into some of the week's most disturbing, outlandish, and baffling news in the world of true crime and beyond. Henry and Ed carry their signature dark humor through discussions on grooming and crimes in digital spaces, the ongoing DeForvid/Celeste Rivas case, recent updates in the Epstein files, vigilante justice against sex offenders, a bizarre on-air murder confession, and even a squirrel-driven crime wave. Amidst the horror is their customary mix of irreverence, personal anecdotes, and listener interactions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Shifting Dangers of the Internet Generation

Timestamps: 01:06 – 03:52

• Henry riffs on how technology has changed the landscape of childhood risk, focusing on internet grooming. He notes, “You had to go to where the pedophiles were to be caught by them in a way. ... Now they just get to go on Discord and they got the pick of the litter of every child.” (02:26–02:36)
• Ed and Henry admit they’re “incapable” of being online predators due to not understanding new apps, joking it’s their saving grace.

The DeForvid/Celeste Rivas Case

Timestamps: 03:45 – 11:06

• Details of DeForvid (real name: David Anthony Burke), the SoundCloud “musician” recently linked to the death (and suspected murder) of underage girlfriend Celeste Rivas.
• Henry describes online deep dives that exposed DeForvid’s grooming of young girls via Roblox and Discord: “He starts to realize like, it’s a bit. ... A long grooming process for DeForvid... all through these anonymous video game chat boards.” (05:13–05:49)
• Henry and Ed discuss disturbing details: Celeste’s dismembered body found in DeForvid’s Tesla, repeated hints of violence in his music, and his failed attempts to cover his tracks online—“He runs his own subreddit... has been deleting anytime anybody talks about Celeste.” (10:08–10:17)
• Points of debate about culpability, possible involvement of others, and possible toxicology results.

Youth, Culture, and the Lure of Darkness

Timestamps: 11:17 – 13:38

• Henry ponders how much faster today’s kids “grow up,” facilitated by technology and desensitization to darker themes.
• Comparison to past controversial artists: Marilyn Manson’s mystique vs. DeForvid’s explicit violence and grooming in music.
• “When I was young... I remember a feeling of wanting to be more adult... I feel like it’s even more so now.” – Henry (11:11–11:18)

The “Epstein Update” & Notorious Names

Timestamps: 13:43 – 20:20

• Introduction of new listener-submitted "Stinger" jingles for the segment (lighthearted exchange at 13:52–15:24).
• Henry reports: Elon Musk’s name confirmed in newly unsealed Epstein flight logs. Trump’s name was allegedly redacted at Epstein's request: “The only name that has been asked to be redacted. ... No one ever asked taken about Prince Andrew out of there.” (17:11–17:23)
• Discussion of coordinated PR efforts and the implication that political divides are largely illusionary regarding Epstein; both parties involved.

Interview Confession: Lawrence Kraus

Timestamps: 28:19 – 33:42

• The surreal case of Lawrence Kraus, who murdered his elderly parents and confessed in an unrequested, televised interview.
• Details: After years of cashing their Social Security checks, Kraus approached local CBS anchor Greg Floyd and “confessed to killing [his] parents. ... On camera.” (29:24–30:04)
• Surreal moments as the interview covers how, why, and with what method Kraus killed; “He’s doing great. ... You should be able to legally kill your parents.” – Henry (31:31–31:58)
• The specifics: suffocating both parents, hiding bodies, and the lack of remorse—while wearing “tiny shorts” and no socks (running joke at 30:04–32:49).
• Wrap-up: Even after full confession, Kraus “officially pleaded not guilty” (30:28–30:30), highlighting the legal absurdity.

Vigilante Murder of a Sex Offender

Timestamps: 34:25 – 38:33

• The story of Varun Suresh, who hunted down and murdered registered sex offender David Bremer after finding his address online (“He went to his house... Are you David Bremer? ... Stabbed him in the neck.... Then... chased him... slits his throat.” (35:27–36:14)
• Suresh justified himself: “He deserved to die... honestly, it was kind of fun.” (36:21–36:29)
• Henry and Ed debate the ethics of vigilante violence. “It’s never cool to kill anyone. ... Unless they are actively pedophiling.” – Henry (36:29–36:43)
• Discussion of online offender maps, public safety, and the rising temperature of vigilantism in the US.

True Crime Closure: Austin Yogurt Shop Murders

Timestamps: 39:46 – 41:52

• Recent documentary and forensic breakthroughs finally identify Robert Eugene Brashers as the culprit in the infamous Austin yogurt shop murders (1991) after decades of speculation and wrongful charges.
• “They finally were able to close this case and give these families some kind of closure.” – Ed (42:02–42:16)
• Concerns about over-attribution in cold cases and the role of DNA.

Whimsical Interlude: The Rogue Squirrel

Timestamps: 42:50 – 44:50

• News break: A violent squirrel is terrorizing a San Francisco suburb (“This squirrel has been... attacking people, sending people to the hospital.” – Ed, 43:07).
• Discussion about animal rabies, footage of a terrified resident, and, as always, well-placed jokes about animal vengeance and Gary Busey.

Listener Interactions & Personal Stories

Timestamps: 59:05 – 66:16

• Henry and Ed play listener-submitted “stinger” intros—enthusiastic appreciation for community creativity.
• Read emails from listeners:
  • An encounter with Aaron Hernandez at a Pop Warner event, highlighting Hernandez’s paranoia.
  • First-hand anecdotes of being incarcerated with Hernandez and witnessing his erratic behavior.
  • Commentary on the tragic but darkly comedic fallout for Hernandez’s family after his death.
• Henry: “All the laughter... We loved doing it. I live every day knowing that I turn bad things into comedy.” (65:38–65:41)

CTE, Football, and American Nostalgia

Timestamps: 50:48 – 57:34

• A recap of the Shane Tamura shooting (NFL offices), whose actions were linked to CTE—a brain injury common among football players—even though he was only a high school player.
• Ed shares the ambivalence and message flood after discussing football’s dark realities on the podcast: “The amount of messages I’ve gotten from people that are like just thanking me for talking about it in real… with all earnest… ex-football players are messaging me, you know.” (54:55–55:15)
• Henry riffs on nostalgia: “Nostalgia... is you trying to relive the... only decent times of your childhood.” (56:12–56:21)

Spooky Season Programming

Timestamps: 23:15 – 25:40; 66:21 – 69:34

• Launch of “31 for 31” Halloween horror movie list on LPOTL Instagram.

  • “We went back and forth and we chose... honestly for our 31 for 31 this year, it’s spooky.” – Henry (24:05)
  • Ed and Henry reveal their picks, excitement about shared horror movie experiences, and upcoming plans for spooky-themed content.

• Announcements:

  • LPOTL as “artist in residence” for 88.5 The SoCal Sound radio station: Saturday DJ sets through October.
  • Upcoming live dates and charity efforts to support NPR-affiliated stations.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Henry on the evolution of predatory spaces:
  “You had to go to where the pedophiles were to be caught by them... now they just get to go on Discord and they got the pick of the litter of every child.” (02:27–02:36)

• On the DeForvid case:
  “He was already telling everybody... it was already well known that he was dating a 15 year old. He said that he had media trained her.” – Ed (08:11–08:13)

• Epstein commentary:
  “Our government is super bad at cover-ups. They’re so bad at it. Yes, it’s great for the rest of us...” – Henry (15:47–15:53)

• Lawrence Kraus confession:
  “He gives him the whole thing. He buried them in the backyard. And then he lived with their corpses for so long. But the worst was his describing him suffocating his father to death... ‘My mom was, like, obviously real kind of sad about that. So I gave her some time alone with him. So she laid with his corpse for several hours.’” – Henry (32:06–32:29)

• On vigilante justice:
  “It’s never cool to kill anyone. We know this. ... No one will. No one needs to be murdered for any cause unless they’re actively pedophiling.” – Henry (36:31–36:43)

• On nostalgia and football:
  “What nostalgia really is... you trying to relive the only decent times of your childhood.” – Ed (56:18–56:21)

• Parting advice on convention etiquette:
  “Hands between the shoulder blades, man. Never touch anything else. ... If your penis can even remotely point towards her clitoris at all, you’re in a danger zone.” – Henry (46:55–47:06)

Additional Segment Highlights

• Epstein “Stinger” Contest:
  Listeners compete to create intros for the recurring Epstein files update—comic relief between heavy topics. (13:50–15:24)
• Listener mail:
  Stories of Aaron Hernandez (as a celebrity and inmate) further humanized the football-murder saga with a comic bent. (62:47–66:16)
• Spooky Season Kickoff:
  Gentle encouragement for fans to submit personal ghost stories for October episodes. (24:05–24:38)

Tone & Style

The banter is darkly comic, unfiltered, and honest. The hosts blend deep dives into true crime with absurdist asides and self-deprecating reflections on aging, tech illiteracy, and the state of the world. There’s frequent lampooning of institutions (media, government, law enforcement), a running motif of nostalgia versus grim reality, and a collaborative, responsive engagement with their audience.

For New Listeners

This episode is a wild ride through grim headlines and real-world horrors, punctuated by laughter, absurdity, and the kinds of brutally honest asides that LPOTL fans love. Even if you’re new, you’ll walk away with a clear sense of this duo’s unique voice, the strange universe their show inhabits—and probably a few new nightmares.

Timestamps Recap for Important Segments

• 01:06 – 03:52: Internet dangers & generational shifts
• 03:45 – 11:06: The DeForvid/Celeste Rivas case
• 11:17 – 13:38: Youth, culture, and darkness in pop music
• 13:43 – 20:20: Epstein files & infamous associates
• 28:19 – 33:42: Lawrence Kraus murder confession
• 34:25 – 38:33: Vigilante justice, Suresh/Bremer case
• 39:46 – 41:52: Austin Yogurt Shop murder breakthrough
• 42:50 – 44:50: Killer squirrel attacks locals
• 50:48 – 57:34: Football, CTE, and nostalgia
• 59:05 – 66:16: Listener stories and emails
• 66:21 – 69:34: Announcements & spooky programming

Hail yourselves!