Murder Sheet – The Cheat Sheet: Casinos and Conspiracies

Episode Date: November 7, 2025
Hosts: Áine Cain (A) and Kevin Greenlee (B)
Theme: Exploring recent true crime stories involving casinos, conspiracies, and crime across the globe with the hosts’ signature mix of journalistic rigor, dry humor, and thought-provoking analysis.

Overview

This episode of Murder Sheet’s “Cheat Sheet” takes listeners on an international true crime tour, featuring stories from Oklahoma, New Jersey, Washington, Canada, and Australia. With Áine and Kevin’s blend of sharp reporting and witty banter, the episode highlights the complexities of criminal justice, personal accountability, cyber feuds turned violent, dangers within party atmospheres, and questions of rehabilitation versus punishment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A 1970 Cop-Killer & the Myth of "Rehabilitation"

(Oklahoma segment — 06:02–11:44)

• Case: Hubert Wilkinson, serving three life terms for murdering Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Howard Crumley in 1970, recently sought commutation. Wilkinson maintains his innocence and claims a conspiracy.
• Insight: The hosts contrast the goals of rehabilitation and punishment in criminal sentencing.
  • Áine is forthright in her stance:

    “People like Wilkinson—you’ve, like, wasted your chance at life. I don’t feel like he deserves a new shot. Doesn’t sound like he’s grown at all. So why the heck should we be, like, weeping for him?” (10:10)

• Notable Moment: Discussion pivots to the broader cultural susceptibility to conspiracy rhetoric and parallels drawn to cases like Temujin Kensu.

2. The Disappearance of Kevin Collins Jr.

(New Jersey segment — 11:47–16:45)

• Case: 21-year-old Kevin Collins Jr. vanished after fleeing a hospital in a gown following erratic behavior and mental health distress. Despite extensive searches, he remains missing.
• Insight: The hosts critique the inadequacies of the mental health system and the lack of secure resources for those in crisis:
  • Áine:

    “There needs to be secure facilities for people in active mental health crises—very accessible, very well funded...it just seems like there’s a lot of political will from the people, but not from our leaders.” (15:37)

• Call to Action: Kevin's information is shared, and listeners are encouraged to contact authorities with tips.

3. Murder & Mayhem in a Washington Casino

(Washington segment — 16:45–29:13, esp. 21:00–28:55)

• Case: Raylan Marie Benzie, 34, met a man named Arsalan at a casino, planned to drug and rob him. She used fentanyl instead of a date-rape drug, inadvertently killing him.
  • Quote from Benzie’s text:

    “I panicked. Did something dumb. I could go away for a very long time.” (22:40)

• Discussion:
  • Kevin notes similar crimes elsewhere and observes men may be reluctant to report such incidents due to embarrassment, making these crimes underreported.
  • Áine highlights the dangers of fentanyl, risky encounters, and the importance of caution.

    “Fentanyl is so dangerous…these people aren’t chemists, believe it or not.” (24:30)

• Broader Topic: The complexities of sex work legality and safety for all parties involved.

4. Social Media Feud Turns Violent at a Canadian Courthouse

(Canada segment — 29:13–42:50)

• Case: Qin Shen and Jing Lu meet in a courthouse over an ongoing online feud. Shen attacks Lu with a hammer and knife, pre-meditating with red clothing to hide bloodstains.
• Insight: Kevin explains how such preparation negates certain mental illness defenses in court.
  • Quote:

    “When a person makes these kinds of preparations, it shows some level of rational thought…awareness that what they’re doing is wrong and some awareness of consequences.” (33:14)

• Broader Reflection:
  • Advice to listeners:

    “The easiest option of all is just to stop paying attention to what that person posts. It’s not as important as it might seem emotionally in the moment.” (36:32)

  • Áine reflects, with signature humor, on dealing with online hate:

    “You win by not caring, and you win by just leaving it.” (37:03)

5. Child Rapist Olympian Barred from Australia

(Australia segment — 43:55–49:56)

• Case: Steven Van De Velde, Dutch volleyball player, was convicted of raping a 12-year-old in the UK but served only 13 months due to legal loopholes. Though let back on the Dutch Olympic team, Australia refused him a visa for competition.
  • Áine’s reaction:

    “…the fact that they allowed him on anyway…I think that’s rotten. But kudos to Australia for being like, ‘Nope.’…the child rape issue is actually more important than his skills on the volleyball court, believe it or not.” (47:59)

• Insight: Hosts criticize societal and institutional failures to protect victims and call out minimal consequences for grave crimes.

6. Behind-the-Scenes: Burgers, Guns, and Investigative Blunders

(Burger Chef Murders segment — 53:33–64:11)

• Anecdote: Kevin and Áine recount their determined but chaotic search for a possible Burger Chef murders suspect in Houston—starting with a Facebook banner photo, staking out a restaurant, and chasing leads in circles, only to later discover his number was easily available.
  • Humorous exchange:

    Áine: “That was us flirting with each other. I don’t think we realized it, but I remember being, like, really impressed with you. Wow, this guy is really good at research.” (57:54)

• Notable Moment: The suspect eventually threatened Kevin in hopes of pursuing Áine—a testament to the sometimes bizarre real-world interactions in true crime reporting.
  • Áine jokes:

    “As many men do. I have that effect on people.” (54:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Rehabilitation and Remorse:
  • Áine: “When we just go so down the rehabilitation…we’re actually just saying that people’s lives don’t matter.” (10:35)
• On Men’s Vulnerability in Party Contexts:
  • Kevin: “A man’s judgment might also be impaired…by the use of alcohol and by the excitement about possibly getting sex.” (26:08)
• On Handling Online Drama:
  • Áine: “They’ve cast you as the villain in their weird little melodrama and there’s nothing you can really do about that.” (41:37)
• On the Power of Apathetic Victory:
  • Kevin: “Most of these things don’t have a real life component…they’re just worthy of being ignored.” (40:48)

Humorous Banter and Running Gags

• Ongoing “Beret Áine” Jokes: Áine dons a beret mid-episode, leading to playful claims by Kevin that this more compassionate and witty version should appear every week.
  • Kevin: “Everyone loves beret Áine. Maybe you should think about wearing the beret every episode and perhaps even in your daily life.” (43:20)
• Kevin’s Obsession with Mr. Pibb: A detailed sidebar about the relaunch of Mr. Pibb, with Kevin gleefully insisting it denotes a “touch of class”—a sharp contrast to the episode’s darker topics.

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Content warning & intro of geographic “tour” | 03:39–04:47 | | Oklahoma cop killer & conspiracies | 06:02–11:44 | | New Jersey: Missing Kevin Collins Jr. | 11:47–16:45 | | Washington casino drug-murder | 16:45–29:13 | | Canada: Online feud stabbings | 29:13–42:50 | | Australia: Olympic athlete child rapist | 43:55–49:56 | | Burger Chef/Houston investigative story | 53:33–64:11 |

Tone and Style

• Equal parts hard-hitting and humorous: The hosts maintain a balance between serious, sometimes impassioned commentary on injustice and lively, self-deprecating asides.
• Language is informal, sharp, and accessible, with Áine and Kevin frequently ribbing each other, switching from substantive crime analysis to lighter digressions (“beret illusions”, Mr. Pibb, etc.).
• Audience engagement: Multiple calls for listener tips, event announcements, and shout-outs to listeners who provided story leads.

Conclusion

This "Cheat Sheet" episode offers both breadth and depth: jumping from cold cases to tabloid tales, it explores rehabilitation, justice, and social policy, while reminding listeners to be vigilant, skeptical of conspiracies, and—once in a while—to simply "log off." Throughout, Cain and Greenlee strike a tone that’s at once compassionate, critical, and unmistakably their own.

For case-specific info and contact numbers (e.g., Kevin Collins Jr.), see show notes.