Podcast Summary: Murder Sheet – The Cheat Sheet: Repeats and Radicals

Hosts: Áine Cain & Kevin Greenlee
Date: October 3, 2025
Theme:
This episode of Murder Sheet’s “Cheat Sheet” dives deep into a cluster of recent violent crimes on the East Coast and Pacific Northwest, focusing on cases involving repeat offenders, issues around criminal justice rehabilitation versus long-term incarceration, and the influence of radicalizing media consumption. Áine and Kevin thread personal reflections and debates throughout, maintaining their signature blend of journalistic rigor, snark, and banter.

Major Discussion Points

1. A Brutal Double Murder in Queens, New York

[05:03 – 13:06]

• Victims: Frank and Maureen Olten, an elderly couple living in Belrose, Queens.

• Crime: On September 8, 2025, career criminal Jamal McGriff—already a sex offender and with an extensive record—uses a ruse (needing to charge his phone) to gain entry to the Oltens’ home. He proceeds to commit a brutal robbery, torturing and tying Frank to a post in the basement and stabbing him to death; Maureen’s body is found badly burned in the resulting house fire.

• Investigation: Police tracked McGriff through surveillance footage and his use of the victims’ credit cards. NYPD's pickpocket unit and modern technology played a crucial role in his capture.

• Reflections: Áine notes the tendency to downplay robberies and points to how lesser crimes like robbery can escalate into fatal violence.

  “If you’re going around and like pointing a gun in a lot of people’s faces, that’s not a mistake…those crimes should also be taken seriously because they can escalate to something like this very easily.” – Áine ([11:04])

• Trauma Reminder: Kevin recounts a lasting trauma of a past non-lethal robbery victim to illustrate that even ‘lesser’ crimes have profound impacts.

  “The memory of having the gun in his face and all of that was obviously still very fresh and still very traumatic for him.” – Kevin ([11:39])

2. Serial Domestic Violence & Justice Failures – The Robson Case (Massachusetts)

[13:06 – 21:29]

• Case Summary: Kenneth Robson, 68, pleads guilty to killing his second wife, Kwesita Holmes. Shocking revelations emerge—Robson had previously been convicted of murdering his first wife in 1984 and attempted to kill his landlord in 1979.

• Sentencing Lapses: Despite a 10-year sentence for attempted murder, Robson was out early enough to kill again. Áine and Kevin highlight the legacy of lenient sentencing, especially regarding violence against women.

• Quote:

  “Don’t you feel like at a point in the past almost judges...were almost like, you can have a little violence against women as a treat?...It was like, we’ll give him a pass on that. It was just his wife.” – Áine ([19:13])

• Discussion:

  • The historic and systemic devaluation of violence against women.
  • Whether tough sentencing, as in the case of rapist Donald Forrester, can and does save lives:

    “He looked at Donald Forrester and said, this is a very violent man... We need to protect women from people like this.” – Kevin ([20:03])

3. The Recidivism Debate: Rehabilitation vs. Public Safety

[12:08, 21:29 – 24:24]

• Both hosts wrestle with the idealism of rehabilitation versus the grim reality that some offenders continually pose threats, even after release.
• Áine becomes “more convinced over time” that some people “just cannot function without being violent” and long-term incarceration is justified.
• Reflection on how working in true crime affects their outlooks:

  “The more we do true crime, the more I become very much convinced…some people should just not be out.” – Áine ([22:40])

4. The Kevin J. Doherty Case (Massachusetts)

[26:33 – 33:27]

• Victim: Kevin J. Doherty, 56, shot dead after reportedly confronting a man, Sneel Srivastava, who was graffitiing a bridge. The attack happened in front of the school Doherty’s child attended.

• Offender's History: Srivastava had a violent record: attacking a stranger with a machete (2022), a family member (2018), and a 2020 armed home invasion, but wasn’t incarcerated due to psychological findings and the court’s failure to prosecute.

• Concerns on Competency Proceedings: Áine wonders why, if Srivastava was declared unfit for trial, he wasn’t held in a secure facility until fit.

  “My understanding was being unfit to stand trial shouldn’t mean that someone’s released…why this guy was allowed out after committing such a violent attack is beyond me.” – Áine ([30:40])

• Societal Implications: The hosts debate the balance between not returning to abusive mental institutions and the clear danger posed by releasing violent offenders.

5. Radicalization, Media, and a Washington State Murder

[33:27 – 45:58]

• Case: Alex Wagner, 22, kills Abdelkadeer Sharif after a minor traffic incident. Wagner claims self-defense, but is convicted of second-degree murder.

• Defense Argument at Sentencing: Wagner’s lawyer argues he had been “mesmerized” and radicalized by self-defense–related gun content on YouTube, which fueled paranoia.

• Debate:

  • Áine acknowledges that social media and algorithms can “rewire brains,” but is firm on personal responsibility:

  “Just because…algorithms…radicalize them…we all have choices…The fact that you were watching all these stupid YouTubers and it made you a nut. That’s your problem. Like grow up and log off.” – Áine ([38:42], [38:50])

  • Kevin connects the defense’s argument to historical moral panics over comic books, gangster rap, and violent video games, noting these arguments are recycled:

  “There’s always a tendency…to blame media for their own bad actions or for the bad actions of others.” – Kevin ([39:50])

• Judicial Response:

  • Judge Okrent rejects the YouTube defense:

  “This was not about watching videos…Not one video says take out your gun and shoot somebody…when someone is trying to apologize…Very few people in that situation would pull out their gun and empty 11 bullets into a man.” ([45:05])

6. Broader Social Commentary & Personal Reflections

[24:24 – 26:02]; [45:36 – end]

• Crime Trends: Áine reassures listeners that crime rates are down overall, though shocking stories do continue to happen.
• Personal Impact: The hosts joke about how working in true crime (and especially doing the Cheat Sheet episodes) has affected their own attitudes toward crime and punishment.
• Societal Dilemmas: The episode frequently circles the fundamental question: how do we balance public safety, the rights and dignity of the mentally ill, and the legitimate concerns over past abuses in institutionalization?

Notable Quotes

• On rehabilitation vs. incarceration:

  “Some people just aren’t going to be rehabilitated…keeping people like that in prison for a long time to the point where they…can’t hurt anybody, that’s okay with me.” – Áine ([12:08])

• On violence against women:

  “Violence against women and children, frankly, at a certain point in this country was just not taken very seriously…and maybe even into the 80s, there’s a real leniency in sentencing…and it’s appalling.” – Áine ([19:13])

• On new media’s influence:

  “YouTube and social media in general are, I think…I mean, having adverse mental health effects on people…It just puts them down a rabbit hole and can radicalize them.” – Áine ([37:09])

• On the responsibility for violent crime:

  “If you keep on knowingly ingesting drugs and then violently lashing out at people, that’s a you problem.” – Áine ([22:40])

• On attempted media defense at sentencing:

  “There are lots of videos on gun safety, lots…on protecting yourself. Not one video says take out your gun and shoot someone…when someone is trying to apologize…” – Judge Richard Okrent, as recited by Kevin ([45:05])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |--------------------------------------|------------| | Content warning/opening remarks | 03:13 | | NY double homicide (Oltens) | 05:03 | | Reflections on robbery & trauma | 11:32 | | Robson case – two wives murdered | 13:06 | | Judicial/cultural leniency debate | 19:13 | | Effects of true crime on hosts | 24:02 | | Doherty murder/sentencing issues | 26:33 | | Failures to detain the dangerous | 31:16 | | Washington State, YouTube defense | 33:27 | | Rejection of “YouTube defense” | 45:05 | | Events, apologies, local banter | 46:05+ |

Memorable Moments & Banter

• “Cane Train” banter: Ongoing playful ribbing about who is responsible for the “train” running off the rails.
• Franklin, Indiana vs. Franklin, Tennessee: Áine’s mix-up of restaurant recommendations showcases her “research pole” antics ([48:13]), and sets up an amusing apology to local listeners.
• French spam woes: Kevin’s pursuit of a French true crime case leads to an inbox overflow of French-language emails, and mutual reflection on the hosts’ linguistic challenges ([54:25]).
• Audience Q&A: Listeners wonder about Kevin keeping Áine “on a leash,” which is met with good-natured mock outrage ([53:07]).
• Apology tour: Multiple self-deprecating apologies about book-date errors and cheerful shoutouts to audience members showing up at local eateries, rounding out the episode with warmth and humility.

Final Notes

This episode, “Repeats and Radicals,” showcases the Murder Sheet’s ability to dissect serious issues—violent recidivism, system failures, media influence—while retaining a conversational, relatable tone. Highlights include candid, sometimes controversial viewpoints on criminal justice, and the hosts’ growing skepticism about rehabilitation in the face of continued, egregious violent crime. Personal anecdotes, event announcements, and apologies to listeners (and each other!) ensure the episode is as personable and dynamic as it is sober and thought-provoking.