My Favorite Murder – Episode 514: “Beef With Myself”

Release Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Network: Exactly Right & iHeartPodcasts

Overview

Karen and Georgia kick off 2026 with a lively, banter-filled episode that mixes gratitude for their community with classic My Favorite Murder true crime storytelling. This installment is marked by anticipation of their upcoming 10-year anniversary, a showcase of creative fan gifts, discussions of their new year resolutions, and the retelling of two jaw-dropping true crime stories: the puzzling cold case of Rose Burkert and Roger Atkinson, and the bizarre, nearly slapstick saga of “the unkillable” Michael Malloy. Throughout, the hosts reflect on the reasons they’ve been doing this for a decade, the emotional toll of cold cases, and their enduring bond with their listeners.

Episode Highlights

10 Years of My Favorite Murder: Anniversary & Listener Gifts

(Starts ~01:00)

• Karen and Georgia celebrate the imminent 10-year anniversary of MFM. They joke about needing to “wrap up” their ninth-anniversary ceramics celebration as the traditional tenth gift is “tin.”
  • “Nine year anniversary is ceramics, obviously. Ten years. Like tin foil. I don't. What is it?” – Georgia (02:09)
• They share and describe elaborate, handmade listener gifts, including:
  • A vintage ceramic Siamese cat with a unique necklace (by Jordan at JMax Ceramics)
  • Custom dog bowls also from JMax Ceramics
  • Stacking Mothman mugs with cheeky “Bye… bitches” etching (by Keiko Inoue @keikopots)
  • An intricately crafted ceramic butterfly from Boise (by Lisa at The Potter Center) with a poetic note about “metamorphosis”
    • “You've embraced metamorphosis in all its beautiful, awful, messy glory. In the public eye, no less. …Thank you for giving us community in the chaos.” – Listener note (06:17)
  • SSDGM and custom stained-glass “dead pets” art from Elora at Down the Line Design
• The hosts express appreciation for their community and invite listeners for more tinfoil-themed art for their next celebration.

Post-Holiday Reflections & New Year’s Resolutions

(Starts ~09:17)

• Karen and Georgia reconnect after a long break, sharing comical stories of time spent with family and their low-key holidays.
  • Karen: Watching football with her dad and TikTok scrolling.
  • Georgia: Staying home, focusing on comfort and self-care.
• Both discuss their New Year's resolutions:
  • Georgia: “I'm making decisions now and doing the hard things now. My point is to help future Georgia…”
  • Karen: “I just have to do more stuff so my life isn't just work. …It's like the expansion of just kind of lots of experiences.” (11:10)

Podcast & Network Recommendations

(Starts ~13:24 & 15:35)

• Karen recommends the podcast “Beth’s Dead” for its personal, non-sensationalized approach to true crime survival stories.
• Karen raves about "Undercover of Night": A journalist-led investigation into a mysterious death in Texas, raising the question, “If people found you dead and they just saw what was around you, what would they think about you?”
  • “It's so compelling. It's so well done.” – Karen (14:51)
• Exactly Right Network highlights:
  • New legal podcast “Brief Recess”
  • “Do You Need a Ride?” with Henry Phillips
  • Reminds listeners about Fan Cult and social media updates

Story 1: The Cold Case of Rose Burkert & Roger Atkinson

Told by Georgia, Begins ~18:01

The Case

• Location: Williamsburg, Iowa (Amana Holiday Inn), September 13, 1980
• Victims: Rose Burkert (22, single mother) and Roger Atkinson (32, married; Sunday school teacher)
• The pair, conducting an affair, are gruesomely murdered in their hotel room, beaten with a hatchet. The investigation is clouded by:
  • The couple’s secrecy and last-minute booking (room acquired due to a random cancellation – 24:08).
  • No forced entry, but an accessible physical key system.
  • Cryptic and bizarre evidence:
    • Chair pulled up to the bed; a bar of soap whittled under it (for possible intimidation or psychological manipulation) (27:44).
      • “To me, it seems like knife play… it's threatening, intimidating…” – Karen (28:09)
    • A wiped-off message on the bathroom door, with only the word “this” visible.
    • Toothpaste squeezed all over (linked to a similar murder).
  • A partial fingerprint found, small amounts of money stolen.

Theories

• Wife (Marcy Atkinson):
  • Files wrongful death suit, secures double indemnity insurance, but has an alibi (31:36).
• Rose’s Ex-boyfriend:
  • She’d recently told friends if she were harmed, “it would have been her ex who did it” (32:32).
• Serial Killer/Stranger:
  • Linked to a similar murder in Illinois (William Kyle Jr.), sharing the detail of toothpaste at the scene (33:23).
  • Paul Holes’ theory: Heroin addicts with ED may squeeze toothpaste as a psychological substitute for ejaculation (34:42).
    • “I have never heard that. I looked it up online. …it wouldn't necessarily be online because that's more of like this is, you know, you're equating one to the other.” – Karen (34:56)
  • DNA tested in 2015—unknown sample found on a towel, but results inconclusive due to the nature of hotel towels.
  • No one ever charged; remains unsolved.
  • “Hopefully this doesn't stay a cold case for much longer.” – Georgia (38:45)

Hosts’ Analysis

• They joke about “having beef” with Paul Holes and each other over cold case theories, acknowledging how unresolved cases are agonizing but fascinating (36:14; 40:46).
• Karen: “I think the reason that I get upset is because I'm going to be thinking about this a lot now.”

[Notable Quote]

Georgia (10:30):
“My plan, and I started last month, and I'm fucking. This is it. I'm making decisions now and doing the hard things now. My point is to help future Georgia.”

Karen (14:30, re: podcast “Undercover of Night”):
“If people found you dead and they just saw what was around you, what would they think about you?”

Story 2: The Unkillable Michael Malloy (“Iron Mike”)

Told by Karen, Begins ~41:46

Summary

• Setting: 1930s Bronx, NYC – height of the Depression and Prohibition.
• Conspiracy:
  • Tony Marino, speakeasy owner, and patrons (the “Murder Trust”) devise a scheme to take out life insurance on a destitute alcoholic regular, Michael Malloy, and kill him for the money.
    • The plan is to get him to drink himself to death, then fake his identity.
  • Despite repeated, increasingly outlandish attempts—including unlimited rotgut, methanol poisoning, marinated oysters in methanol, “sardine sandwiches” packed with glass and tacks, exposure to freezing temperatures, and finally being run over by a car—Molloy survives each attempt.
    • “He downs several drinks without so much as a shudder. …Then Michael starts snoring. So he wakes up a few hours later and asks for another drink.” (55:42)
  • Final murder involves pumping gas into his room while unconscious, which ultimately kills him after several months of failed attempts.
  • The gang’s sloppiness leads to their exposure as they brag and quarrel.
  • Tony Marino and others are convicted and most are sentenced to death.

Cultural Impact

• Molloy becomes a folk hero—with nicknames like “Iron Mike” and “the man who wouldn’t die.”
  • “Despite the actions of the men who… saw no value in his life, the country at large comes to feel very differently about him.” – Karen (70:49)
• Listeners are encouraged to channel his resilience as inspiration for 2026.

Notable Quotes

• “What a great attitude. Truly, what a kind of like, try, try again. I'm gonna see my friends.” – Karen (61:48)
• “Despite the actions of the men who conspired… the country at large comes to feel very differently about him.” – Karen (70:49)
• “Over time, Michael Malloy’s name has stuck around in the zeitgeist, earning one colorful nickname after the other. Iron Mike, the Rasputin of the Bronx, and even the man who wouldn't die.” (71:01)

Callbacks, Community & Light-Hearted Closing

(Throughout; Closing ~72:10)

• Hosts joke about tinfoil gifts and invite listeners to submit their “10-year arcs” for the anniversary episode and share MFM milestone stories, highlighting listener growth and the show’s evolving community.

• They tease a big guest for the next episode and call for more pet photos (though not in tinfoil!).

  • “Tell us what you were doing 10 years ago and what you're doing now.” – Karen (73:21)

• Emotional reflection:

  • “Why do we do this? Why have we been doing this for 10 years?” – Karen (41:16)
  • “Including ourselves.” – Georgia (41:28)

• They sign off:
  “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 01:00: Anniversary celebrations & ceramics gifts
• 09:17: Post-holiday catchup & personal resolutions
• 13:24: Podcast recommendations (“Beth’s Dead”, “Undercover of Night”)
• 15:35: Exactly Right Network highlights
• 18:01: Georgia’s cold case: Rose Burkert & Roger Atkinson
• 41:46: Karen’s case: The Unkillable Michael Malloy
• 72:10: Reflections, 10-year arc requests, preview of anniversary episode

Tone & Takeaways

This episode showcases the signature MFM blend of dark humor, heartfelt appreciation, and chilling storytelling. Karen and Georgia’s easy rapport and willingness to share both laughter and existential dread about the cases they cover keeps veteran listeners and newcomers engrossed. Their gratitude for the Murderino community is front and center, as is the sense that—whether you’re whittling soap, dodging icy park benches, or facing tough truths—a little humor and a lot of resilience can get you through anything (well, almost anything).

Stay sexy, and don’t get murdered.