MFM Minisode 420

Summary

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Episode: MFM Minisode 420
Release Date: January 27, 2025

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Overview

In "MFM Minisode 420," hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark dive into a collection of heartfelt and intriguing listener-submitted stories. This minisode, characterized by its blend of true crime and personal anecdotes, offers listeners an intimate glimpse into the lives and experiences of the show's community. From harrowing tales of survival to quirky childhood memories, Karen and Georgia navigate each story with their signature humor and empathy.

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1. Introduction and Mimi's Antics (00:01 – 01:17)

The episode opens with Karen and Georgia sharing a light-hearted moment featuring Mimi, Georgia’s adorable cat. Their playful banter sets a warm and relatable tone for the minisode.

Notable Quote:

• Georgia Hardstark [01:33]: "The Mimisode. Because Mimi's on my lap right now, drooling."

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2. Virginia's Harrowing Kidnapping Story (02:14 – 08:18)

Narrative Summary:

Virginia recounts a traumatic childhood experience from the late 1980s when her young brother was abducted by a woman wielding a knife. The ordeal unfolded near Virginia's childhood home, leading to a tense confrontation on the high school grounds. Thankfully, the quick actions of local football players intervened, rescuing her brother and apprehending the assailant. Virginia reflects on the lasting impact this event had on her family, particularly her brother's increased vigilance and protective nature.

Key Points:

• Setting: Late 1980s, Virginia’s family home near a large high school.
• Incident: Virginia’s brother was threatened and abducted by a woman with a knife.
• Resolution: High school football players tackled the abductor, ensuring the brother's safety.
• Impact: The event instilled a strong sense of safety and protection within the family.

Notable Quotes:

• Virginia [02:14]: "Stay sexy and make sure your kid arrives safely at their friend's house. Offer your kidnapper monopoly money. Don't offer your kidnapper monopoly money."
  (02:14)

• Karen Kilgariff [07:19]: "That just like. Yeah, because in my mind, like talking about walking across that school, it was just like empty school, wind is blowing."
  (07:19)

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3. Karen’s Belize Adventure and the Manatee Mystery (08:21 – 12:42)

Narrative Summary:

Karen shares a vivid memory from a family vacation in Belize, where her parents decided to take her and her brother on a budget-friendly trip. During a tour of the Monkey River, an unsettling discovery was made when what was believed to be a manatee was revealed to be a deceased man attached to a boogie board. The tour guide's suspicious behavior and the corrupt local police added layers of tension to the situation. Karen reflects on the emotional aftermath, including the impact on her childhood perceptions of safety and the lasting scars of that experience.

Key Points:

• Setting: Early years of the 2000s, Belize.
• Incident: Discovery of a dead man instead of a manatee during a river tour.
• Complications: Corrupt police environment and the tour guide’s request to keep quiet.
• Emotional Impact: Heightened fear and anxiety about the ocean and safety during travels.

Notable Quotes:

• Karen Kilgariff [08:17]: "Stay sexy and don’t buy jewelry with mutton chops."
  (08:42)

• Georgia Hardstark [10:10]: "I'm just."
  (10:09) — Reflecting the shock upon seeing the deceased man.

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4. Georgia’s "Peanut People" Childhood Hobby (14:05 – 16:13)

Narrative Summary:

Georgia reminisces about her imaginative childhood hobby of creating “Peanut People.” Utilizing stale peanuts, she drew faces and crafted elaborate stories, carrying them around as if they were living characters. This playful creativity extended to building cardboard homes and furniture for her peanut creations, a passion that subtly guided her toward a career in architecture. Georgia highlights how these early creative outlets fostered her artistic skills and love for design.

Key Points:

• Hobby: Drawing faces on peanuts and creating stories around them.
• Expansion: Building homes and villages for the Peanut People using cardboard.
• Impact: Laid the foundation for Georgia’s career in architecture, demonstrating her innate design instincts.

Notable Quotes:

• Georgia Hardstark [14:05]: "I think that is why I relate to your podcast so much. My family has always imbued humor into sad or scary situations. For better or worse."
  (16:13)

• Karen Kilgariff [15:50]: "What Amazing."
  (15:50)

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5. Georgia’s Twin Sister Ashley’s Battle with Cancer (21:34 – 27:11)

Narrative Summary:

In perhaps the most emotionally charged story of the minisode, Georgia opens up about her twin sister Ashley's long battle with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. At the age of 13, Ashley was hospitalized and later fell into a coma for over 35 days during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to visitation restrictions, Georgia couldn't be by her sister's side, leading her to emotionally cope by screaming and pleading with Ashley to wake up. Miraculously, Ashley awoke, only to pass away shortly thereafter. Georgia shares the profound bond between twins and the lingering grief and connection she feels with her sister.

Key Points:

• Setting: December 2020, Vermont hospital during COVID-19.
• Incident: Ashley’s prolonged coma and subsequent awakening before passing.
• Emotional Journey: Georgia’s struggles with helplessness, fear, and eventual grief.
• Legacy: The deep, unbreakable bond shared between twins and the enduring impact of loss.

Notable Quotes:

• Georgia Hardstark [21:35]: "Stay sexy and don't forget the password."
  (25:41) — A nod to the emotional climax where the childhood password "Mariah Carey" plays a pivotal role.

• Karen Kilgariff [25:01]: "Humans can do more. If twins can do it, that means eventually regular people will be able to do it."
  (26:02)

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6. Jess S.’s Hometown Story: Misnumbered Funeral Home Calls (28:16 – 31:37)

Narrative Summary:

Jess shares a humorous yet poignant story from her upbringing in a small Ohio town. When a new funeral home opened, its phone number was erroneously similar to her parents' home phone. This mix-up resulted in numerous distressing and confusing calls meant for the funeral home being directed to Jess’s family. Her mother became an unofficial liaison, handling calls ranging from inquiries about visiting hours to sensitive matters like body pickups. The situation culminated in a tense yet comical encounter with the funeral home owner, highlighting the challenges of dealing with such persistent mistakes.

Key Points:

• Situation: Incorrectly dialed phone numbers leading to frequent calls intended for a funeral home.
• Response: Jess’s mother took on the role of managing and redirecting these calls.
• Climax: A direct confrontation with the funeral home owner who reprimanded Jess’s mother, only to be quickly embarrassed and apologized.
• Resolution: Over time, the call volume decreased, easing the initial strain on the family.

Notable Quotes:

• Karen Kilgariff [28:56]: "Say sexy and double check the number before you hit call."
  (30:58)

• Georgia Hardstark [30:22]: "There were so many times I'd pick up the phone and forget, like, what rough shot, like, where I was because I was a temp all the time and be like, fuck, can't remember."
  (30:22)

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Conclusion and Closing Remarks (31:37 – End)

Karen and Georgia wrap up the minisode by encouraging listeners to submit their own hometown and personal stories. They emphasize the importance of sharing both the humorous and meaningful moments that shape individuals' lives. The hosts sign off with their trademark sign-off, blending humor and heartfelt sentiments.

Notable Closing Quote:

• Georgia Hardstark [32:40]: "Sexy and don't get murdered. Goodbye. Goodbye, Elvis. Do you want a cookie?"
  (32:52)

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Final Thoughts

"MFM Minisode 420" exemplifies the essence of "My Favorite Murder" by intertwining true crime elements with deeply personal narratives. Karen and Georgia skillfully balance the gravity of traumatic experiences with moments of levity and warmth, fostering a sense of community and shared understanding among their audience. This minisode not only entertains but also resonates on an emotional level, underscoring the show's unique ability to blend storytelling with genuine connection.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Georgia Hardstark [02:14]: "Stay sexy and make sure your kid arrives safely at their friend's house. Offer your kidnapper monopoly money. Don't offer your kidnapper monopoly money."

• Karen Kilgariff [08:42]: "Stay sexy and don’t buy jewelry with mutton chops."

• Georgia Hardstark [14:05]: "I think that is why I relate to your podcast so much. My family has always imbued humor into sad or scary situations. For better or worse."

• Georgia Hardstark [21:35]: "Stay sexy and don't forget the password."

• Karen Kilgariff [30:58]: "Say sexy and double check the number before you hit call."

• Georgia Hardstark [32:40]: "Sexy and don't get murdered. Goodbye. Goodbye, Elvis. Do you want a cookie?"

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Listeners' Submissions and Engagement

Throughout the episode, Karen and Georgia highlight the importance of listener engagement by featuring diverse and authentic stories. They encourage the community to continue sharing their unique experiences, reinforcing the show's commitment to creating a platform where personal narratives intersect with true crime exploration.

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Production Credits

• Senior Producer: Alejandra Keck
• Editor: Aristotle Acevedo
• Mixing: Liana Squalaci

For more stories and to join the conversation, listeners are invited to visit myfavoritemurder.com and engage with the show's social media platforms on Instagram and Facebook.

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Stay Connected:

• Email: [e-mail]
• Instagram & Facebook: @myfavoritemurder

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is exactly right. Coming to ABC and Hulu.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Amanda Riley was a mother, wife speaker at her church.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then she got diagnosed with cancer.

[Georgia Hardstark]

A beloved young Christian woman fighting a battle undeserved. We thought she was God's gift, but she was a liar.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Why would somebody fake cancer? From the number one smash it podcast, it was only a matter of time until Amanda's whole world came tumbling down. You're not gonna believe this. Scamand premieres Thursday night, January 30th on ABC and stream on Hulu.

[Liza Trager]

Listen up. I'm Liza Trager.

[Kara Klenk]

And I'm Kara Klenk. And we're the hosts of the true crime comedy podcast that's Messed Up, An SVU podcast.

[Liza Trager]

Every Tuesday, we break down an episode of Law and svu, the true crime it's based on, and we chat with an actor from the episode.

[Kara Klenk]

Over the past few years, we've chatted with series icons like Bebe Wong, Kelly Giddish, Danny Pino, and guest stars like Paget Brewster and Matthew Lillard.

[Liza Trager]

And just like an SVU marathon, you can jump in anywhere.

[Kara Klenk]

Don't miss new episodes every Tuesday. Follow that's Messed up and SVU Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Done.

[Kara Klenk]

Done.

[Karen Kilgariff]

My fav. Hello and welcome to my favorite murder, the Mimisode.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The Mimisode. Because Mimi's on my lap right now, drooling.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Mimi did a real good poke up from the bottom of the Zune screen.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Like, here, let me get her on camera for you so you can have something nice to look at rather than.

[Karen Kilgariff]

My something wonderful fucking face.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Mimi the supermodel with her tiny, tiny mouth.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So pretty.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hi, lady. You want to go first?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sure. Okay. The title is I'm not going to read the subject line, which I can't believe more people haven't done. That is fucking hilarious.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Full credit to this person.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes. And then it says in parentheses, but if I did, it would be. And then it tells the whole story and it's great.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So I'll do that. Perfect.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And then it just starts. I'll be honest. The main reason it has taken me so long to write this in is because I absolutely panic at the thought of not having a good opening line. So I'll let you use your imagination and pretend that this one was particularly fantastic. Sigh. Here we go. I'll apologize in advance for being incredibly verbose. Yet another reason I have procrastinated sending this. Someone's been using the thesaurus.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I bet someone got their $10 word out.

[Georgia Hardstark]

In 1984, my parents moved to a huge house about two blocks from the largest local high school, central. My mom was nine months pregnant with my sister, but being the badass woman she was, she still helped move all the boxes and furniture despite it being her due date. She went into labor four days later. This isn't actually relevant to the story referenced in the subject line, but my mom is going to sound pretty neglectful in a minute, so I wanted to make sure and paint her as the strong, amazing woman she is before throwing her entirely under the bus.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Get her under there.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It says right about now this person should be a writer. Okay. Sometime in the upper 80s, I believe 1987 or 88, my brother asked my mom if he could walk down the street to play at his best friend's house. It was the 80s, she said sure and waved her six or seven year old child out the door to walk down the street. Just so normal. Sure. And didn't expect him home until the street lights came on. She never could have imagined that the next time the door opened, it would be two police officers on the other side telling her that her son had been abducted.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay, yeah, this gets crazy. Apparently my big brother was walking down the street as advertised, when a woman saw him by himself and decided she had a grand opportunity to make some money. She had a knife and threatened my brother with it to get him to comply and come with her. She then needed to find a payphone so she could call my parents and demand a ransom for the return of my brother, who by this time was crying. Nevertheless, she dragged my bawling brother to the closest place she could find, the high school. There was indeed a payphone there, but to get to it, she would have to cross the practice field and get to the tennis courts on the other side of the main field. And it says for scale, this is like three city blocks. It is a huge high school, okay? All with a screaming, crying child who was pleading with her to take him home. So traumatizing.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So creepy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, yeah. He even offered her his own money. Turns out his not fully formed brain was concocting a plan to give her Monopoly money in exchange for his life. Which is equal parts funny and absolutely heartbreaking.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

As she undoubtedly shouted at him to shut up and continued dragging him to the payphone, the football team on the practice field began to notice something was wrong. I have searched high and low for an article about this, which I know exists because I've seen it, but because I can't find it, and because I hate asking my parents and brother to relive this part of their lives. I am recounting this from memory as best as I can. The football players saw my brother crying and this disheveled woman holding a knife and correctly assumed he was in danger. They surrounded the woman and one of the players tackled her as football players are want to do, I guess. I'm not sure what part of scary lady with small child and knife made the idea of tackling seem appealing, but that is indeed what happened. The police were called, probably using the very pay phone she planned to ransom my brother through because 80s and my hysterical brother relayed that he lived two blocks over and wanted to go home. Yeah, so that is how my mother came to find out that my brother actually never made it to the neighbor's house at all. And it says because calling to make sure he arrived safely just wasn't a thing.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It wasn't though. It really wasn't. No one ever called anyone unless you had to totally.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And instead was dragged by a stranger in search of a payphone, but was luckily intercepted. Pun intended. You're welcome, Georgia. By the football team and returned to my mother. My brother doesn't like to talk about this incident much, but he did surprise me once when he brought it up and credited this experience for his obsession with personal safety, slash weapons and trying to keep our family safe from harm. He is a wonderful man who would move mountains for those he loves and he has always been there to bail me out of a few unfortunate situations. I am beyond lucky that our story didn't end in tragedy like so many others, and I am so grateful that I can find a modicum of humor in such a terrible memory. I think that is why I relate to your podcast so much. My family has always imbued humor into sad or scary situations. For better or worse. Stay sexy and make sure your kid arrives safely at their friend's house. Offer your kidnapper monopoly money. Don't offer your kidnapper monopoly money. Oh wait, I've got it. Stay sexy and let the football team rescue you. Virginia.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Nice one, Virginia.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Like that turned quick.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That just like. Yeah, because in my mind, like talking about walking across that school, it was just like empty school, wind is blowing. You know what I mean? The loneliest thing in the world is like an empty school.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally 100%. And then like this woman probably had mental health problems, which is so sad. But like a knife to a six or seven year old child is just.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Just no. Wrestle her immediately to the ground.

[Georgia Hardstark]

These teenagers, these brave teenagers were like.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Nope, they're not standing by no, it's the best.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, that's really wild.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Very lovely. But also it's the kind of thing where it's like stuff like that happens to people and then she's like, she's attributing his need for like to keep people safe and that. And that is how bad things bring about good things. It's like now he is maybe over vigilant, but then that care and concern benefits all these people in his life.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Absolutely.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay, I'm not gonna read you the subject line. So it just starts, hey, Karen, Georgia and assorted animals. I'll jump right into it. My dad's family moved around a lot when he was younger due to my grandpa's job with the military. One of the places they lived when he was a little older was the Caribbean, where my dad got a job on a sailboat and became friends with the owner. Fast forward about 15 years and my parents wanted to take their three young kids on vacation. Since they're cheapskates, they decided to take us down to Belize. Those fucking cheapskates.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It doesn't sound cheap. I don't know Belize that well, but shit, no.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We literally went to the same lake every year. Don't be crazy. And it was a drive. It was a three hour drive and we drove it there and back every time. A country in Central America where my dad's friend was now living to stay with him and his wife for a couple weeks. On one of our last days in the country, my parents took my older brother and I on a tour of Monkey river where we were supposed to be able to see crocodiles and manatees. For Rush, the tour consisted of only my family and a tour guide in a little boat floating down a river and up the shore of the jungle. I guess manatees were a really big selling feature on these tours because as our time slot was running out, our tour guide really seemed intent on finding us a manatee to take pictures of. Finally, he spotted one in the distance. However, as our little boat got closer and closer to the manatee, it became clear that it was in fact not a manatee in the water, but a man floating face down next to a boogie board. He was wearing a green and blue wetsuit and he was still strapped to his board at his wrist. Given that he had drowned in a kind of remote area in the jungle, we were the first ones to find him.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Mm.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I'm just.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, yeah. It says this was a while ago, and I don't fully remember what the tour guide said to My parents, since I was paying attention to. To the corpse right beside our boat. But I'm pretty sure that the tour guide knew who the man was and said that he'd been diving for oysters at the time. The police in Belize were pretty corrupt and had a reputation for arresting tourists for crimes they didn't commit in order to elicit bribes. So the guide told my parents not to mention the body to anyone and that he would take care of it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Cue my parents having to explain two very important concepts to their 6 and 8. 8 year old children. Death. And that snitches get stitches. To this day, I get super stressed when going through customs since my parents absolutely forbade us from talking to any customs agent. A six year old and an eight year old.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's like a great way to just like implant trauma on top of trauma.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You know, right?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. The stakes go wildly high. So our parents absolutely forbade us from talking to any customs agent when trying to leave Belize. I also refused to swim in the ocean for the next couple of years because although my mom had said the man had probably passed away from a heart attack, six year old me knew deep down that it was sharks that had gotten him. Sure, sharks. Or a giant clam that opened and enclosed.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You know, that's always Schnapp.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That was my big concern really, when I was young. A giant clam. I saw it in some weird 70s children's thing where it's like a real life swimmer and a real sized up clam.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I can picture it. Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, my mom has taken my brothers and I on lots of sketchy vacations since then. Most involved her flying us across the Atlantic Ocean by herself to stay for months at a time with strangers she met on the Internet.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What?

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then in parentheses, it says, my mom is not a murderino. And then it says, that was probably one of the most memorable. Oh, basically. So aside from that, that was probably one of the most memorable trips we've been on. Thanks for making this great podcast and giving me something to do instead of studying for my college finals.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, no.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then it says, you've definitely knocked my GPA down a point or two. To which I will say, you've definitely knocked your GPA down a point or two. Hit stop. It's not that good. Ssdgm. And don't go looking for manatees. Margot.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God. Have you seen the video? I think it's in Thailand. I'm probably completely wrong about the animal and the place, but in Thailand there are these like crocodile or alligators. Who have these little webby fingers. And they've learned that in this river, if they lay on their backs and hide their body and put their hand up like they're drowning. It looks like a human is drowning. And the people jump in to save the human because they have these little, like, fingers. And from far away it looks like a hand, like, help me, help me. They've learned that people will jump in and like.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then did they attack the people and try to bite them and eat them?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

These little arm hand thing. I mean, it's the creepiest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's the tricky little bastards.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's nature. This is why this is why.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. Everybody's the Bible Evolving, evolving the Bible.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This is why this is why. Okay, I guess, I guess we asked for people to tell us their weird childhood hobbies.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, good.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Which is fun. Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, you know what? I feel like the file folder just opened and it was that one where the girl got the kit of like, sparkle of glitter. Remember?

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was balloon animals.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Fucking balloon animals. Wasn't there a sparkle one too, where it was just like, sparkles?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I don't remember that one.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Anyway, yes. But yes, balloon animals was recent. Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay, so this one's called Peanut People. Hello, all sort of day one listener. I started from the beginning in 2018, so whatever that is. Yeah, you asked for weird childhood hobbies and I remembered mine. That I think helped me figure out my career path. When I was around 8, we had this big plastic jar of shell on peanuts. It was old and stale and needed to get thrown out. Kind of like those big tins of popcorn that everyone got for Christmas that eventually got emptied out and turned into trash cans.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but I was feeling crafty one day and I took the peanuts and started drawing faces on them. It started off as a bit of a joke. I would carry them around in my bejeweled purse and tell my friends. Made up stories about the peanut people. Some laughed with me a lot. Probably laughed at me. Either way, it was a hit. So I expanded on this idea.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Either way it was a hit is it does not track from what you just said.

[Georgia Hardstark]

People are laughing. I think that's like a pure hearted lovely thing, is just like, sure, you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Know what the noise was there and that's all that matters.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Exactly. So I expanded on the idea. I created a house for the peanut people. I made walls and floors out of cardboard, painted it, and even created furniture. Oh, it was clearly more than a joke to Me, I got really into building homes for the peanut people. I did the same thing, but with troll dolls. My friend and I were obsessed. We built, like, elaborate houses for them.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's fun.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It became a peanut village. It probably lasted a year. But the passion for designing buildings never really went away. So here I am 21 years later, designing buildings at an architecture firm. Wow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What Amazing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

When people ask me what got me interested in architecture, I do not tell them, but I told you. Smiley face.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

As I found out in 2018 at one of my first internships, the job is like any and can get pretty boring. So I have always appreciated having you guys in my ear. Stay sexy and throw out your stale peanuts. Kelsey, she her.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow. I really like that.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Isn't that lovely?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Also, it's just like, so funny for kids these days where like, literally you cannot be near peanuts. And like, the peanut allergy thing that came up, which is important and good. I'm not trying to be one of those people. Like, nobody was allergic to peanuts before, right? I love when comics make those generalizations. I'm like, jesus. My next door neighbor who I was just talking about, yeah. He had such a bad peanut allergy. Like, he had to have an EpiPen at all times or his throat would close and he would die.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's not like nobody had it. It's like nobody gave a shit. You sound stupid when you say that. Nobody had autism back then. It's like nobody cared.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, they weren't paying attention. They were just like, oh, you have to. We're just gonna real quick make this easy for ourselves and put you in a room somewhere and not look into this. And like, literally, it was like an 11 year old that on his own, without his mom or anybody doing the work, he had to make sure he never ate a peanut. So he'd literally like, what's in this? I don't. I'm not. Like, it was sad. Anyway, he made it. I'm a peanut peanut allergy truther, and I'm here to say. Okay, I'm not gonna read you the subject line. It just starts, hello, all. I appreciate all the work you and the entire company does. Nice. Well, that's all the emotion I can handle based on my German family upbringing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I appreciate that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Nice one. So it says, let's get into the story. This last holiday trip home, I heard a casual story from my dad. While watching a crime show with him, he mentioned that the FBI interviewed him once, leading me to immediately ask for the details. Back in the 80s, my dad was a nurse anesthetist, which is a specialized nurse who sedates or induces general anesthesia from medical proced. Make extra money. He would pick up shifts at a Chicago abortion clinic on the weekends. Well, this clinic happened to be run by the Chicago mob. Specifically Anthony Tony Centrachio.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Whoa.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right. What a name. That was kind of fun to say.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It sounded great. That and anesthetist. You fucking knocked it out of the park.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Thank you.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's a hard one. That's a hard one.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay. Mostly my dad would keep to himself and do his work. So there was. This wasn't a problem. Occasionally, he would be offered jewelry to buy while working there, which he politely declined. You need this bracelet or you want a bracelet?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

During this time, the FBI came to our house and asked him about his work, the clinic, who owned it and were particularly interested in Tony Centraccio.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sure.

[Karen Kilgariff]

My dad states that he was relatively vague about his responses, like, likely a smart decision. The FBI also asked about the jewelry being offered, which my dad replied he never bought because, quote, it wasn't his style. Then, instead of keeping this interview to himself, he told the mob members at the clinic that he had been interviewed.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So smart. Tell them immediately or it's gonna seem like you fucking snitched.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You know what I mean?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. Yes. Self report.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

When working alongside or with the mob, please self report.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Because, you know, one of those FBI agents were on the take too, and told them, would have told them that they talked to him, and then they'd been like, why didn't you tell us that they talked to you? You gotta.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right. And then there' the embedded FBI agent who isn't on the take, who's in the mafia, overgrown his mutton chops. And he's Tony Cintracchio's best friend.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God. It goes all the way to the top.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Think it through when you're working with the mob.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Thankfully, he didn't know anything of value for the mob to care about it. My dad is in his early 70s now, and he still volunteers his time in service at abortion clinics. He considers it one of the ways he can give back in this questionable time. And it's a reminder that abortion. Abortion rights or human rights. He is the reason both my sister and I are in the medical field and is always proud to label himself a girl. Dad. I hope this makes at least one person smile while reading. Even if it does not make it on the podcast. Stay sexy and don't buy jewelry with mop ties.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Rachel, that's so beautiful. Like a beautiful way to raise your daughters, to be like, this is what I do. And, like, it's totally normal and it's just my job and, you know, and it's important.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, it's important work that has been politicized and weirdly religiousized in a way that is actually neither smart or accurate or good for our culture.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And this is science, which has nothing to do with my morality or whatever the fuck you know, or my religion.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Or anybody else's belief. What part of it. What part of the Bible they read.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I mean, it kind of makes you love the Mafia a little more, if anything. I know you love them so much.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I really do love them. And I love Italians, of course.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay, this one is really long. It's my last one. It will probably make you cry. I'm gonna guess. I'm gonna guess 75 on Karen crying on this one.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay, let's see.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I'm not gonna read you the title. Hey, all this is longish, but worth it. It also may make you emote. Be warned.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

When my twin sister Ashley and I were 13 years old, she woke me up at 3am on Christmas morning, sobbing in my bed, begging me not to die. I vividly remember responding immediately with ash, I'm not going to die before you. You're going to die before me. I'm the one who has to figure out how to live without my twin. This was not that abnormal for her to worry about. I come from a very large, close family and we had a few grandparents die around that time. This was also the first year we didn't share a bedroom and she was deathly afraid of the D. In November 2020, after almost 12 years of fighting for her life, battling pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, Ashley spent a month in a coma in a hospital in Vermont. Because it was the height of COVID we were not allowed to see her in the hospital. Even though she was comatose, I still felt connected to her as I always have. She called it twin tuition. Every night for almost a month, I went outside to angrily smoke and yell at her wherever the she was. I was so angry at not being able to be with her because of COVID and I was terrified that I would never see her again. I wouldn't get to say goodbye, which didn't seem right considering we came into this world together. I'm already fucking getting choked up. I didn't want her to leave the world alone. The entire time she was in a coma, I would yell at Her. I would cry at her. I would apologize to her for yelling at her. I kept telling her, give me one more year. I know it's selfish of me, but I can't do this without you yet. I need one more year. Come on, Ash. I know you can hear me. What's the fucking password? What's the fucking password? When we were kids, we used to always joke about what we would do if one of us was cloned. We were weirdly obsessed with it. I guess being a twin is like a clone. That's gotta be a little jarring.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, right. It's a discussion that you would probably want to be having.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. How would we know who the real one was versus who the clone was? Her answer was always the same. Just ask me for the password to our bedroom. Because of course we had a secret password to our bedroom that only we knew. We had way too many siblings we couldn't trust with our Nintendo. Des. At 1109am on a Wednesday in December 2020, my phone rang. It was a phone number that I didn't recognize. I answered it, said hello a couple times, but heard no response. Until finally a scratchy, rough voice said, it's Mariah Carey. Now stop fucking yelling at me. You heard me, Brit. It's Mariah Carey. Now stop yelling.

[Karen Kilgariff]

She woke up.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I immediately broke down and said, ash, is that you? Silence. About two minutes later, a nurse picked up the phone and identified herself as Mary. Mary explained that my sister had woken up from a 35 day coma that they didn't expect her to come back from. In fact, at one point she had died and they had brought her back. She went on to tell me that as soon as my sister woke up, they extubated her and she kept motioning for the phone in her hospital room. When she was finally able to speak, she said, call Britt. I was her healthcare agent or next to kin, and was always her main contact during any hospital stay. If you hadn't guessed it yet, Mariah Carey was the password to our childhood bedroom. My sister and I definitely had. Like, if you come back as a ghost, like do this one thing and that's hell no, it's you. Yeah, I don't remember what it was.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But make a plan. Yeah, you better call her and reset that plan.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You're right. Yeah, she heard me and she came back for me. She gave me one more year and I'm so grateful that she did. She journaled, wrote personal letters to her family and friends, and most importantly, to her son, Jordan. We lost Ashley. April 8, 2022. I'm glad she's not in pain and I'm glad she didn't resent me for begging her to give me that year. I love her and miss her so fucking much every second of every day. The connection that twins share is very special, and I feel very lucky to experience it as I feel closer to her now than when she was on this planet. I love you, Ash, and I'll see you soon. Stay sexy and don't forget the password. Britney.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, you got me.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I think. Me too. Let me sit in my emotions. Where do you feel it in your body? Feel it in your body. Oh, my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's a tightness in the throat and the chest.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It is.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And it kind of a. We all come in and go out alone and it is hard.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But there's more.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Maybe, but there's more to it. I think they just proved it, these two. Why am I so far back away from the microphone? I forgot how to podcast.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hard leaning.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Like, that was a little bit of a. There's proof of that. Humans can do more. If twins can do it, that means eventually regular people will be able to do it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Maybe right is a high note. And we're just like, ours is here, but it's still there.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But it's also that thing of, like, what a lucky thing that it actually worked and that there was a little more time, especially knowing that she had kids.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. She's got Mariah Carey. Stop yelling at me. Like, ugh, what the fuck?

[Karen Kilgariff]

So she. That's a good tip of, like, maybe you can bug people out of comas, just irritate them.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. And like, if she could talk to her in a coma and annoy her, she can talk to her from the great beyond. I believe that even though I don't believe in jack shit. I'm a fucking nihilist. I think she can go out there, have an angry smoke and just be like, girl.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And there's a connection there.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think so.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I do.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think people can do it now. Like, did you listen to the telepathy tapes, that podcast?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, yeah. No. Oh, it's like, hold on, let me write this down.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I keep seeing clips on TikTok. So. And it's basically like, the clips are amazing, but it almost feels like it's about a documentary. So I'm like, oh, I need to actually just sit down and listen to this podcast. So I'm recommending it blind based on TikTok. But it's like, basically studies where the theory Is kids with different kinds of autism have the ability to have telepathic connection with their caretaker. Ooh, so if they're non verbal, they can still communicate?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Absolutely. I totally believe that. That's incredible. Yeah. I download. I'm going to listen. That's amazing.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, yeah, listen, I will too.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay. You have one more, right?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I do. Okay. The subject line of this email is parents, house, home phone number was one digit off from the funeral home. Hello.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We had the dentist. We had the dentist one.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, yeah, that's right. That's right. Hello, all. Longtime listener, first time writing in. I've been waiting for years to have a good hometown story to share. And after hearing minisode 416 about the girl whose home phone was taken for a doctor's office, I knew it was finally my time. I grew up in a small town in Ohio in the early 2000s. During this time, a new funeral home opened in town and their phone number was just one digit off from my parents home phone. For years we got calls from people trying to reach the funeral home. It happened so often that my parents changed their answering machine message to clarify, if you're trying to call the funeral home, you've dialed the wrong number because.

[Georgia Hardstark]

They'Re crying probably too, so they can't even see the phone number correctly or dial it correctly. Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's like the worst moment to be in charge of like that kind of executive function shit. Exactly. At first my mom did her best to explain the mistake to the callers, but it wasn't easy. Many people insisted they had the right number. She ended up as an unofficial unpaid secretary for the funeral home, taking messages and calling them herself to pass them along.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's so nice.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The funeral home thought it was funny and even told her, if anyone ever calls for a body pickup, let us know right away. We got all kinds of calls. An elderly woman crying about her husband's headstone, questions about visiting hours, and more. My mom had the hardest time convincing people they'd called a private residence. One time, the owner of the funeral home himself popped up on our caller id. My mom answered hello and was immediately met with him yelling, that's not how you answer the phone. We're a professional business. You use the business name without. He must have been joking. That's psychotic. And then she said, without missing a beat, if you're so professional, shouldn't you know your own phone number? You called a private residence. He quickly apologized and hung up, clearly mortified. So he did mean it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, as. As in like Ex. Receptionist. Secretary. I was like, yeah, he meant that. I've been yelling at that before for sure.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I literally would have typed up an invoice for my time and then been like, oh, if you're going to yell at me like, I'm in your employee, you can pay me like an employee.

[Georgia Hardstark]

There's been. There were so many times I'd pick up the phone and forget, like, what workout, like, where I was because I was a temp all the time and be like, fuck, can't remember.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Um, okay. Over the years, the calls happen less and less and thankfully my parents haven't received one in a long time. Say sexy and double check the number before you hit call. Jess S. Oh, that's good. Do you think things like that happen less and less?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Because I was just gonna say that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, the blue. Like the number is blue in Google. Whatever.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, like, when was the last time you're like, no, you have the wrong number. I haven't said that in fucking years.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love that. That's like such a great party story, you know?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes, it is. It's like, hey, remember, only 40 years ago, but that also is so long ago. It's 190 years ago.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Send us your story, your hometown stories of your party stories. When things get slow and you gotta share an anecdote that's like a little raunchy, but not too raunchy. Cause you don't know if there's religious people there or what, you know?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, something that's like family friendly. Either raunchy or just interesting. Like, do you have a memory about your family's landline? Like the phone that hung in the kitchen before everybody had their own individual phone?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally.

[Karen Kilgariff]

There was so much fighting at my house about, get off the phone. I'm not paying for that phone call. And then when Pacific Bell did their like, nightmare 1986 update and there was call waiting and there was call forwarding and there was like, I don't remember.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What year that, like, it was so exciting.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It was. It was epic. Because then you could. No one could tell you, get off the phone because there was call waiting.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Call waiting was fucking incredible. Or whatever story at my favorite murdermail. We'll take anything. There's also a mini minisode on the fan cult if you want one more story from each of us. And they're all still there. So. So it's not just one. It's like years of many, many soaps.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Fucking literal. Almost a decade of these.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. So go to myfavoritemurder.com and join the fan cult.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes, do all that and then stay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sexy and don't get murdered. Goodbye. Goodbye, Elvis. Do you want a cookie?

[Karen Kilgariff]

This has been an exactly right production.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Our senior producer is Alejandra Keck.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This episode was mixed by Liana Squalaci.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Email your hometowns to my favorite murdermail.com.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And follow the show on Instagram and Facebook at my favorite murder.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.