MFM Minisode 432

Summary

Podcast Summary: My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Episode: MFM Minisode 432
Release Date: April 21, 2025

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Introduction to the Minisode
Timestamp: [02:11]

In this Minisode of My Favorite Murder (MFM), hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark delve into a series of engaging hometown stories submitted by listeners. The episode seamlessly blends true crime narratives with personal anecdotes, showcasing the duo's signature blend of humor and empathy.

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1. Cold Case from Vermillion, South Dakota
Timestamp: [02:20] - [05:14]

Karen opens the discussion by sharing a harrowing true crime story from her college days in Vermillion, South Dakota. In the summer of 1971, two 17-year-old girls, Cheryl Miller and Pamela Jackson, vanished en route to a school year-end party in Alchester. Despite extensive searches, the case remained unsolved for over four decades.

• Key Points:

  • Initial investigation labeled the girls as runaways, causing the case to go cold.
  • In 2004, the case was reopened, and a classmate was briefly charged in 2007, though the charges were eventually dropped in 2008.
  • A breakthrough occurred in 2013 when a citizen discovered the girls' submerged car in Brule Creek during a drought.
  • Skeletal remains were found inside the car, leading authorities to conclude an accidental fall rather than foul play.

• Notable Quote:

  • Karen Kilgariff: “...a sad and unfortunate ending to a four-decade-long mystery. Thanks for reading. Stay sexy and solve cold cases, Geffen.” [04:32]

Georgia expresses frustration over the unjust accusations that tarnished a classmate's reputation.

• Notable Quote:
  • Georgia Hardstark: “Bro, I'm telling you, half of every missing person's case, right? That her car is involved and someone disappears randomly.” [04:07]

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2. The Toy Box Killer and Moving to New Mexico
Timestamp: [05:27] - [08:44]

Listener Jackie from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan recounts her family's unsettling experience after relocating to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, in search of better weather. Shortly after moving, their son became convinced that a local serial killer, known as the Railway Killer, was targeting their family.

• Key Points:

  • The family moved to Truth or Consequences in July 1999, unaware of its dark history with the Toy Box Killer.
  • Their son’s fear intensified as news reports linked the Railway Killer to the area.
  • The family discovered that searches in the vicinity had been ongoing, leading to the arrest of the Railway Killer near their new home.
  • To ensure safety, the family relocated to Caballo, New Mexico, and later to Montana, where their son felt secure.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Georgia Hardstark: “We were checking out the new area and found out that we'd just moved into the home of the Toy Box Killer.” [06:18]
  • Karen Kilgariff: “Stay sexy and don't get murdered. Jackie in the U.P. of Michigan.” [08:44]

Karen marvels at her son's intuitive awareness of the looming danger.

• Notable Quote:
  • Karen Kilgariff: “That child knew.” [08:10]

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3. Traumatic Boy Scout Prank
Timestamp: [11:34] - [17:14]

Karen shares an email from a listener named Gina, who recounts her husband Dan’s resurfaced traumatic memory from a Boy Scouts camping trip. The experience involved a staged murder scene as a prank that left young scouts terrified.

• Key Points:

  • Dan, at 12 years old, was on a Boy Scouts trip near Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  • Scouts were warned of a potential murderer lurking in the woods but were not evacuated.
  • During the night, gunshots were heard, prompting the scoutmaster to lead the boys toward the van.
  • The scouts encountered a man in camo with a body being buried, leading to a terrifying confrontation.
  • It was later revealed that the scene was an elaborate and traumatizing prank orchestrated by two adults.
  • Gina expresses deep resentment towards the perpetrators and empathy for Dan.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Karen Kilgariff: “These men played a prank on the scouts that he had to forget it.” [16:08]
  • Georgia Hardstark: “You mother fucker. What? You took it too far.” [15:44]

Karen emphasizes the emotional toll on Dan and the inappropriateness of such a prank.

• Notable Quote:
  • Karen Kilgariff: “Thank you for your podcast. I'm a social worker... thanks again, Gina. And then in parentheses, it says and Dan, my husband, who graciously agreed to share his story.” [16:07]

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4. Girl Scouts Cookie Sales Using ASL
Timestamp: [17:14] - [20:58]

Listener Stacy shares her experience as a Girl Scout overcoming social anxiety through innovative cookie sales strategies using American Sign Language (ASL).

• Key Points:

  • Stacy, an 8-year-old Girl Scout, broke five bones in her arm, limiting her summer activities.
  • Her mother enrolled her in an ASL class, which inadvertently became a tool for cookie sales.
  • During cookie sales, Stacy used ASL to engage with customers, significantly increasing sales.
  • Despite limited ASL proficiency, she maintained the act, showcasing resourcefulness and determination.
  • Stacy credits the experience with helping her build confidence in public interactions.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Stacy: “I started signing. Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies to anyone who walked by? And wouldn't you know it, a lot more people stopped at the booth instead of walking on by.” [18:34]
  • Karen Kilgariff: “Trash kid. Which I love. This is a theme that we absolutely have to explore.” [19:28]

Stacy’s story highlights the positive impact of creative problem-solving in overcoming personal challenges.

• Notable Quote:
  • Stacy: “Thank you for all you do bringing humor amidst the frustrating climate we find ourselves in.” [19:33]

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5. Accidental Snail Breeder
Timestamp: [26:10] - [29:55]

Georgia introduces a whimsical story about her dad unintentionally becoming a snail breeder, turning what was meant to be a simple aquarium maintenance task into a profitable venture.

• Key Points:

  • Georgia’s father maintained a high-maintenance 55-gallon fish tank, which houses various aquatic life.
  • After introducing a pufferfish that fed on snails, the remaining snails began thriving and reproducing.
  • Unable to control the snail population, he started selling them to local pet stores.
  • Over time, his hobby expanded into a semi-professional snail breeding operation, complete with multiple tanks and selective breeding practices.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Georgia Hardstark: “Fun fact, the snails love green beans.” [28:43]
  • Karen Kilgariff: “It's like he's got a cattle ranch, but it's snails.” [28:15]

The story adds a light-hearted and humorous touch to the episode, showcasing the diverse range of hometown tales.

• Notable Quote:
  • Georgia Hardstark: “I will often get a text with a photo of a pet store snail with, 'Will this help with my genetics question?'" [28:43]

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Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement
Timestamp: [29:49] - [30:58]

Karen and Georgia wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to submit their own hometown stories, no matter how bizarre or unconventional. They express excitement over the unique and varied submissions received and tease future episodes that will explore a wide array of intriguing narratives.

• Notable Quote:
  • Georgia Hardstark: “Stay sexy and don't get murdered.” [30:50]

---

Conclusion
MFM Minisode 432 offers a compelling mix of true crime insights and personal stories, highlighting the profound and sometimes unsettling experiences that shape individuals’ connections to their hometowns. Karen and Georgia’s empathetic storytelling, coupled with their characteristic wit, provides listeners with both emotional resonance and entertainment.

---

Notable Quotes Overview:

• Karen Kilgariff:

  • “Stay sexy and solve cold cases, Geffen.” [04:32]
  • “Stay sexy and don't get murdered. Jackie in the U.P. of Michigan.” [08:44]
  • “Thank you for your podcast... thanks again, Gina.” [16:07]

• Georgia Hardstark:

  • “Bro, I'm telling you, half of every missing person's case, right?” [04:07]
  • “You mother fucker. What? You took it too far.” [15:44]
  • “Fun fact, the snails love green beans.” [28:43]

---

Final Thoughts

This episode underscores the importance of community and shared experiences in understanding and solving true crime cases. By inviting listeners to contribute their own stories, Karen and Georgia foster a sense of collective storytelling that enriches the MFM community.

Transcript

[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

Who's paying for the mattress topper? You mean the beanbag chair? Aren't we getting a mini fridge? Can we create a pool on PayPal? It lets us collect the money before we buy. Ooh, yes, that's smart.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Glad we can agree on something Easily. Pool split and Send Money with PayPal. Get started in the PayPal app.

[Karen Kilgariff]

A PayPal account is required to send and receive money.

[Georgia Hardstark]

A balance account is required to create a pool. Hello, and welcome to my favorite murder.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is the minisode.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right. Here it is.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Are you ready?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Let's do it. You're first, right? Yes. Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay. We're starting off with a classic hometown.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It says college hometown in the subject line. Hi, ladies. I was listening to the rewind episode of episode 37, where Karen covered Dorothea Puente, and she called it her college hometown, which reminded me that I have a college hometown.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Love it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I attended the University of South Dakota in the small town of Vermillion, South Dakota for six years.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then in parentheses, it says, yay for needing a master's degree to do your dream job. So not much true crime happened during my time there. But in 1970s Vermilion, two teenage girls went missing and the case went cold for over 40 years. There's a book called Vanished in vermilion by Lou raguse that details this case much better than I can. But I'll do my best. On May 29, 1971, two 17 year olds, Cheryl Miller and Pamela Jackson, were on their way to an end of the school year party in the nearby town of Alchester, about 40 minutes away, when they disappeared without a trace. Despite searches of the surrounding land and creek, the girls in their car were never seen again. The sheriff at the time insisted that the girls were runaways and the case quickly went cold.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Mm. They just ran away on the way to a party.

[Karen Kilgariff]

As you do in nine years. I think you and I have said that phrase a thousand times.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's so frustrating.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's the past. We can let it go. It was reopened in 2004, and a classmate of the girls was charged with their murder in 2007. Despite no bodies or car ever being found. Those charges were dropped in 2008 and the investigation went quiet again. That was until September 2013, when a drought caused the brule creek to dry up. And a citizen of vermillion, who was investigated the case on his own, Spotted the tires of a car sticking out of the water.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Bro, I'm telling you, half of every missing person's case, right? That her car is involved and someone disappears randomly. Is them in a fucking body of water, right?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Also, can you imagine being the person who's like, I'm taking this up. I'm gonna try to figure this out. A drought happens and you're like, holy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Over here, everyone.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I did it. Did I do it? I did it. It's so huge.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay. The car in the creek was confirmed to be the 1960s Studebaker that the girls were driving. It had been submerged upside down in the creek for 42 years. Wow. Sadly, the skeletal remains of the two girls were found inside. One source described the inside of the car as frozen in time. Because the girls clothes, purses, and even a driver's license were found with the remains, no foul play was suspected since the remains did not show injuries. The theory is that the girls were unfamiliar with the and the new bridge and somehow careened off the road and into the water. A sad and unfortunate ending to a four decade long mystery. Thanks for reading. Stay sexy and solve cold cases, Geffen. She her man?

[Georgia Hardstark]

The person who they accused of killing them.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Was having a fucking good day that day. I bet.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But also just like. And that life ruined because that tarnish of like the name the association. Totally horrible.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Absolutely. Okay. My first one is called Two hometowns intertwined. Because my son knows what's up. Howdy, Murderinos. I listen to you every day as I drive to school through the woods. I have about a half an hour drive where most days I might see one logging truck and that's it. There have been a couple days I have to change over to. Are you garbage? Because I get too scared. But I can usually turn you back on after school for the drive home. Just. We scared them in the morning. Commute through the woods.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, that's too intense.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Anywho, one day this week I was listening and all of a sudden I remembered the killers we lived right next to. And I was like, oh my God, a hometown of my own. We had moved from Illinois to New Mexico in search of more sun. Our son was going to sixth grade and we found a small house in the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I've always heard of that town.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So interesting. The place was pretty crappy.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, no, no.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, wait, they mean the house. And we had to do major cleaning to even feel comfortable sleeping. Our son was not having it right off the. He said there was a killer coming and he was too scared to sleep in his room. We did all kinds of things to make him feel comfortable, then just said, heck with it. And he slept in our room. And it says New Mexico does have flying roaches. So there are some pretty gross things besides thoughts of a killer on their way.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But also a child saying a killer is coming.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Can you chill out, dude?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Dude, it's not that thing of like, oh, there's a little girl in the room with me. It's like, killer on the way. Cool.

[Georgia Hardstark]

His talk of a killer continued for several weeks. And we were preparing for school to begin. I was starting a new job, things like that. It was July 4, 1999, and we were checking out the new area and found out that we'd just moved in to the home of the Toy Box Killer.

[Karen Kilgariff]

No.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And the lake outside of town, Elephant Butte, where we thought we would go for a swim, was where this guy had been dumping his victims. One of the absolute worst fucking stories of all time.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Long ago, George and I talked about like, we're never covering it because it is just simply carnage and disgusting.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And why didn't they just fucking tear that house down? So they sold it to a family.

[Karen Kilgariff]

A family.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And didn't tell them.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And the child's like, hey, the vibes are so bad that I'm having psychic experiences.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally. If that wasn't disturbing enough, our son continued to talk about the killer. One day we were watching the news, getting dinner ready, and the news was discussing the Railway Killer, who at the time was in Southern Illinois. Our son said that was him and he was coming.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, shit.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We assured him that wasn't going to happen and that he was safe. I can't remember the timeline, but the Railway Killer moved down to somewhere in Texas, then over through the Panhandle or Oklahoma, and then was caught, I believe, on I25 in New Mexico. I25 runs right down to Truth or Consequences.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That child knew.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, I'm gonna look that up now that I already wrote what I recalled. Okay. Worse than I remember. I'm good at forgetting. Disturbing. I just looked up that the Railway Killer was arrested in el Paso about two hours from Truth or Consequences on July 12, 1999. We moved south of TRC to Caballo and made it about six months in New Mexico, then headed to Montana for normalcy. Ha ha. Our son loved Montana, and he is still there, safe and sound. And no serial killers.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, I mean, how do you know?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Stay sexy and don't get murdered. Jackie in the U.P. of Michigan.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yay, Upper Peninsula. Wow, Jackie. Yeah, that was a good one.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sixth graders talking about killers coming.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The killers coming.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No.

[Karen Kilgariff]

As the weather starts to get warmer and we can finally go places again, it's time to face a hard truth. Your travel wardrobe is not ready.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You can't bring bad fashion on your vacation. They won't let you out of the airport.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Fortunately, we all have quints. They have high quality travel essentials at fair prices.

[Georgia Hardstark]

With quints, you can get quality luxury essentials without a hefty price tag, like lightweight European linen styles from $30, washable silk tops and comfy lounge sets.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And Quint also has premium luggage options and stylish tote bags to carry it all.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Everything is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. Because Quince works directly with top factories, they cut out the middleman and pass the savings on to you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

George, I don't want to brag or anything, but I just got a box of three brand new quint sweaters because I wear my $50 Mongolian cashmere sweaters that I got years ago so much that I was finally like, I need to freshen this up a little bit.

[Georgia Hardstark]

For your next trip, treat yourself to the luxe upgrades you deserve from quince.

[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

Hungryroot.com MFM code MFM. Goodbye. This email is kind of totally insane. A little bit long, but I think worth it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay, okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The subject line is my husband's recently resurfaced repressed Boy Scout memory.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Uh huh. Greetings. My husband and I were watching Bob's Burgers and then in parentheses it says my favorite anxiety soothing show. After finishing the episode where they scare Louise by creating her own haunted house legend. Such a good episode. So good. My husband turns the TV off, turns to me and says, I just remembered something scary that happened to me when I was a kid.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So romantic memories, they just like flit around and hang out until some random fucking thing happens or you smell something and you're like, oh yeah, yeah, shit.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I haven't really wanted to be in a relationship that much over the years until I read that line and then I'm just like, that's what I want for myself.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Someone to go, hey, hey.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I just have a recovered memory I have to tell you about. It's horrifying. Okay, okay. I'm here for it. This is my love language.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Active listening as he pieced his memory together. I listened on the edge of my seat. When he finished, I immediately asked his permission to send this in. Here's what he could recollect. He was about 12 years old in the Boy Scouts and on a camping trip a little outside Graham Rapids, Michigan. He and his troop were getting their camp set up in the woods on top of a ravine. Ravine theme near a river when an older man drove up. The man, whose home was nearby, seemingly seeing the troop arrive, approached the scoutmaster to alert him to some alarming news. Apparently, the older man had seen a man lurking around the woods the night before. He had called the police and was told to be extremely cautious as there was currently a murderer they were looking for and they believed he may be hiding out in the woods. Despite this concerning news, the scoutmaster did not get the kids and get the fuck out of there.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Of course not.

[Karen Kilgariff]

They finished setting up the camp knowing that there may or may not be a murderer nearby. As night fell and my husband and his peers were settling down in their tents to go to sleep, they heard what sounded like a gunshot coming from a couple hundred yards away by the ravine. A few moments passed and a second gunshot sounded. The scoutmaster finally rallied the troops, telling them to be quiet, and began leading them towards where they had parked the van. Great. So after multiple gunshots. Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Now's the time in the dark to go.

[Karen Kilgariff]

En route to the van, creeping along the ravine as quietly as possible, the troops were met with a horrifying scene. At the bottom of the ravine was a man in a camo jumpsuit standing next to a blood soaked sheet covering a lump of something corpse like which was next to a big hole in the ground that he was actively digging.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh no.

[Karen Kilgariff]

A shotgun leaned on a tree next to him. The man moved the body into the grave and the scoutmaster thought it would be a good idea to confront the gun toting possible murderer. He shouted hey. And started going down the ravine.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What the fuck?

[Karen Kilgariff]

The camel man looked up and moved toward the tree where his shotgun was leaning. Also on the tree was a gas lantern hanging from a branch. As the man reached for his shotgun, he also turned off the lantern.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Cool. Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is literally an email from Blumhouse. Films like this is insanity. The Scoutmaster had a lantern as well, which dimly illuminated his movements that the boys could see from the top of the ravine. As the scoutmaster made his way towards the camo man, a burst of light erupted from the man's shotgun. The scoutmaster fell and his lantern was extinguished. What? The boys, all terrified, began running towards where they thought the van was. The van was gone. They started running down the road leading away from the campground. As they were running, they were halted by two freshly butchered cattle heads that were lit on fire, swinging from tree branches.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You can't.

[Karen Kilgariff]

As the kids were all peeing their pants and preparing for their too soon deaths, the van appeared. Driving it was their Scoutmaster. And riding shotgun was the camo man.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You mother fucker.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You fucking psychopaths.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What? You took it too far. You took it too far.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You. First of all, what are you doing in the Boy Scouts? There's something wrong with you.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Apparently, this was a super cool, well thought out, trauma informed prank played by two adults who should never be allowed near any children again.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Thank you for your podcast. I'm a social worker. Thank God you're a social worker because your man needs you now more than ever.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What the fuck?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I hate those two men so much.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's almost like his recovered memory. Like the trauma isn't that that happened. It was that. It was. They were played a prank on. Like, it was that traumatic that they were played that specific prank that he had to forget it. Then they had to end the prank.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right? But then they had to get into a van with two men that would play that prank.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Seriously. And spend the rest of the night or weekend or whatever there. Jesus.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Ooh. Okay, so thank you for your podcast. I'm a social worker and my job can be a lot sometimes. I can't tell you how much I appreciate laughing alongside you ladies as I clean my house and do my best to keep going even when things are terrible. Thanks again, Gina. And then in parentheses, it says and Dan, my husband, who graciously agreed to share his story. Dan. Thanks.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Dan.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Dan, Dan.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You deserve an ice cream. That's awful. That is just. You can't, you shouldn't, and you won't.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And please don't.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Please don't.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Good Lord, the lawsuits. I mean.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This one's called Trash Kid, Girl Scout edition.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, okay. We're doing some scouting themes. Nice.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, yeah. That's weird. Hi, friends, Longtime listener, first time writer. Growing up, instead of sports or dance for extracurriculars, my sisters and I did Girl Scouts, probably because my mom worked for our local Girl Scout council. Looking back on it, it was probably the best decision because I was a very clumsy child. One summer When I was 8 or 9, I was at a friend's birthday party and was playing on the zip line in their backyard when I let go way too soon and broke five bones in my left arm.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Geez.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was the end of May, so this obviously limited the amount of summer activities I could participate in. My mom's creative solution was to put me in an ASL class. Oh, like sign language?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. Learn sign language. That's smart.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And then it says, you know where you have to use both your hands to sign. I'm still not sure if she thought that through all the way, but it was air conditioning, which is a big plus for Houston summers. I got assigned my own name, learned how to sign. Stop. In the name of Love by the Supremes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Nice.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fucking pretty great. And some basic vocabulary. Flash forward to the following spring when it's cookie season and my Girl Scout troop is selling cookies at our local grocery store. Being the youngest of three sisters, I'm just a little competitive, and my goal was to try to lure in the most customers.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yep.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So I decided to use my summer activity to my advantage and began signing. Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies to anyone who walked by? And wouldn't you know it, a lot more people stopped at the booth instead of walking on by.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, no.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This is called Trash Kit.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yep. Yep.

[Georgia Hardstark]

When people started asking me questions about the cookies, I realized I didn't know enough sign language to keep going. But I also didn't want to blow my cover and start talking. So what did I do? Signed the Supremes on a loop. They don't fucking know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right?

[Georgia Hardstark]

They didn't take ASL last summer.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

My mom was also my troop leader, but she was helping with the other booth on the second entrance, so she was not wise to my antics.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wait, sorry. Did she truly and on purpose? Or was it like, oh, here's an interesting thing I can do. And then realized it worked. It worked.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Going yes. So either way, it's bad.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. Either way. Trash kid. Which I love. This is a theme that we absolutely have to explore.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But when I told her how we were able to sell all of our stock that day, she just laughed and said she was glad I learned something that summer. I am now a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts and try to support the local troops when I see them out and about selling cookies. Because it really did help me face my fear of talking to people in public or, you know, signing to them. Thank you for all you do bringing humor amidst the frustrating climate we find ourselves in. My dog Atlas and I take a walk every day at lunch and I always listen to MFM to have a laugh before I have to go back to work. Stay sexy and support your local girl Scouts. Stacy.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Stacy. And take his signing class.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, I mean, you should know how to do that. I mean, I've always wanted to learn.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I have too. There was actually a TikTok where a woman was just talking about that and I think there might be an app where you can learn asl. That's a good idea. I'm look that up.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What if I told you the most important part of your spring cleaning routine takes place in your sock drawer?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I still have socks from 1991.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh no. Well, then this is for you, Karen. It's time to ditch your mismatched, tired old socks and refresh your collection with some bombas.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You know what goes great with a new pair of spring socks? Fresh white T shirts, waterproof slides, and a few pairs of buttery soft underwear. Bombas makes all that too.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Do you remember when we were recently at a podcasting party? Everyone was a podcaster, so everyone knew about bombas and one person in heels was like, I wish I literally had my bombas. And then someone else is like, they really are the best. We're podcasters. We've all tried them.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's real.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Everyone was into them and wish they had them on at the party.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I have a pair of slippers from Bombas from like a while ago and I bought a second pair for like houseguest slippers, like just in case someone else gets cold. And people love those slippers.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So smart.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Bombas is going international. Enjoy worldwide shipping to over 200 countries.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Head over to bombas.com mfm and use code mfm for 20 off your first purchase.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's B O M B-A-S.com mfm code mfm for 20 off your 1st purchase.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Bombas.Com mfm and Use code mfm.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The weather's warming up and soon we'll all be out in the world again talking to people.

[Karen Kilgariff]

If social situations leave you feeling awkward or drained, therapy can help you build confidence and actually enjoy connecting.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, makes getting the help you need easy, accessible and affordable.

[Karen Kilgariff]

While therapy can be costly, Talkspace is affordable and in network with most insurance providers, most insured members have a $0 copay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

One thing I love about telehealth and doing therapy online is that you can schedule your therapy appointment for right before an event that you're worried about. So you are just ready and prepared to walk out the door confidently to talk to people confidently. You work it all out and then you go live your life. That's way harder with traditional therapy to achieve.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Let the last voice in your head before you walk into a party. Be a licensed therapist. As a listener of this podcast, you'll get 80 doll off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com mfm and enter promo code space80 to.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Match with a licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com mFM and enter promo code space80 to get 80 off your first month and show support for our show.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's talkspace.com mFM promo code space80. Goodbye. Okay, here's my last one. The subject line is museum guests. The good, the bad, and the unforgettable. Hi, MFM crew. I heard we're sharing stories about guests behaving badly in museums and oh, baby, I could go on for days. I worked at a Titanic museum in East Tennessee for eight years. Why would East Tennessee have a Titanic museum? Guys, maybe they'll tell us. It was always busy and I can still say Titanic facts at the drop of it. Did I tell you that my sister said that the kids in her class are obsessed with the Titanic because there's a book. The boys are obsessed. Cause there's a book in the library about it. And they all fight over the. I mean, there's a book in our classroom and they fight over it and they talk about it all the time.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, we were. That was like the scariest thing as a kid.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The Titanic. Yeah, the Titanic. Okay, we had more than our fair share of stupid people who come through the museum, but my favorite example was this. I was telling a group of guests one day about the differences between the film and the actual sinking. And I would always start with, I am sorry to tell you that Jack and Rose were not real. Usually this got a laugh, but one day, a woman loudly shouted at me, yes, they are. I saw them on Oprah. She was not wrong, but she was not right either. I walked into a gallery just in time to watch two teenage girls hip check a case and $150,000 life jacket fell off its stand. My Italian grandmother would be proud of the yelling I did that day. I've watched people literally lick glass cases, called the cops on people stealing from the gift shop, and have had some people literally spit in My face. What?

[Georgia Hardstark]

At a museum?

[Karen Kilgariff]

At a museum for maritime disasters? That's insane. However, we were lucky to have some really amazing guest interactions as well. I met a World War II vet who had coffee in Paris with Ernest Hemingway once.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

One day I was giving a tour to a group from New York, and as a New York native, I always felt a kinship with them. We were talking about 911 and I had a parallel I like to use for 911 and the Titanic in parentheses. World impact, emotional impact. It's a whole speech. I worked very hard as I have very strong memories of that day. When I was done, a woman came up and hugged me. She told me quietly that she had been in the towers that day and was one of the few people from her floor to survive.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

She was happy to think that someday her friends and co workers stories would be shared with the love and care that we share the Titanic passenger stories. Aw. I think about her frequently and I hope she's doing well. Sending you ladies and your team lots of love. Y'all keep me sane most days on my drive to and from work. Stay sexy and watch your kids. And it says that in all caps, period. And watch your kids. Xo, Stephanie.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God. Wow. That had layers.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It really did. And I didn't realize I, like, scanned it, of course, because I like it when it's fresh for me too. But I thought it was like, museum guests in general. Like, I've been a docent here and there, or whatever, but it's like, listen to this shit that goes on at the Titanic museum in East Tennessee.

[Georgia Hardstark]

East Tennessee. We barely knew you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Come on.

[Georgia Hardstark]

My last one I love, because it just shows you the breadth of hometown stories that we're accepting at this point, and that if you don't have one yet, keep listening because you're gonna have one one day.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yep.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This is called my dad Accidentally became a Snail Breeder. Which fits. Which is now.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Which is welcome.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fitting with the podcast theme. Hey, MFM crew. Like, you know what I mean?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This person maybe listened for years and years, and then suddenly it's their time to sneak.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And they were like, you know what I know they'd like.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Like, do you know what they just talked about? Breeding snails.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Korean skincare.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right. Hey, MFM crew. I was listening to episode 470, Accept no Dare, when you mentioned breeding snails for escargot. Well, do I have a related story for you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, yeah, we went into a whole escargot thing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes. Because we thought about a Great idea would be to breed snails and sell them to restaurants. Like, that's a great money making scheme.

[Karen Kilgariff]

If eggs are $17 a carton, let's get those snails up there.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Seriously. My dad accidentally became a snail breeder. Not for escargot, but for aquariums. For as long as I can remember, my dad has had a large 55 gallon fish tank. That's the most high maintenance fucking hobby, right?

[Karen Kilgariff]

My dad had, like the one that's about a foot and a half wide. And he could. He was like, that thing's gonna kill me. He just couldn't deal with it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The occupants rotated over the years as fish died and were replaced. About two years ago, my dad bought a small freshwater pufferfish which ate, you guessed it, snails. Ooh, I didn't know that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, I didn't know. Need.

[Georgia Hardstark]

My dad bought some snails to feed the puffer fish. It refused to eat and died. Okay. The snails were left to clean.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's the whole story. And thanks so much, you guys.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Don't. Don't do it. The snails were left to clean up the tank by eating the algae. As they got bigger, they started laying eggs. My sister, who still lives at home, was horrified and threatened to crush the eggs in the night. Threw her sister under the bus. Despite the threats, the eggs hatched and he had dozens of baby snails. When they were about an inch wide, he sold them for 50 cents each to the local pet store. Since then, he sells at least 50 snails to the pet store every couple months. He marks adult females and males he catches in the act and known egg layers, so he won't sell them accidentally. This has just become like a fucking.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's like he's got a cattle ranch, but it's snails.

[Georgia Hardstark]

He now has multiple tanks for the snails. He fucking went. He just like, this is okay. And has had over 100 at once before selling them off.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fun fact, the snails love green beans. I'm a PhD student in cancer biology and have spent several afternoons doing punnett squares. Thank you for writing that phonetically with my dad to figure out how to get snails with purple shells. Like how to breed snails with purple shells.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I will often get a text with a photo of a pet store snail with, will this help with my genetics question mark s And let your dad hatch his snails. A.

[Karen Kilgariff]

A. Wait, will you go back? There's a sentence that you read before we got into the purple shell.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fun fact, the snails love green beans.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That is the funnest fact I've ever heard in my life. I Think that's the number one fun fact of my life.

[Georgia Hardstark]

When you say I have a fun fact, it should be the equivalent of that. Because so many fun facts are not fun or a fact.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, exactly.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But snails love green beans.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Snails love green beans. That is fun. You can see it in your head of a snail just, like, chowing down and loving. Just being like, finally, wait, does he.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Eat it like a corn on the cob or does he eat it like a sandwich?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think he has to put it on a table because he doesn't have any other way to hold it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Or he gets a chipmunk and a little squirrel to hold it up for him.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God. And they. Oh.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, no.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Tucked a little bib into his shell.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We just made a cartoon for the Cartoon Network.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God. That's it. Do you guys have any stories that are weirder?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Do you guys have any snails? Did it rain in your town? Let us know how many snails came out on the sidewalk.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I want a competition of the weirdest story subject, but it is related. Cause I think the snail story wins right now. Yeah, like, this is a weird story. However, it is related to something you guys have talked about on an episode or on a minisode. Wherever.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sure.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, right.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Or not.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Or whatever. We won't know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Dad, snail breeder is a bit free floating. Oh, no, that's not true. It's escargot based.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We asked about snail breeding. Like, we talked about snails and how they're bred. And like, yes, it's totally a thing we talked about.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And that's basically. It's kind of like, hey, we're not experts in terms of like, no one's got a master's degree in snails and snail breeding. But we're in it. We're in this biz.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And do you know more about it?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Tell us, do you know what they love to eat? Green beans? I do.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We're curious people.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Green beans. I'm gonna pull that one out then. Next time I'm feeling awkward, do it, yell it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fun fact, everyone. Thanks for listening. Write to my favorite murder at gmail. Stay sexy and don't get murdered.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye, Elvis. Do you want a cookie?

[Karen Kilgariff]

This has been an exactly right person production.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Our senior producers are Alejandra Keck and Molly Smith.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This episode was mixed by Liana Squilacci.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Email your hometowns to my favorite murder.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Gmail.Com and follow the show on Instagram at my favorite murder.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Listen to my favorite murder on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And now you can watch us on exactly right's YouTube page. And while you're there, please like and subscribe.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye Goodbye Foreign.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You know that excitement that builds when the facts of a cold case start to heat up? Of course. Are there new clues this month?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Forget clues.

[Georgia Hardstark]

There's huge savings this [e-mail] heats up. I get it. I'm so ready for the beach. It's CheapCaribbean.com semiannual sale, one of the best times for you to save an extra $200 site wide on vacation vacation packages of four nights or more.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So let's bounce.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Go to CheapCaribbean.com to start your search.

[Karen Kilgariff]

For paradise and book before April 30th.

[Georgia Hardstark]

To save big did you know that parents rank financial literacy as the number one most difficult life skill to teach? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app for families.

[Karen Kilgariff]

With Greenlight, you can send money to.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Kids quickly, set up chores automate allowance, and keep an eye on what your kids are spending. With real time notifications, kids learn to earn, save and spend wisely. And parents can rest easy knowing their kids are learning about money with guardrails in place. Try Greenlight Risk free [e-mail] iheart hello darlings.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Pack your suitcase for a new season of the Hulu original reality series Vanderpump Villa.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Let's do this.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Ciao.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's Stassi. Of course. Lisa brought in her favorite to be.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Resident chaperone of the castle. Stassi is an icon. She's my eyes and ears. I love this. Get ready for the luxury and drama that awaits us in Italy. Cheers to all the toxic couples in the castle. Season two of Vanderpump Villa premieres April 24th.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Streaming on Hulu.