My Favorite Murder Minisode 464 – December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

In Minisode 464, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark return with a fresh batch of listener-submitted hometown stories for a classic, cozy, and cathartic episode. The minisode covers chilling true crime scares (including a real-life “the call is coming from inside the house” moment), accidental kidnappings, emotional tales of loss and survival, and a brush with the supernatural. Blending genuine empathy with their signature wit, Karen and Georgia explore tales from listeners’ childhoods and family histories—the spooky, the embarrassing, and the unexpectedly heartwarming.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Call Not Quite From Inside the House

[01:53–06:23] Story by Leigh Ann

• Summary: Leigh Ann shares a harrowing teenage experience of receiving repeated obscene phone calls while home alone, culminating in a terrifying escalation when the caller threatens to hurt her.
• The family initially believes it’s a prank by a local kid, only for Leigh Ann’s mother to later reveal (decades after the event) that the laundry room window screen had been cut, and someone had seemingly tried to break in.
• Police watched the house for a week without her knowledge; Leigh Ann was sent to her grandparents instead of being left alone.
• Karen and Georgia’s Reaction:
  • Both are stunned at how parents “pretend to be chill for your child's sake” (06:23, Georgia).
  • Karen notes the era’s casually dismissive attitudes toward “Peeping Toms” and prank calls.

Notable Quote:

“Thankfully, my gentleman caller either moved on to someone else or died a perhaps rightfully vicious and untimely death.”
— Leigh Ann [05:57, read by Karen]

2. Placenta Donation and Healing After Tragedy

[06:55–08:44] Story by Elissa

• Summary: Elissa recounts how a recent discussion of placenta donation to train cadaver dogs struck a personal chord; she had twice suffered the disappearance and subsequent tragic loss of loved ones.
• The opportunity to donate her placenta as she nears the end of her pregnancy brings hope that she can help other families avoid similar heartbreak.
• Hosts’ Response: Georgia is deeply moved, commenting on the power of passing along even “weird information” for good (08:35).

Notable Quote:

“I have lived through that panic of searching for a missing loved one twice now, and to know that I… can soon help other families in that situation gives me greater relief and joy than I can describe.”
— Elissa [08:09, read by Georgia]

3. Accidental Kidnappings and Trash Dad Memories

a) Framing Trash Dad for Kidnapping

[10:36–13:47] Story by Ivy

• Summary: Ivy’s “trash dad” takes toddler Ivy on an errand. A mechanical horsie ride inspires a full parking lot meltdown when the quarters run out. Ivy, not ready to stop, launches into a well-timed “Help! Help!” as her dad hauls her away, making him look like a kidnapper. Ivy repeatedly escapes the car before Dad finally wrangles her inside; it's pure 80s parenting chaos.
• Karen and Georgia’s Reaction: Both crack up at the parking lot antics and Ivy’s cleverness.
• Ivy’s dad has since passed; she shares the story in tribute.

Notable Quote:

“Apparently my dad was unaware that you can't reason with terrorists—or 2 year olds.”
— Ivy [11:45, read by Karen]

b) International “Kidnapping” in Sweden

[13:56–16:25] Story by Anna Marie

• Summary: During a girls’ weekend in Stockholm, Anna Marie’s best friend is flagged at border control due to an unresolved missing person report from 2015 (the result of a birthday bender). Swedish officers briefly detain them on suspicion of human trafficking, but after clarification, set them free to resume their vacation—with more champagne.
• Hosts’ Reaction: They highlight the absurdities of international bureaucracy and laugh about the “glass airlock booths.”

Notable Quote:

“You joke now…what if that was an international incident?”
— Karen [16:25]

4. Embarrassment, Bad Luck, and High School Sweethearts

[18:20–21:47] Story by Jennifer

• Summary: Jennifer describes the “most epic” day in high school: tripping over her rolling book bag and knocking out her front tooth, only to encounter her crush moments later. Later that day, learns her beloved dog has died. The story comes full circle—she marries the boy she almost bowled over in the hallway.
• Hosts’ Reaction: Both are astonished at the luck and delighted at the twist that the hallway boy became Jennifer’s husband.

Notable Quote:

“Anytime I pick on him for doing something embarrassing, he isn’t shy to say, ‘at least my front tooth isn’t the one being held together with super glue.’”
— Jennifer [20:57, read by Karen]

5. A Ghost in the Basement (and the Bravery of Dogs)

[21:47–24:44] Story by K.K.

• Summary: Four-year-old K.K., waking at night, falls down her basement stairs and is gravely injured. The newly adopted family dog’s relentless barking leads her brother to finally investigate and rescue her. K.K. tells her mother about a comforting lady in the basement, which the family believes was her recently deceased grandmother’s spirit.
• Hosts’ Reaction: Karen and Georgia unpack the logic of 80s/90s parenting and the emotional relief of a timely ghostly presence.

Notable Quote:

“‘No. The lady that was down there with me kept telling me it was going to be okay and stayed with me until someone came. She was the best.’”
— K.K., recalled by her mother [23:47, read by Georgia]

Memorable Quotes by Hosts

• “Pretending to be chill for your child’s sake is, like, such a gift.”
  — Georgia [06:23]

• “That’s back in the time when it was like, ‘Peeping Tom’ was supposed to be funny and a prank caller was just… no one treating any of that stuff like they should.”
  — Karen [06:32]

• “You can’t reason with terrorists or 2 year olds.”
  — Karen quoting Ivy [11:45]

Notable, Funny, and Touching Moments

• Box Wine / Black Box Wine banter ([01:53–02:36]): Karen and Georgia riff on a listener’s “quantities of black box wine” joke, accidentally connecting it to airplane black boxes.
• Karen and Georgia’s Open Nostalgia: Both reminisce about 80s/90s home alone life, prank calls, and the peculiar parenting norms of the era.
• “International Incident” Hypothetical: Karen jokes about the potential for being involved in a major diplomatic dispute (16:25).
• Rolling Book Bag Trauma: The relatable embarrassment of adolescence capped off with true-love serendipity (20:48–21:47).
• Supernatural Comfort & Animal Rescue: A memory combining “saving the day dog” with gentle ghostly reassurance (23:47).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:53] — Start of listener stories: “The call is coming from inside the house”
• [06:55] — Placenta donation, true crime empathy
• [10:36] — Trash dad/accidental kidnapping in the grocery store parking lot
• [13:56] — Accused of trafficking during girls’ trip to Sweden
• [18:20] — Rolling book bag, broken tooth, and fateful high school romance
• [21:47] — Epic bad luck and a guardian ghost in the basement

Final Thoughts

This minisode exemplifies the My Favorite Murder formula: spine-tingling near-misses, hilarious parenting flashbacks, the power of community, and soft landings in moments of grief. Karen and Georgia deftly thread together humor and heartfelt reflection, encouraging listeners to honor their stories—traumatic, silly, strange, or inspiring. As always, the rallying cry: “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”

End of Summary for My Favorite Murder Minisode 464