My Favorite Murder Minisode 467

Podcast: My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Episode Date: December 22, 2025
Episode Type: Minisode (Listener-submitted "hometown" and holiday stories)

Episode Overview

This holiday themed minisode brings classic MFM energy as Karen and Georgia read listener-submitted stories with a focus on weird, hilarious, and occasionally chilling holiday tales. True to the spirit of "My Favorite Murder," the episode blends dark humor, honest reflection, and that sense of community for all those who consider themselves "adorable creeps." Expect tales of unexpected crime connections, Christmas mishaps, accidental revelations, and holiday chaos.

Key Discussion Points and Listener Stories

1. Christmas at John List's House (03:34)

• Listener Shannon writes in about her family's strange proximity to the infamous John List murders in Westfield, NJ.
  • Her father grew up near the List family, whose children he walked to school with.
  • The family once took a Christmas card photo in the List's yard, just before the murders.
  • Shannon's response: “I’m spiraling and tearing through family photo albums trying to find it and my dad’s just like, ‘Huh, weird.’” (04:37)
  • Bonus twist: Years later, Shannon learns she was monitored as an embryo at a fertility clinic by Melanie McGuire (“the suitcase murderer”).
    • Mother’s reaction: “He was handsome, but not murdering-your-husband handsome.”
  • Karen: "At least two [creepy true-crime] connections." (05:46)

2. Christmas Pinata of Terror (05:47)

• Listener Kayla shares a Mexican family Christmas gone wrong in 1993.
  • Pinata time moves into the garage due to rain.
  • Drunk Uncle Daniel throws a box of tools—nails, screws, hammers, locks—onto the group of candy-grabbing kids.
  • Screams and bruises ensue; one cousin gets hit in the head with a giant lock.
  • The family now laughs about it — “like most Mexican family, horrible moments, they get turned into the funniest moments to share.” (07:49)
  • Georgia and Karen hilariously analyze what Uncle Daniel could possibly have been thinking:
    • Georgia: “What would the positive thing have been in a fucking garage?” (08:34)
    • Karen: “He thought there were boxes of confetti or... Tootsie Rolls?” (08:28)

3. The Ghost of Christmas Future Goes Down (13:44)

• Listener Betsy recounts the chaos of a homeschooling field trip to “A Christmas Carol.”
  • At the climactic graveyard scene, the actor playing the Ghost of Christmas Future falls off the stage into the orchestra pit, exclaiming “What the fuck?” over the theater mic (16:01).
    • Result: Ghost gets a concussion, French horn player cracks two ribs.
    • House lights up; theater staff arrive; kids sit in traumatized silence.
    • Betsy: “For many of them, their silence might have been the shock and trauma of hearing the F word for the first time.” (16:57)
  • Karen and Georgia riff on theater mishaps and the scariness of the Grim Reaper falling on you:
    • Georgia: “A resigned, ‘what the fuck?’ is so much better than just a ‘fuck.’” (17:02)

4. Two Ornaments, One Divorce (17:58)

• Listener Paige tells a “trash kid” preschool tale from December 1996.
  • The holiday assignment: make one Christmas ornament “for the pair.”
  • Paige, wanting double the crafting, tells her teacher her parents are divorcing so she can make two gifts.
  • The teacher takes it seriously, prompting a shocked mom pick-up.
  • Karen: “It’s kind of a good brag story about yourself... I was a pretty smart, precocious four year old. Here’s my trash kid story: I was a liar.” (20:03)
  • Karen shares a similar lie from college for sympathy grades (20:25).

5. Childhood Magic with a (Stolen) Twist (24:03)

• Anonymous listener realizes in college that her family’s tradition of going out at night to cut down Christmas trees involved sneaking into the woods (possibly a tree farm) without headlights to “steal” them.
  • Her parents’ defense years later: since dad later worked at a tree farm, “it was basically even.” (25:40)
  • Karen: “I still laugh how sincere. My parents are strong, resourceful people who would do anything to make sure that we had joyful memories, even if those memories came with a bit of a misdemeanor.” (26:08)
  • Karen and Georgia debate the likelihood of public lands vs. raiding a farm.

6. Santa… or Satan? (27:14)

• Listener Lara describes the year her dyslexic, slightly inebriated father-in-law labeled the family’s gifts “FROM SATAN” instead of “Santa.”
  • Her spouse, at age 7 or 8, realized the truth about Santa Claus when his gifts were suspiciously from Satan.
  • Georgia: “Satan? Love it. A drunk dad being like, ‘There you go. Satan. Have fun.’” (28:34)
  • Karen: “That’s how he gets you!” (28:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “My dad’s just like, ‘Huh, weird,’ and goes back to watching the Yankees game.” – Listener Shannon (04:37)
• “She just liked the tree. No one thought anything of it. Meanwhile, I’m spiraling...” – Shannon (04:37)
• “Remember to stay sexy and don’t throw a box of tools on children during a pinata.” – Kayla (08:11)
• “What was the best outcome he was expecting?” – Georgia (08:51)
• “The ghost of Christmas Future... went over the edge with the very loud ‘What the fuck?’ in their headset mic.” – Betsy (16:01)
• “For many of them, their silence might have been the shock and trauma of hearing the F word for the first time.” – Betsy (16:57)
• “My brilliant four-year-old ass decided to make up an elaborate ruse… for the sole reason of getting to all caps make two Christmas ornaments.” – Paige (19:27)
• “Stay sexy and don’t get caught stealing spruces.” – Anonymous (26:09)
• “My mother-in-law asked, ‘Who’s that one from?’ My spouse: ‘Um… Satan.’” – Lara (28:03)
• “That’s how he gets you.” – Karen (28:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:23 — Karen introduces first listener hometown holiday story.
• 03:34 — Christmas card photo at John List’s house (Shannon’s story).
• 05:47 — Christmas Pinata of Terror (Kayla’s story).
• 13:44 — Shit adult story: Ghost of Christmas Future tumbles off the stage (Betsy’s story).
• 17:58 — Trash kid story: Tree ornament divorce hoax (Paige’s story).
• 24:03 — Childhood Magic with a Stolen Twist (tree theft, anonymous).
• 27:14 — Trash dad story: Dyslexic dad & “From Satan” gifts (Lara’s story).
• 28:44 — Karen and Georgia thank listeners and encourage more crazy holiday submissions.

Episode Tone & Community Feel

Karen and Georgia keep things conversational, warm, and irreverent, highlighting the weirdness and humanity of holiday family stories. The hosts riff off each other and the stories, providing empathy, catharsis, and plenty of laughs, especially about the comedic horror of childhood mishaps, family chaos, and criminal traditions.

The episode closes with the familiar call to action for listeners to send in more stories and the iconic sign-off, “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.” (29:00)

Summary at a Glance

• Main theme: Hilarious, bizarre, and sometimes darkly relatable listener stories about holiday mishaps, family misadventures, and true crime connections—with Karen and Georgia’s signature warmth and wit.
• Notable/standout storylines: Christmas at a murder house, pinata disaster, the cursing Ghost of Christmas Future, a clever kid’s Christmas divorce lie, the revelation of secret tree theft, and gifts confusingly “from Satan.”
• Listener invitation: Write in your own best/worst holiday or hometown stories to join the MFM community in an ongoing celebration of the weird and the wonderful.

SSDGM forever!