My Favorite Murder Minisode 470 Summary
Podcast: My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Date: January 12, 2026
Episode Theme:
Celebrating 10 Years of MFM – Listeners’ Hometown Updates on Stories Covered Before
Overview
In this 10-year anniversary minisode, Karen and Georgia mark a decade of My Favorite Murder by sharing hometown stories from listeners that tie directly back to cases and tales previously covered on the show. It's a self-referential, celebratory look at how MFM has built community, shaped culture, and given space to personal stories that intersect with infamous crimes, bizarre events, and even cryptids. The episode flows with equal doses of nostalgia, humor, heartfelt reflection, and chilling true crime.
Key Discussion Points & Stories
[00:43] 10-Year Anniversary Reflections
- Karen and Georgia open with jokes about treating their anniversary like a month-long birthday, expressing amazement at reaching 10 years in podcasting.
- Karen: “We got to 10 years in podcasting, dude, that’s a lifetime. It’s like we’re a 15-year-old dog.” [00:43]
- The minisode format is dedicated to stories that connect back to cases covered over the show’s decade.
[01:11] Story #1: Cindy's Encounter with the Visalia Ransacker (Golden State Killer)
Listener: Sheri
- Setting: Visalia, CA, 1975
- Incident: Sheri’s sister Cindy, age 18, was stalked by a man with steely blue eyes in a Kmart. He tailed her through the aisles and then tried to follow her home. Cindy evaded him by going to her boyfriend’s aunt’s house and later filed a police report.
- Aftermath: 43 years later, police confirmed Cindy’s description matched the Visalia Ransacker, later known as the Golden State Killer.
- Karen: “Apparently, her description matched that of a man they were looking for, who they were calling the Visalia Ransacker.” [04:17]
- Georgia: “So she fucking fingered him then. Way back then, when they had no idea who he was. But he was a cop.” [05:19]
- They discuss the chilling idea of the killer being a police officer, capable of accessing her info.
- Reflection: Cindy’s instinct to avoid going straight home possibly saved her life.
Notable Quotes:
- “She could feel the hairs on her arms and neck. Stand up. She carefully set the book back on the shelf...” — Karen [02:19]
- “Stay sexy. And if you have a bad feeling about someone, always trust your gut.” — Sheri [06:16]
- Georgia: “The bright blue eyes thing is, like, such a creepy tidbit. ...so specific.” [06:44]
[07:31] Story #2: A Journalist Dad and Heaven’s Gate
Listener: Genevieve
- Genevieve’s dad interviewed Heaven's Gate members in Santa Fe, NM, in 1994, years before the cult’s infamous mass suicide.
- Heaven’s Gate was operating under the name “The Total Overcomers” at the time.
- After the events in California became national news, he was interviewed as an expert for major outlets—“while holding a baby, me, who you can hear crying in the background...” [08:36]
- Reflection on how cult members can seem “friendly and funny”—classic cult behavior.
- Georgia: “They didn’t seem crazy or woo woo. They seemed very friendly and funny.” [08:56]
Notable Quote:
- Karen: “Having a parent as a journalist must be really incredible, because they spend all their time having unbelievable experiences like that.” [09:43]
[11:21] Story #3: Surviving the Sun Valley Mall Plane Crash
Listener: Bitsy
- Bitsy’s dad survived the 1985 plane crash inside Sun Valley Mall (previously covered in episode 447).
- He was at the Macy’s jewelry counter when the plane crashed, dove for cover behind the counter, then emerged to chaos and destruction.
- The incident became an annual “dad story,” and only later did Bitsy realize the true magnitude of the event.
- Their dad felt compelled to help but ultimately fled to Mervyn’s and called home.
- Karen: “Running back and forth with indecision and good intentions, likely with his hands resting on his head between short panic sprints.” [13:09]
- The story humorously highlights late Christmas shopping and the way trauma can become family legend.
Notable Quote:
- Georgia: “How terrifying just to walk out and see how awful it actually was and you’re fine.” [14:14]
[14:35] Story #4: The Checkered Travels of Cocaine Bear
Listener: Sarah
- Recounts the wild journey of the taxidermied Cocaine Bear: from its discovery (following a drug smuggler’s mishap), to public display, theft, a pawn shop, celebrity ownership (Waylon Jennings), a Las Vegas mansion, a Chinese medicine shop, and finally to Kentucky for Kentucky, where it’s now a local mascot (see episode 268).
- Sarah: “After the bear died, the animal medical examiner… sent it to a friend to be stuffed, because I guess you don’t want to waste a perfectly good bear carcass.” [15:28]
- The bear is now celebrated with t-shirts, stickers, and even a snow globe.
- Closing advice: “Don’t do drugs, or you’ll end up dead and maybe stuffed like poor Cocaine Bear.” [17:57]
[18:32] Story #5: Mothman at Build-A-Bear & the Power of Podcasting
Listener: MC
- MC shares a heartfelt reflection about seeing the Mothman plush at Build-A-Bear, and how MFM’s culture has helped normalize curiosity, empathy, humor, and storytelling—making women’s voices and even cryptids part of mainstream conversation.
- MC: “This isn’t just about a cryptid in plush form. It’s about what you’ve helped build. A space where curiosity, empathy, and humor can coexist with darkness. Where storytelling becomes a kind of activism.” [19:45]
- Karen gets emotional at the note’s significance for the 10th anniversary.
- Karen: “I’m totally crying.” [20:07]
[21:04] Story #6: Growing Up on an Emu Farm (Emu Bubble Burst)
Listener: Cindy
- Cindy’s parents received emus as a wedding present in 1993, part of a speculative “emu boom” (emu meat, oil were trendy and pricey).
- The value plummeted within a year, leaving the family with emus they later gave away.
- Includes honest family reflections on living with these giant—and sometimes mean—birds.
- Cindy’s Mom (via text): “I wasn’t scared of them, but I didn’t fuck with them.” [23:48]
- Karen and Georgia reflect on the oddity and hilarity of animal fads, and how some gifts are better left un-given.
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- Cindy & the Golden State Killer:
- “She had goosebumps just retelling it”—emphasizing the lifelong impact of narrow escapes. [06:16]
- On seeing the aftermath of a disaster:
- Georgia: “That’s why there’s, like, trained professionals to do that.” [14:31]
- On Emus as Wedding Gifts:
- Karen: “Congratulations, I guess. Give what you want as that’s a gift-giving strategy.” [21:38]
- Cindy’s Mom: “I wasn’t scared of them, but I didn’t fuck with them.” [23:48]
- Listener MC’s Mothman Reflection:
- “Where storytelling becomes a kind of activism.” [19:45]
- Karen: “I’m totally crying.” [20:07]
- Encouragement to Listeners:
- Georgia: “Are you a Cindy? Send us your email. It doesn’t matter what it is. Send us your story.” [24:07]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 10-Year Anniversary Reflections: 00:26 – 01:10
- Cindy & the Golden State Killer: 01:11 – 07:26
- Heaven’s Gate Journalist Dad: 07:31 – 10:12
- Sun Valley Mall Plane Crash: 11:21 – 14:31
- Cocaine Bear’s Travels: 14:35 – 18:32
- Mothman Plush & Cultural Impact: 18:32 – 21:04
- Growing Up on an Emu Farm: 21:04 – 24:15
Tone & Style
The episode is characterized by the hosts’ signature blend of humor, heart, and macabre curiosity, effortlessly moving between light banter and the sobering reality of true crime. Georgia and Karen are both self-deprecating and deeply empathetic, especially as moments of reflection on a decade of storytelling surface.
Closing Thoughts
This celebratory minisode is a testament to the My Favorite Murder community—its longevity, deep listener engagement, and the unique trust it builds. Listeners’ stories serve as both harrowing reminders and humorous asides, all tied back to the central MFM ethos: Stay sexy and don’t get murdered!