My Favorite Murder Minisode 474 Summary

Podcast: My Favorite Murder
Hosts: Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Date: February 9, 2026
Theme: Listener “hometown” stories featuring surprising true crime finds, family mysteries, and heartfelt tales of connection and love—perfectly timed for Galentine’s and Valentine’s Day.

Overview

In this Valentine's/Galentine's-themed minisode, Karen and Georgia read a series of wild, moving, and sometimes hilarious listener-submitted stories. These include a chilling discovery of infamous killer letters, a supernatural best friend connection, family secrets unearthed, hidden Depression-era treasures, and a couple of sweet love stories—one involving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Through it all, the tone is warm, funny, supportive, and sometimes irreverent.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Murderino Jackpot: Letters from Serial Killers

[02:10 - 07:22]

• Listener’s sister buys a dresser off Facebook Marketplace. Two letters fall out—one from Dennis Rader (the BTK killer), the other from Keith Jesperson (the Happy Face Killer).
• The dresser previously belonged to criminologist Laura Brand, known for her research and interviews with over 50 serial killers.
• Details from the Letters:
  • BTK’s letter: “He mostly rambles about money for stamps and complains about how long the mail takes, but the letter was sent on Valentine’s Day 2020.” (Karen, [04:33])
  • BTK mentions another serial killer, Bittaker, which chills Karen and Georgia.
  • Keith Jesperson’s seven-page letter includes “juicy” responses to personality questions (favorite book: The Old Man and the Sea; favorite animal: squirrel).
• Notable quote:
  • “To just be able to, like, read some insider baseball stuff. Yes.” (Georgia, [04:23])
  • “We have never covered the Toolbox Killer. Cause it is so disgusting and so insane that it’s truly one of the worst things I’ve ever read about.” (Karen, [05:06])
  • “Stay sexy and always check the drawers before selling your children's furniture.” (Listener, [06:43])
• Karen and Georgia riff on their distaste for the “fan mail” serial killers get, preferring the journalistic approach Laura Brand took.

2. Galentine’s Sixth Sense: The Best Friend Connection

[07:29 - 10:22]

• Listener shares a supernatural “Best Friend Connection” (BFC) story: Had an unexplainable hunch her best friend Chrissy was in a car accident—just as a state trooper describes it at her workplace.
• She races to Chrissy’s house to make sure she’s okay; Chrissy had survived a serious accident.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I have zero explanation as to how or why Christy and I have the BFC, but for the 23 years that we’ve been best friends, we’ve always known when one of us needs the other.” (Listener, [09:26])
  • “This Valentine/Galentine’s Day, remember that your soulmate doesn’t have to be your lover, your soulmate can be your best friend.” (Listener, [09:47])
• Karen and Georgia are deeply moved (“What an honor, too, as the friend to be like, oh my God. You knew when I was in trouble.” Karen, [10:16])

3. Depression-Era Treasure Hunt

[12:34 - 16:14]

• Listener’s family discovers a hoard of cash and coins hidden in their great-grandmother’s home:
  • Coins sewn into curtains, pasted under chairs and wallpaper, jars of money hidden in the house and even buried in the yard.
  • Over $83,000 found, despite their grandmother living very frugally.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Full on treasure hunt.” (Karen, [14:20])
  • “We tore the place apart searching for her treasure. Finding over… do you want to guess how much?” (Karen, [15:06])
  • “If you don’t have a deathbed confession, then you need to hide treasures for everyone to find.” (Georgia, [16:14])
• Discussion on Depression-era thriftiness and how trauma shapes behavior (“It’s so World War II to sew coins into the corner.” Karen, [15:56])

4. Family Secrets: New Names, New Lives

[17:01 - 22:42]

• Story of “Grandma Betty,” a loving grandmother who concealed a big secret: her real name was Sarah Brownstein, and she was Jewish.
• She and her best friend “Dottie” ran away from Pittsburgh to LA in the 1940s, assumed new identities, and kept their Jewish heritage secret—even from their kids.
• After Betty’s death, the family uncovers her true origins and reconnects (in a twist, a descendant is sent on a Mormon mission to Ukraine, where family comes from).
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Somewhere along the way, Dottie swore that her friend was Elizabeth English, and grandma was able to get a new birth certificate and identity.” (Listener, [19:00])
  • “They rented a room together, got jobs as waitresses, and dated a lot of soldiers when the war ended. I can’t help but think of Black Dahlia in Los Angeles at that time.” (Georgia, [19:15])
  • “Stay sexy and always vouch for your best friend.” (Listener, [22:42])
• Karen and Georgia discuss women reinventing themselves and the weight of secrets.

5. Interlude: Family Immigration Stories

[23:07 - 23:40]

• Both Karen and Georgia reflect briefly on their own grandmothers’ experiences as immigrants in the 20th century.

6. Generational Love Story: Artist and Dancer

[25:31 - 28:18]

• Listener describes an epic love story: Her artist grandfather (“Pops”) survives WWII, skips out on roll call to visit art museums in Europe, and returns home to marry the town’s best dancer, Mary.
• They build a beautiful marriage, support their community, and every year for Valentine’s, Pops creates a custom sculpture for Grams.
• Notable Quote:
  • “For every year on Valentine’s Day, my Pops built my Grams a valentine sculpture. And when he had a museum collection, all 30-something of them were on display.” (Listener, [27:52])

7. Hot Dog Love: The Wienermobile Romance

[28:26 - 29:40]

• Listener meets her eventual husband during a campus hot dog event; their best friend arranges a surprise wedding rehearsal ride in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
• “Stay sexy and never say no to a free hot dog. Well, I don’t know. Use your best judgment, but you get the idea.” (Listener, [29:40])
• Karen and Georgia delightedly describe the wedding photo and reflect on the many forms love can take.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Georgia ([04:23]): “To just be able to, like, read some insider baseball stuff. Yes.”
• Karen ([05:06]): “We have never covered the Toolbox Killer. Cause it is so disgusting and so insane that it’s truly one of the worst things I’ve ever read about.”
• Listener ([09:47]): “This Valentine Galentine’s Day, remember that your soulmate doesn’t have to be your lover, your soulmate can be your best friend.”
• Georgia ([16:14]): “If you don’t have a deathbed confession, then you need to hide treasures for everyone to find.”
• Listener ([22:42]): “Stay sexy and always vouch for your best friend.”

Important Timestamps

• [02:10] – The "Murderino Jackpot" dresser story begins.
• [07:29] – Supernatural “Best Friend Connection” accident story.
• [12:34] – Discovery of hidden Depression-era cash.
• [17:01] – Family secret: Grandma Betty and Dottie’s true identities.
• [25:31] – Generational love story: Pops and Grams.
• [28:26] – Hot Dog/Wienermobile romance story.

Tone & Takeaway

The episode is classic MFM—balancing comic banter with poignant, moving moments. Whether chilling or touching, each story underscores the importance of connection, persistence, and curiosity (and sometimes, the value of always checking your furniture for hidden serial killer memorabilia).

End show mantra: “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”