MFM Minisode 476

Summary

My Favorite Murder Minisode 476 — Summary

Podcast: My Favorite Murder
Hosts: Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark
Air Date: February 23, 2026
Episode: Minisode 476

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Overview

This minisode of My Favorite Murder features Karen and Georgia reading and reacting to listener-submitted hometown and personal stories. The tales range from botched bank robberies to unsettling brushes with infamous serial killers, moments of maternal intuition, court-case fandom, a cat-fueled romance, and a heartfelt message about community resilience amid fear and political oppression. The episode flows naturally between lighthearted banter and deeper, more emotional moments—classic MFM energy.

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Key Discussion Points & Listener Stories

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1. The Drunkest, Dumbest Bank Heist in Nova Scotia History

(Starts at 02:38)

• Story Recap: Kelly writes in with a family tale set in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia in 1932, starring her great-uncle "Freckles," who attempted a drunken, poorly-planned bank heist with his brother-in-law (recently fired from the Royal Bank of Canada) and a small-time crook, Edson. Their plan included staying after hours under false pretenses, a staged hold-up, burning their getaway car (while in women’s clothing as a disguise), and using stolen bank ledgers to "negotiate a pardon."
  • The heist unravels: Edson, panicking about prison, tells the police everything. Police give him an unloaded gun and plan to arrest them en route, but instead let them proceed so they can catch them "in the act."
  • The trio's drinking and Edson’s desperate attempts to get out of it (by driving into a ditch) go unnoticed, thanks to helpful local farmers.
  • Five police officers cram into a broom closet to lie in wait in the bank.
  • The robbery turns deadly: Freckles is shot and killed on entry. Edson survives a gunshot, dramatically staggers out yelling "You double-crossed me!" The police’s story of self-defense is dubious at best, but they face only minor repercussions.
  • The ultimate irony: The bank staff are later fired for the same "financial irregularities" that started the whole mess.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Karen (on the name Shubenacadie): “The name of this town is out of control. But then they gave the phonetic.” (03:10)
  • Georgia (on the disguises): "Law enforcement would see two drunk, soot-covered men in dresses and crooked wigs and say, ‘Ah, yes. Two completely unrelated women who definitely did not set a car on fire.’” (05:14)
  • Kelly’s moral: "In the end, literally everyone involved was terrible at their jobs. Except the farmers." (07:45)
• Reactions:
  • Amused by the chaos and cinematic value.
  • Steve Buscemi is nominated as Freckles in a film adaptation.
  • All parties agree the whole story is worthy of a movie, "in the Fargo vein."
  • “Stay sexy, vet your criminal accomplices, and avoid financial irregularities.” — Kelly (07:47)

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2. Dreams and Home Intruders: Maternal Instincts Save the Day

(Starts at 08:49)

• Story Recap: Listener Leah shares how her mother’s vivid nightmare about a house fire prompted her midnight search of the home. Failing to find fire, but uneasy, she lies down—only to hear the bottom stair creak. Investigating, she spots a man in all black descending the stairs. Leah’s mother screams, scaring him off. The next night, to reclaim her strength, Mom sits in the kitchen all night with doors unlocked and the lights on, daring the intruder to return.
• Notable Moments:
  • Karen and Georgia discuss the instinctive knowledge of a house's sounds, and the advantages this gives against an intruder.
  • Karen recounts a similar story: her friend Maleva’s house guest who scared off an intruder by making loud, bizarre noises.
• Quotes:
  • Georgia: “You know your house so well that you're like, that's a sound that it shouldn't be making right now.” (09:31)
  • Leah: "Stay sexy and listen to your dreams." (10:57)

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3. Brush with BTK—An Unsettling Hometown Encounter

(Starts at 14:02)

• Story Recap: Listener Morgan details growing up in Kansas, regularly passing and chatting with a neighbor she found creepy. Years later, after moving away, the family learns that neighbor is Dennis Rader—the infamous BTK serial killer. Morgan’s mom had, at one point, warned her to never go near him again, following a "strange run in."
• Notable Discussion:
  • Karen and Georgia discuss how "normal" BTK appeared, and the chilling gut instinct the writer had even as a child.
  • Book recommendation: A Serial Killer’s Daughter by Kerri Rawson, BTK’s daughter.
• Quotes:
  • Karen: “She was getting 8-year-old bad vibes from BTK… That guy, the dog catcher who also goes to our church.” (16:00)
  • Morgan: “Stay sexy and don't accidentally befriend a serial killer.” (17:04)

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4. True Crime Fandom—Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial Courtroom Cameo

(Starts at 17:32)

• Story Recap: Izzy writes about her mom’s devotion to the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial in Park City, Utah. Her mom and friends attended court daily and wore homemade "GWYNNOCENT" t-shirts. Mom made it into background photos during the verdict, which Izzy watched on TV with her newborn.
• Notable Moments:
  • Banter about the hilarity of “GWYNNOCENT” shirts and being background characters in media trials.
  • Appreciation for moms who embrace the excitement of local events.
• Quotes:
  • Karen (on Izzy’s mom): “She’s the Zelig of this case.” (19:20)
  • Izzy: “This was the perfect entertainment at 3 months postpartum.” (19:28)

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5. Community Under Siege—Life in Minnesota Amid ICE Raids

(Starts at 22:13)

• Story Recap: Cat writes a powerful letter about the fear and stress experienced by immigrant families in Minnesota amid aggressive ICE actions and community trauma. Detailing her experiences as a swim instructor for children in diverse communities, Cat describes the anxiety, fear, and quiet defiance (like refusing to help ICE agents stuck in snow) as acts of resistance.
• Notable Discussion:
  • Karen and Georgia empathize and underscore the importance of solidarity, calling out the resilience and organizing of Minnesota communities: “It’s getting other communities here and all over the country, it’s showing us how to do it here too.” (26:23)
  • Both hosts speak directly to listeners in Minnesota, expressing support and admiration.
• Quotes:
  • Cat: “Normally, we’re quick to offer aid… but right now, not helping [ICE] is an act of resistance against outside forces.” (25:00)
  • Georgia: “Everyone in Twin Cities should know us ‘coastal elites’ are… cheering you on.” (26:08)
  • Karen: “[T]he majority of this country are people who are like, hey, how about you go fuck yourself if you think you're gonna come here and snatch people off the street.” (26:42)

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6. Romance via Cat’s Pharmacist—A Hinge Success Story

(Starts at 26:54)

• Story Recap: Listener C.C. recounts matching with a pharmacist on Hinge, realizing mid-date that he is, in fact, her diabetic cat Harry’s pharmacist. Their awkward but adorable meet-cute culminates in marriage and an inside family joke about “sleeping with the cat’s pharmacist.”
• Notable Moments:
  • Karen and Georgia envisioning a Sandra Bullock rom-com based on the story, with Steve Buscemi as the cat.
  • “I’ll be playing this in the car to see how long it takes for him to realize it’s our story.” (30:00)
• Quotes:
  • C.C.: “Stay sexy and sleep with your childhood cat’s pharmacist.” (30:01)
  • Karen: “It’s a Sandra Bullock movie.” (30:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Banter

• “All the feelings are here. All the… peaks and valleys. We got Gwyneth Paltrow, we've got fucking [ICE], Fox News, like, it's just everything you could want. BTK, all the different things… And we're here for you.” — Georgia (31:00)

• “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.” — Classic MFM closing (31:14)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:38: Nova Scotia bank heist story begins
• 08:49: Mother’s intuition saves family from intruder
• 14:02: Listener’s close call with BTK killer
• 17:32: Listener’s mom at the Gwyneth Paltrow trial
• 22:13: Heartfelt letter on community trauma in Minnesota
• 26:54: Cat’s pharmacist romance story

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Tone, Structure, and Vibe

• Language and Tone: Warm, irreverent, supportive; signature candid banter, quick-witted humor; emotional range from comedic disbelief to heartfelt support
• Structure: Stories read aloud, interwoven with commentary, analogies, personal anecdotes, and reactions
• Community: Emphasis on the power and necessity of grassroots resilience, trusting intuition, and finding humor and humanity amid the darkest circumstances.

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Summary:
MFM Minisode 476 is a quintessential installment—equal parts laughter, shock, empathy, and community spirit. From a 1930s’ slapstick bank heist to a chilling neighborly encounter with the BTK killer, and on to tales of maternal courage, courtroom spectacle, resistance under duress, and cat-adjacent love, Karen and Georgia guide listeners through true-crime storytelling with compassion and wit—reminding murderinos everywhere to listen to their gut, cherish their weirdest stories, and, above all, “stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”

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]

When she was found, she was uncovered alive in a 3,000-year-old sarcophagus.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What happened to Katie?

[Georgia Hardstark]

From the studio that brought you weapons and producers James Wan and Blumhouse comes a terrifying new vision.

[Karen Kilgariff]

On April 17, discover the truth. Lee Cronin's the Mummy Some Things are

[Georgia Hardstark]

Meant to Stay Buried Only in theaters April 17, this film is not yet rated. Goodbye Goodbye.

[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]

Hello and welcome to my favorite murder, the minisode.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I saw your brain, your eyes search your brain real quick.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hey, is anyone in there? I asked and it echoed and echoed.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hey, it's Monday.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's Monday and we're recording some minisodes just for you.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay, my first email. The subject line is the drunkest dumbest bank heist in Nova Scotia history.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Love it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then in parentheses, it says, featuring my great uncle Freckles.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fucking amazing already.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Are you ready?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hi, Karen, Georgia and the entire exactly right universe. I always appreciate hearing Canadian tales on mfm. And since Karen actually knows Nova Scotia exists and shared the tale of the explosion, I have a lesser known piece of crime lore from my home province. It's 1932. Oh, my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What?

[Karen Kilgariff]

The name of this town is out of control. But then they gave the phonetic.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Scared the shit out of me.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I'm really sorry. It scared the shit out of me too. It's 1932 in shoe Ben Acady. In Shubenachady, Nova Scotia.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Shoe. Benakity. Shoe.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Benakity, Nova Scotia.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No, they made that up just to get you to say that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

In Shubenachady, Nova Scotia. Do you want to go to Shubenachne to go to the Dairy Queen?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I can't tonight. I have to go to Schubenachnady because

[Karen Kilgariff]

the Tim Hortons and Schubenachnee. It is my favorite Tim Hortons. Okay, so it says it's 1932 in Shubenachtany, Nova Scotia, which is honestly the most intimidating part of this story, which is the pronunciation. My great uncle, Gerald Freckleton. Is this whole thing a scam? Known to friends and apparently the police as Freckles decides to rob a bank. Why? Because his brother in law, Sidney Rayfuse, got fired from the Royal bank of Canada for financial irregularities. Instead of reflecting on his poor decisions, he says, let's rob the bank that fired me. And Freckles says, sure, why not? I mean, we're here in Shubenachtony, there's

[Georgia Hardstark]

nothing else to do.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Kicking it. They recruit a getaway driver named Edson Boutillier, a small time crook on parole. So an unsuccessful small time crook. This was their plan. And in parentheses it says, I'm being generous. Refuse would pretend to sell insurance, stay in the bank after closing, forcing the manager to unlock the door to let him out. Except Freckles and Edson would rush in, tie everyone up and grab the cash and the bank's ledgers to, quote, negotiate a pardon. Freckles and Edson would escape and burn the getaway car. Don't worry, it's insured. And because this plan wasn't unhinged enough to escape, they would change into win women's clothing to throw off the police. And then in parentheses it says, because of course, law enforcement would see two drunk, soot covered men in dresses and crooked Wigs and say, ah, yes. Two completely unrelated women who definitely did not set a car on fire. Shockingly, this plan falls apart even before it starts. After initially agreeing to the crime, Edson panics about going back to prison and decides to tell the Halifax police everything.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, come on, just leave. You don't have to be a snitch.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You don't have to snitch. But he was panicking.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay, that's fair.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The police say, great, go through with it. Anyway. They give him a car and an unloaded gun in parentheses, safety first. And they tell him they will stop them in the car on the way to the robbery, find the weapon, and arrest them on criminal intent. The police, however, do not do that. Freckles and Edson travel together, drinking on the way, so Sydney could go alone and fill his role of victim. As they are busy drinking and driving and not being stopped by the police, Edson tries to avoid committing the crime by driving into a ditch.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my go.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So they're going along. He's pretending he's gonna go.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But no one's stopping them, so he's panicking.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So he drives into another ditch. Another farmer pulls them out. In doing a good deed, the farmers of Nova Scotia are unwittingly helping these criminal masterminds reach their destination. However, the Halifax police, now accompanied by the rcmp, weren't trying to stop the robbery. They want the publicity of catching the robbers in the act. They are hiding inside the bank. Five grown men in a broom closet,

[Georgia Hardstark]

waiting, waiting for a long time.

[Karen Kilgariff]

All in that one broom closet. Finally, Freckles and Edson stumble into the bank, drunk enough to miss the entire village on their first pass. And the police immediately open fire. Oh. Freckles is killed instantly. Jesus. Turned quickly.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Edson is shot in the shoulder, but manages to stagger outside yelling, you double crossed me like he fell straight out of a soap opera. A nearby doctor stops a police officer from finishing him off and later points out that the bullet holes in the bank don't match the police story that Freckles fired first. The police say, shh. The newspaper say, shh. The death certificate says, shock from gunshot wounds inflicted by police. Justifiable homicide.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Holy.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Edson survives, heals up, and tells the press everything. He's never charged, refuse goes to jail for criminal intent. The five police officers involved are demoted or transferred. None of them lost their jobs. And in the most poetic twist of all, the victims of this crime, the bank manager and staff are later fired for financial irregularities. So in the end, literally everyone Involved was terrible at their jobs. Except the farmers.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Holy sh.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Stay sexy. Vet your criminal accomplices and avoid financial irregularities. Kelly.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wow, that was an epic tale.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Isn't that so good?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Why isn't that a movie?

[Karen Kilgariff]

It should go much slower. And that. That actual drive time to the bank is your act one is the whole thing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And I want to see. You know who I want to see in it is not going to remember his name.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Is it a Canadian?

[Georgia Hardstark]

No. Yeah, I guess it has to be Canadian, huh?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, you don't have to, but be nice. Is his name Brendan Fraser?

[Georgia Hardstark]

No, from Fargo.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I guess I'm Martin Freeman.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No. But I'm picturing Fargo in a lot of ways in the same kind of vein.

[Karen Kilgariff]

William?

[Georgia Hardstark]

No. Steve Buscemi.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, he would be great in this, right? Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I think freckles.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Freckles, for sure. Although he dies at the end.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's true.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But nobody wants to see Steve Buscemi die at the end. They learned that in the Big Lebowski, right?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, okay. My heart's still broken.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hi, ladies. I love you and you both rock. I honestly don't know if this is considered a long one or not, but hopefully it's worth it. I've written in a few stories about my mom and I have another for you. The time her dream prevented us from being robbed. One night, my mom had a super vivid dream that our house was on fire. So she gets up to check that everything is all right. She searches every room of our three story house for hot outlets, candles left burning, curtains too close to the heater, everything. And didn't find anything that was out of place. A little uneasy, but convinced the house wasn't going to burn down, she goes back upstairs and lays down to go back to sleep. As she's laying down, she hears the signature creak of the bottom most stair. You know, you know your house so well that you're like, that's a sound that it shouldn't be making right now.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's absolutely something.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love knowing a house that well.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, that's a fun feeling.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And then they say, like, if you think there's someone in your house that shouldn't be there, don't turn the lights on. Cause you know the fucking house and the plan or plan better than they do.

[Karen Kilgariff]

They're the ones having to sneak around. Yeah, that's a good idea.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Walking to their fucking couch and shit.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You get up there and you pull a home alone. You start rolling out those marbles.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's. Grab your tarantula, get it going. You know that tarantula you love? Okay. She bolts down the hall to the stairs and sees a man in all black walking down them. She screams for my dad and says that the guy didn't even look at her, just calmly walked out the sliding back door. My dad comes running out in his underwear with the baseball bat that they keep next to their bed. It's the middle of winter in Minnesota, so he didn't chase the man outside. But we promptly called the police, who showed up with search dogs. They followed his scent to the neighborhood over, but never ended up finding him. To think about my mom alone in the dark, walking through the house while this man was there. She's a badass and has no fear when it comes to protecting her family. The next night, she reclaimed her safety by sitting in the kitchen all night with the doors unlocked and the lights on, saying, come get us, motherfucker.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Nice.

[Georgia Hardstark]

She's like, I'm ready for you this time.

[Karen Kilgariff]

She's like, I'm not gonna be held captive by nighttime or, like, the similar circumstances. I'm gonna, like, empower myself in the

[Georgia Hardstark]

baseball bat, stay sexy and listen to your dreams. Leah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow. Yeah. That's intense. I think that would be a great thing. If you have a story about a person in your house, please write in and tell us. Because I had my old friend Maleva.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love someone being in your house when they're not supposed to be. Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think I've told you this story probably four to five times over the last 10 years.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I have a bad memory. I'm in perimenopause.

[Karen Kilgariff]

My old. It's all new. My old college roommate Maleva, had a friend because they lived out in Roseville, which is, like, the country up above Sacramento. And her friend was in her house one night by herself and went to walk down the hallway, and there was a man at the other end of the hallway. And she just, like. Something came over her. Cause she was like, I'm not gonna be able to fight this man.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Whatever.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So she just started making the weirdest noise she could and, like, super loud and super weird and, like, squatted down and the man, like, ran out of the house. Cause essentially, she's like, the odds that this person might be on drugs are pretty good. So now I'm just gonna fuck with his head.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And sc instead of him scaring me.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's a fucking choice. And it's not a bad one.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, she kicked ass.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Wow. That's. That's so. I can't even imagine what I would do. Like that's just so scary.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I know. It's so.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I hate it. I hate it.

[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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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

In the new HBO original series St. Louis, everyone looks normal from across the street.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But who wouldn't kill to spice things up?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Jason Bateman, David Harbour and Linda Cardellini star as three suburbanites experiencing midlife malaise.

[Georgia Hardstark]

When two of them attempt to spice up their love lives on a dating app called DTF St. Louis, an unexpected love triangle ends with one of them dead.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Don't miss the new HBO Original Series St. Louis, premiering March 1st on HBO. Max Goodbye Goodbye. Eight years ago, Katie Cannon was playing in the backyard of her family home the day she went missing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

When she was found, she was uncovered alive in a 3,000 year old sarcophagus.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What happened to Katie?

[Georgia Hardstark]

From the studio that brought you weapons and producers James Wan and Blumhouse comes

[Karen Kilgariff]

a terrifying new vision on April 17th. Discover the truth. Lee Cronin's the Mummy Some things are Meant to Stay Buried.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Only in theaters April 17, this film is not yet rated. Goodbye Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay, okay. Well this is good news because the subject line of this email is Denver Night two meet and greet. KNG asked me to write this in.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh yay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So when we are on the road and we meet people backstage and people have stories for us, we always are like just write it in. Cause we're gonna want. We want to hear this. So I'm not gonna read the rest. It says hi Karen in Georgia and MFM erm team. I was so overwhelmed and nervous at the meet and greet. I was barely able to talk to you but knew I had to give you a little tidbit about Sorry to hit and run. Here's the full story. So this was someone who started this story and then basically we were like, wait, what? And they walked away. My favorite type of person. I lived in a small suburban town in Kansas with my single mother around 2003, 2004, as we lived somewhat near my elementary school, My mom and I would walk there together most mornings. Almost every time we walked by this particular house, a man would stand on his porch and wave as we passed by. On a few occasions, he and my mom stopped to chat for a while as I waited impatiently at her side. Even at only. I always thought he was a creep and hated getting stuck there while they talked. As I said, it was a small town, so it didn't seem strange when we started running into him multiple times a week. We'd see him at the park while he was working. He had a city job at the grocery store at church events. He became friendlier with my mom at each meeting. And although I never felt any concern for her during these encounters, she told me privately after a particularly strange run in near our home, to never go anywhere near him. Ever.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Cool.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So, mom, you and I are picking up the same thing this guy's putting down. Okay?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I got the baby bad vibes and you've got some mommy bad vibes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The fully developed ones to affirm those. We eventually moved 30 minutes away and they didn't keep in touch. But it wasn't long before we saw him again because not a year or two later, he was plastered all over the news. Our neighbor Dennis Rader. No, the infamous serial killer BTK had been arrested for his slew of murders in the wichita area between 1974 and 1991.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was Dennis fucking Raider.

[Karen Kilgariff]

She was getting 8 year old bad vibes from BTK, which is so creepy

[Georgia Hardstark]

too, because like, he did look like your normal neighbor. He didn't look creepy at all. I know that he was weird, but like, yeah, you're just walking by and there's a guy in his front yard.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That guy, the dog catcher who also goes to our church.

[Georgia Hardstark]

He was like, don't ever talk to him.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Go nowhere near.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God. Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's just that thing of. It's almost like a scary roller coaster or whatever where it's like, could you. What would it feel like to have the hairs go up on the back of your neck for somebody to that level of danger? Cause that's a full psychopath.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What would that experience be like?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I don't know. I have chills.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay. As most of us murderinos know, his Dumb ass was caught after sending letters in a floppy disk directly to the police. And then it just says eyeroll. As an adult, I had friends who worked at the prison in El Dorado. They said he was overall a decent inmate, but smug and annoying as fuck if you let him open his mouth long enough. Stay sexy and don't accidentally befriend a serial killer. Morgan.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, I wanna hear from the mom. Yeah, like, what did they talk about? What the. What. What was it the first time where she was just like, chills.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That man was so craven and horrifying.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Evil. Yeah, his daughter's book is really good. If you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, yeah. Do we know the name?

[Georgia Hardstark]

My father is a serial killer. Probably. Not that I don't know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Georgia. Is it a serial killer's daughter?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes, a serial killer's daughter. Thank you, Molly.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Nice.

[Georgia Hardstark]

All right, here we go. I'm not gonna read you the subject line, y'. All. Hello, everyone. Love you all. I started listening sometime in fall of 2016, and at the time I thought I was late to the game. Lol. I grew up in Texas and my mom is totally the reason I'm a murderino. Throughout my childhood, she would watch Forensic Files to help her fall asleep because she found it soothing. Hi.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It is.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Nowadays she uses the news, and my dad, siblings, and I all agree that Forensic Files was the healthier choice.

[Karen Kilgariff]

For real.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Although we're glad it's CNN and not Fox News. My mom sent me a Fox News article today, of course. And I'm like, I don't open these links. Mom, why are you spamming me? Okay, I squealed and called my sister as soon as Georgia announced she was covering the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial because my parents now live in Park City, Utah, and my mom and her friends were sitting in court throughout most of the trial.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I was at home with a three month old, glued to the tv, pointing to the screen and showing my daughter. Look, there's Honey, she's three now. And it would have been way more fun if she'd been old enough to know what on earth I was talking about. I got several texts from people who recognized my mom in the background of the trial, and it was entertaining to find out who else was tuned in. My mom even made T shirts with Gwyneth's picture that said Gwynicent.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh my God. Oh my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

G W Y N N O C E N D Gwynison.

[Karen Kilgariff]

How does she know?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I don't know, but it's too good. Not too bad.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, it's really good play on words, but also very strong stance.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, yeah. To wear While the verdict was read, my favorite part of the whole ordeal was that she made it into the background of the photos of Gwyneth patting Terry Sanderson on the back and saying, I wish you well. Yes, she's in the photos.

[Karen Kilgariff]

She's the Zelig of this case.

[Georgia Hardstark]

If you look for her, she has dark hair pulled back and is wearing a black T shirt, coat and glasses.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Amazing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You have to find her. I got such a kick out of the whole thing. My mom is so crazy. But in a fun way. This was the perfect entertainment at 3 months postpartum. Thanks for everything you do. I can't even begin to describe what this podcast has meant for me over the past 10 or technically like 9.5 years or to list all of the major life events that y' all have experienced with me. But just know we all love and appreciate you too and everyone at erm. X.O.X.O. izzy. She her.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Thanks, Izzy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Izzy.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Also, that is a real fun mom where it's like, well, it's happening in our town. Let's go down there and see what's going on.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, Like, I don't mind my own business. I want to fucking hear everything about it and I'm gonna wear a shirt about it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's low stakes true crime. Let's get into it. In the new HBO original series St. Louis, everyone looks normal from across the street.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But who wouldn't kill to spice things up?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Jason Bateman, David Harbour and Linda Cardellini star as three suburbanites experiencing midlife malaise

[Georgia Hardstark]

when two of them attempt to spice up their love lives on a dating app called DTF St. Louis, an unexpected love triangle ends with one of them dead.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Don't miss the new HBO Orig DTF St. Louis. Premiering March 1st on HBO. Max Goodbye. Eight years ago, Katie Cannon was playing in the backyard of her family home the day she went missing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

When she was found, she was uncovered alive in a 3,000-year-old sarcophagus.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What happened to Katie?

[Georgia Hardstark]

From the studio that brought you weapons and producers James Wan and Blumhouse comes a terrifying new vision.

[Karen Kilgariff]

On April 17, discover the truth. Lee Cronin's the Mummy. Some things are meant to stay buried.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Only in theaters April 17, this film is not yet rated. Goodbye. Goodbye. Not everyone wants to become a finance bro.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The slick back hair, the fleece vests. I mean, who has the time?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Luckily, Acorns is for people who are looking for a simple way to start

[Karen Kilgariff]

Investing Acorns is a smart way to give your money a chance to grow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's a financial wellness app that cares about where your money is going. Tomorrow you can sign up in minutes and start automatically investing your money, even if all you've got is spare change.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sign up now and Acorns will boost your new account with a five dollar bonus.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Investment join the over 14 million all time customers who have already saved and invested over 27 billion doll acorns.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Head to acorns.com mfm or download the Acorns app to get started.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Paid non client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns tier 2 compensation

[Karen Kilgariff]

provided potential subject to various factors such as customers accounts age and investment settings does not include Acorns as fees.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Results do not predict or represent the performance of any Acorns portfolio. Investment results will vary.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Investing involves risk Acorns Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. View important [e-mail] MFM Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay, here's my last one. Okay, it says thank you from the Twin Cities subject line Hi Karen and Georgia. I started listening when you only had about five episodes out and I never stopped. There are lots of things I would thank you for, but today I felt compelled to write and thank you for talking about the situation here in Minnesota. When you first started to talk about everything. I considered skipping ahead for once because I didn't want to hear yet more people talking about how awful things are here. Thankfully I didn't. It is extremely stressful here every single day. I work at a swim school with kids who are primarily 3 to 10 years old. Here in St. Paul we have a large Somali, Latina and Hmong populations that we work with every day. These lessons are only a half an hour once a week, but the relationships we build with our swimmers can be extremely strong. I've worked here for almost five years and in that time I've had the privilege of watching so many kids grow from literal babies who can't talk to elementary schoolers who are learning to do the butterfly. I love my state and living in the Twin Cities, but these last few months have been absolutely devastating. Every day a new family calls to drop their swim lessons for the rest of the quarter because they're too scared to leave their house. Anytime a family doesn't come to class, we worry until we hear from them again. We try so hard to keep a sense of normaly for the kids and pretend everything is fine, but even they are feeling the stress and noticing what's happening around them. The other Day, a four year old noticed the whistles on the adults around him and asked his mom, are we safe?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Another student's school currently has an attendance rate of 30% because the rest of his classmates are too scared to leave their homes. We have a website saved on our phones that notifies us of ice sightings nearby. Every large window tinted vehicle is a potential threat. My friend hasn't been sleeping at their house for days because a man was shot by ice right outside and they don't feel safe anymore. A co worker has witnessed someone being detained three different times on his way to work. The government tries to tell us that they are doing this for our own good and to prevent crime while targeting nurses, teachers and families. If you asked anyone who actually lives here, they would tell you that these people make our cities more vibrant and stronger. They are some of the strongest, bravest, funniest people you will ever meet. It is absolutely heartbreaking and rage inducing to watch them be targeted so aggressively just for trying to live their lives. Being in the middle of it all, it's hard to know how the rest of the country views what's happening here. Although our sense of community is strong, it feels like we're screaming into the void all alone. Normally, we're quick to offer aid and advice to those new to the cold. We're usually even willing to offer a ride to people we don't like that much just to keep them from being out in the cold. But right now, one of the few things we take comfort in is watching ice agents slip on ice or get stuck in the snow. It might seem small and silly, but but choosing not to help is an act of resistance against these outside forces invading our lives. So I wanted to thank you for recognizing our strength and kindness during these extremely traumatic times. Minnesota is not perfect. And sometimes Minnesota Nice is actually just being passive aggressive. But every day I love it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love Minnesota Nice.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Incredible self awareness in the midst of this very powerful email. But every day we strive for Minnesota Nice to mean being kind, resilient and optimistic in the face of -17 degree weather that feels like -43 degree weather. And then in parentheses the actual conditions outside as I write this.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Minus 43. Thank you for everything. They want us to feel helpless and scared, but even your little shout out helps keep me from giving in to the grief that threatens me daily. Thank you for reminding me that we aren't alone here and that what we say and do really matters. Thank you for seeing us.

[Georgia Hardstark]

SSDGM Cat oh my God, that means so much to me. Yeah, everyone, Twin Cities should know that us coastal elites out here in California are fucking cheering you on and are

[Karen Kilgariff]

so impressed and watching it the way that, like, especially for me, as being a TikTok addict, the way that people on TikTok are reporting the actions in the news and the way those communities are organizing at a level that, like, needs to be studied.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And it's getting other communities here and all over the country, it's giving them. It's showing us how to do it here too. So we're, like, taking their direct experience and using it. Like, in my neighborhood, there's apps and then there's the text threads and stuff like that. And just.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, it's amazing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What the fuck is this country?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, that's just it. I think we're starting to see what this country is. And the majority of this country are people who are like, hey, how about you go fuck yourself if you think you're gonna come here and snatch people off the street.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally. Totally.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, I have a total fucking 180. I'm not telling you the title. Hey, hey. Starting off with compliments, I am a huge fan of you both and have been listening from the start. This podcast has been a center point through high school graduation, two engineering degrees, and the transition into full time work in adulthood. It's crazy how much has changed in 10 years, but you guys have always been a constant. Now onto the story. A few years ago, I matched with a guy on Hinge and we immediately hit it off. He invited me out on a date to a local brewery where we met up and talked for hours about everything from loathing, unnecessary road trips, trip breaks, to our love animals, unnecessary road trip breaks.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's actually a perfect match if you're trying to really align with someone totally. It's like, are you gonna be driven crazy by a person who's like, oh, wait, I need to get a coat.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. My dad wants to stop every, like, half an hour to stretch his legs

[Karen Kilgariff]

and you're just like, no, we have to get there.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Like, get me my lunchables and then let's fucking go.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I told him all about my dogs, then began rambling about my childhood cat hair. A stray cat had kittens in our neighbor's garage, so my parents let my siblings pick one to rescue, who was later named Harry. Because of One Direction. He didn't adapt well to being stuck in the house, so he became our happy little indoor outdoor cat. Harry is infamous on the local Facebook pages and is well Known in the neighborhood for soliciting belly rubs and begging for treats. He's like the neighborhood's cat. I love that. When Harry was 12, he started having trouble moving and he was diagnosed with diabetes. Our neighbors regularly feeding him treats probably did not help. Now he has to have insulin injections twice a day, but is healthy enough to patrol the neighborhood again. My date gave me a weird look once I finished explaining and I immediately regretted getting on the diabetic cat topic on your first date. He could sense my embarrassment and then smiled at me asking what my last name was. I hesitated when saying my last name because you can't trust anyone these days. Ssdgm. Before he even reacted to my last name, I said all caps. Oh my God. Are you Harry's pharmacist?

[Karen Kilgariff]

What?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I knew he was a pharmacist at a local pharmacy, but I hadn't put two and two together. We started dying laughing and he told me that he had most definitely met my dad because that's where you get your animals medications from pharmacy. I talked to my parents later on and my dad knew exactly who he was and only had great things to say. We started dating and a few months in, my dad started telling people my daughter's sleeping with her cat's pharmacist

[Karen Kilgariff]

dad. Knock it on.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I was mortified, but my then boyfriend thought it was hilarious. My dad didn't realize how weird it sounded and proceeded to keep telling people that throughout our relationship. We are now very happily married with our first baby on the way.

[Karen Kilgariff]

They have to name it Harry, Harry Jr.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Even if it's a girl on the way. Just hoping he will stop telling people I'm sleeping with our cat's pharmacist. The evidence is pretty damning now though.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I hope you enjoyed this story now that I can laugh about it instead of dying of embarrassment. If you read this, I will be playing this in the car to see how long it takes for him to realize it's our story.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Aw.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You two truly are the best and have made such an impact on my sanity. Stay sexy and sleep with your childhood cat's pharmacist. See? See how cute is that?

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's so cute.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Gives you hope.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, yes, because in that moment where you're on a date and this is very corn, but who fucking cares at this point in the world? The thing that makes you go, oh no, I just ruined it. I just said the thing that ruined everything.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Cats, diabetes. What are you fucking talking about?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right? And it's like, sure, maybe in the past like, maybe that's happened to you before.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But then here's the person that's supposed to hear it. Yeah, it's beautiful.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's a Sandra Bullock movie.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wishing them well. I wish we had his name.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I'm sleeping with my cat's pharmacist. The new vehicle for Sandra Bullock. Like, get her in there.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Steve Buscemi co stars as the cat.

[Karen Kilgariff]

He's the cat and he dies at the end. Well, everybody.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, thanks.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's a minisode.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's how it's done.

[Karen Kilgariff]

All the feelings are here.

[Georgia Hardstark]

All the like. Yeah, peaks and valleys. We got Gwyneth Paltrow. We've got fucking ice. Fuck ice. Fuck ice. We've got fucking fuck ice. Fox News. Like, it's just everything you could want

[Karen Kilgariff]

btk all the different things. And we're here for you. It's great.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Stay sexy and don't get murdered.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye, Elvis.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Do you want a cookie?

[Karen Kilgariff]

This has been an exactly right production.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Our senior producer is Molly Smith and our associate producer is Tessa Hughes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This episode was mixed by Liana Squillace.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Email your hometowns to my favorite murdermail.com

[Georgia Hardstark]

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 my favorite murder on Netflix.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And when you're there, hit the double thumbs up and the remind me buttons. That's the best way you can support our show. Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, the holidays have come and gone once again. But if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift. Well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the ide idea. You get it now, you call it an early present for next year. What do you have to lose? Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time, 50% off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required.

[Karen Kilgariff]

$45 for three months, $90 for six

[Georgia Hardstark]

month or $180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes

[Karen Kilgariff]

per month when network is busy see terms.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Are you a fraud paying American? 1 in 4 tax paying Americans has been a victim of identity fraud. With Lifelock, if your identity is stolen, they fix guaranteed or your money back. Last year billions in refunds were stolen. Could be from your salary, overtime or second job gone. But this year you don't need to stay a victim because this tax season, fraud paying American is something no American should have to claim. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com iheart Terms apply. This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. This is Bowen Yang from Lost Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Hey, so what if you could boost the WI fi to one of your you need it most because Xfinity WI fi can. And what if your WI fi could fix itself before there's even really a problem? Xfinity is so reliable. It does that too. What if your WI fi had parental instincts? Xfinity WI fi is part nanny, part ninja, protecting your kids while they're online. And finally, what if your WI fi was like the smartest WI fi? Yeah, it's WI fi that is so smart it makes everything work better together. Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI fi that's got your back. Xfinity. Imagine that.