My Favorite Murder Minisode 479
Hosts: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Release Date: March 16, 2026
Theme: Vacation Disasters & Survival Stories
Episode Overview
In this special vacation-themed minisode, Karen and Georgia record live from the Bahamas at the Baja Mar Resort’s brand-new podcast studio—their first episode in the venue. Surrounded by fellow vacationers and resort ambiance, the duo shares listener-submitted “hometown” tales of travel mishaps, near misses, and wild adventures with their signature humor, warmth, and true-crime twist.
Key Discussion Points & Stories
1. Setting the Scene: Recording in Paradise (03:33–04:23)
- Karen and Georgia announce they are broadcasting from the studio at Baja Mar, Nassau, Bahamas, and joke about switching from LA to the resort-circuit lifestyle.
- Quote (Karen, 04:25): “We’re on the resort circuit now. Like many magicians and people who call bingo on cruise ships, that’s us. We’re resort talent.”
- They share a story about losing money at the casino, expertly weaving in personal anecdotes that set a light tone for the episode.
2. Hometown Story #1: “Dad Lost at Sea on Jet Ski for Three Days” (05:01–09:56)
- Karen shares an incredible survival story submitted by Stephanie Chimente Hammond.
- In 1994, Stephanie’s father, Dale Chimenti, was separated from his family after his jet ski broke down off the coast of Cozumel. Trying to save his credit card deposit, he waited for help and drifted far into the Gulf of Mexico.
- Dale spent three days alone at sea, battling dehydration, hallucinations (including a vision of a “guy in the clouds named Paul” offering orange juice), snakes, the threat of sharks, and the sun.
- He made a pact with sharks that if they didn’t eat him, he'd never eat them again. He finally drank from a Coke bottle with an unknown liquid to survive, and, in a twist of fate, was rescued by a German freighter.
- Quote (Karen, 07:10): “He promised that if they didn’t eat him, he’d never eat them. That’s not… Sharks don’t need that promise from you.”
- The family was charged $5,000 for the jet ski, but Dale survived with no major medical issues, and the story is now part of family legend (and even became a book: Swept Away: A Story of Survival).
- Quote (Georgia, 09:29): “That was worth this entire trip... You couldn’t have told this in our little Burbank studio. It had to be here, when we’re both in resort wear and in paradise.”
3. Hometown Story #2: “My Boyfriend Left Me for Dead” (14:40–16:53)
- Georgia reads an email from Emma in Melbourne, recounting a beach vacation with her then-18-year-old boyfriend.
- While wading in waist-deep water, her boyfriend suddenly bolted for shore without warning, convinced he’d spotted a shark. In reality, it was only a playful seal.
- Emma teases that he used her as a “human sacrifice” and points out that he never even yelled “shark.”
- Despite this alarming behavior, they are now married with four kids—and he’s still afraid at the beach.
- Quote (Emma, 16:53): “Stay sexy and learn the difference between a shark and a seal. And maybe tell your girlfriend why you’re running.”
- Karen and Georgia riff on how fear can make you act irrationally, referencing relationships and movies like Force Majeure.
4. Hometown Story #3: “Saved from a Tiger Shark by Dolphins” (17:41–21:47)
- Karen shares an email from Katie, a scuba diver from Nebraska.
- Katie describes how, while on a live-aboard dive boat aiming to see tiger sharks, she encountered a close call with a well-known shark named Allison.
- During an ascent safety stop (alone and low on air), Allison approached too closely. Suddenly, three dolphins intervened, herded Allison away, and allowed Katie to finish her stop and reach the surface safely.
- The story includes pro-shark facts, refuting shark stereotypes and highlighting ecological importance.
- Quote (Georgia, 21:47): “I love that the dolphins were like, ‘No, no, man. Don’t do it, Allison!’”
- Karen and Georgia joke about never scuba diving with sharks themselves, preferring “boats…and dinner.”
5. Hometown Story #4: “Murder Podcast on the Plane” (27:29–29:38)
- Georgia relays Erica’s experience of accidentally blasting a graphic murder story from the podcast over an airplane speaker, convinced her AirPods were broken.
- Only after fellow passengers gave her looks did Erica realize the whole plane had been listening to Karen’s gory narration.
- Quote (Karen, 30:01): “I’m getting a little bit of secondhand embarrassment because it’s like I was sitting on that plane yelling at the top of my lungs about something horrible.”
6. Hometown Story #5: “Posture-Shamed by Tommy Lee Jones” (30:13–31:25)
- Karen reads a quick story emailed by Michelle: After a few too many Bahama Mamas, she drunkenly asked Tommy Lee Jones for a photo at a bar in the Bahamas, only to have him bark, “For God’s sake, sit up straight. Your posture is terrible.”
- Michelle’s embarrassing moment was immortalized in a photo she did send her mom—because, as she says, “she loves The Fugitive.”
- Quote (Karen, 30:49): “You got posture-shamed by Tommy Lee Jones!”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the podcast location:
Karen (03:45): “We are in the fricking Bahamas…And they have built a podcast studio at this resort, and we are now doing the inaugural podcast episode.” - On jet ski mishaps:
Georgia (05:33): “Bad move, Dale.” - On hallucinations at sea:
Karen (07:01): “He hallucinated that a guy in the clouds named Paul was offering him a fresh glass of orange juice.” - On fear responses:
Georgia (17:26): “Okay, but you can still yell the word shark.” - On sharks and dolphins:
Georgia (21:47): “I love that. They were like, no, no, man. Don’t do it, Allison!” - On accidental public murder podcasts:
Erica (29:17): “I have been broadcasting a full blown murder narration to the entire plane at 8am on a Thursday.” - On celebrity encounters:
Karen (30:49): “You got posture shamed by Tommy Lee Jones!”
Timestamps
- 03:33 — Show starts in Bahamas; setting the scene
- 05:01 — 09:56 Story #1: Jet ski Survival
- 14:40 — 16:53 Story #2: Shark Panic = Seal
- 17:41 — 21:47 Story #3: Tiger Shark & Dolphin Save
- 27:29 — 29:38 Story #4: Murder Podcast on the Plane
- 30:13 — 31:25 Story #5: Tommy Lee Jones Posture Shame
Final Thoughts & Tone
Karen and Georgia are in full “vacation energy,” riffing off each other, the absurdities of travel, and the sometimes unbelievable stories listeners send in. Their tone remains witty, irreverent, and empathetic, celebrating the power of humor even in tales of danger or embarrassment.
Closing (31:40):
Karen: “That was the inaugural podcast at the studio.”
Georgia: “What an honor to be here…Now we just get to party for the next couple days.”
—
Stay sexy and don’t get murdered!
