My Favorite Murder Minisode 480 – Women's History Month “Badass Women” Spectacular

Hosts: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Release Date: March 23, 2026
Theme: Listener-submitted true stories about the badass women in their lives, in honor of Women’s History Month

Episode Overview

This Women’s History Month minisode features Karen and Georgia reading listener emails celebrating courageous and trailblazing women – from daring great-grandmothers who escaped the Nazis, to relatives facing down notorious criminals, to internet-viral grandmothers. The stories highlight grit, resilience, humor, and the everyday heroics of women throughout history and family lore.

Notable Stories & Key Discussion Points

1. The Great-Grandmother Who Escaped the Nazis & Invented Barre

[04:16 – 07:38]

• Summary:
  Listener Vanessa shares the tale of her great-grandmother, Lottie Burke (née Lisa Let Himson), a wealthy, Jewish classical pianist and dancer from Cologne, Germany. Lottie defied Nazi oppression, snuck onstage under SS surveillance, and managed a daring escape with her family to the UK. In Britain, she pioneered the exercise method now known as Barre.
• Quotable Moments:
  • “She was showered with flowers and shouted back to the crowd, ‘Thank you. Thank you for not being Nazis.’” — Listener email ([06:09])
  • “At forty, she invented a new exercise... Bar. If you know, you know. Everyone knows Bar.” — Georgia ([07:06])
• Hosts’ Reactions:
  Shock and awe at Lottie’s boldness and her legacy.
  • “Legendary. I mean, like people with books.” — Karen ([07:38])

2. Meemaw & Al Capone: The Mobster Connection

[07:38 – 11:57]

• Summary:
  Caitlyn describes her great-grandmother Mae (“Meemaw”) from Michigan, who knew Al Capone as a teenager working in a mob-laden dancehall. Capone protected her, giving her safe rides home and cash when he learned her real age.
• Quotable Moments:
  • “She not only knew Al Capone—she in fact had been quite close with him when she was young.” — Listener email ([08:57])
  • “Her final request was that we not hold a funeral because she considered herself ‘not worth the fuss over.’ She threatened to haunt the hell out of us if we didn’t respect her wishes...” — Listener ([10:45])
• Impact:
  Caitlyn credits Meemaw’s courage for inspiring her to move from the Midwest to NYC and succeed in arts and publishing.

3. Badass Great-Great Aunt Survives Joe Palzinski

[16:53 – 19:18]

• Summary:
  Listener Kathy recounts her great-grandmother’s sister, Aunt Dolly, who survived an encounter with criminal Joe Palzinski in 2000. A World War II Army Corps nurse, Dolly stayed calm while being handcuffed, convinced Palzinski to release her, packed him a lunch, and was more upset about the bullet holes in her returned car than her own safety.
• Quotable Moments:
  • “She kept the door unlocked... He handcuffed her to the bed, Aunt Dolly talked to him and he ended up uncuffing her…Mom said she was all right and more pissed off about…her car, which she got back riddled with bullets from the shootout.” — Listener ([18:23])
• Hosts’ Thoughts:
  • “A combat nurse...when all of a sudden there’s guns and threats and men acting crazy, she’s like, ‘Yep, I’ve seen this before.’” — Karen ([19:36])
  • “It’s incredible.” — Georgia ([19:42])

4. Scotland’s Pioneer Woman Doctor, A Grenade Souvenir & The Scottish Women’s Hospitals

[19:46 – 23:07]

• Summary:
  A listener shares the saga of her great-grandmother, the first woman to earn a medical degree from the University of Sheffield. She served in the all-woman Scottish Women’s Hospitals on the front lines of WWI, performing surgeries under dire circumstances and almost accidentally brought home a live grenade as a keepsake.
• Quotable Moments:
  • “…proceeded to, quite rudely, she thought, grab one of the trinkets, get out of his chair, and walk briskly out the door…The man then proceeded to throw the trinket into the lake…what she thought was a fun little souvenir was actually a live hand grenade.” — Listener ([21:56])
  • “Stay sexy and don’t take lethal weapons home as souvenirs.” — Listener ([22:41])
• Inspiration:
  The great-granddaughter is set to become the first woman doctor in the family since.

5. The Infamous Olive Garden Columnist: Marilyn Haggerty

[32:09 – 37:35]

• Summary:
  Anna, Marilyn Haggerty’s granddaughter, recounts the viral explosion after Marilyn’s 2012 review of the local Olive Garden. Marilyn’s sincere style went viral, leading to national media attention (Anderson Cooper, Top Chef), Anthony Bourdain publishing her collection, and a legacy as the “kind, good-hearted reporter” who chronicled Middle America’s food scene.
• Quotable Moments:
  • “In her own words, ‘I’ve been a lot of other things, but never viral.’” — Marilyn Haggerty via listener ([34:45])
  • “This book kills snark dead.” — Anthony Bourdain’s praise for Marilyn ([35:32])
• Hosts’ Reflections:
  • “The lesson everybody learned in 2012 was the beginning of the end of Gen X 90s snark... like, hey, we’re not gonna treat a Marilyn Haggerty like this.” — Karen ([36:57])
  • Discussion of how her body of work, aided by Anthony Bourdain’s endorsement, is an example of kindness triumphing over online cynicism.

6. Trash Sister Story: Limewire, FBI and Sibling Betrayal

[28:01 – 31:25]

• Summary:
  Abney shares a lighter, funny story about her Trash Sister Stacy using Limewire to burn illicit CDs, which escalated to an FBI piracy investigation. Younger sister Ansley inherited the laptop and took the fall, serving 40 hours of community service.
• Quotable Moment:
  • “We just kept telling Ansley ‘I mean, don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.’” — Listener ([30:36])
• Reflection:
  Humor and sibling dynamics shine as the story moves from family tension to cherished memories of their dad’s laughter, especially poignant amid his dementia.

Notable Quotes

• “Thank you. Thank you for not being Nazis.” — Lottie Burke, via listener ([06:09])
• “Her final request was that we not hold a funeral because she considered herself ‘not worth the fuss over.’ She threatened to haunt the hell out of us if we didn’t respect her wishes...” — Caitlyn about Meemaw ([10:45])
• “Stay sexy and don’t take lethal weapons home as souvenirs.” — K from Canada ([22:41])
• “I’ve been a lot of other things, but never viral.” — Marilyn Haggerty, via Anna ([34:45])
• “This book kills snark dead.” — Anthony Bourdain on Marilyn Haggerty ([35:32])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:16] – Nazi-Era Escape and Barre Method Origin Story
• [07:38] – Al Capone’s Kindness to a Young Waitress
• [16:53] – Aunt Dolly vs. Joe Palzinski
• [19:46] – Scottish Woman Doctor on the WWI Front and Grenade Souvenir
• [28:01] – Sibling FBI/Limewire Piracy Mishap
• [32:09] – Marilyn Haggerty, Viral Olive Garden Review and Anthony Bourdain Connection

Hosts’ Tone and Style

Throughout the episode, Karen and Georgia sustain their trademark mix of humor, curiosity, and warmth, delighting in the wild energy, heroism, and sometimes ridiculousness of the stories:

• Casual banter and riffs (“What size is that fur coat—child’s fur coat?”)
• Joyful reactions to each new historic woman
• Moments of serious reflection mixed with jokes and “stay sexy” reminders.

Standout Theme

Nearly every story centers women bucking expectations and surviving with wit and guts—whether on literal battlefields, facing the Mob, becoming viral at 90, or even in the battleground of mid-2000s file-sharing. The menacing, the mundane, or the simply odd: these women handle it all, and the episode serves as a lively, heartfelt celebration of Women’s History Month.

To submit your story:
As the hosts remind, email “myfavoritemurder@gmail.com” with your own family legends.

Signature Send-off:

• “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”

Credits:
Produced by Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts. Senior Producer: Molly Smith. Associate Producer: Tessa Hughes. Editor: Aristotle Acevedo. Mixed by Liana Squillace.

For more on Marilyn Haggerty, check out her book Grand Forks, published by Anthony Bourdain, and for Scottish women's hospitals, see The Woman of Royaumont by Eileen Crofton.