MFM Minisode 493

Summary

My Favorite Murder Minisode 493

Release Date: June 22, 2026
Hosts: Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

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Episode Overview

In Minisode 493, Karen and Georgia return to their popular "Hometown Stories" format, sharing listener-submitted tales ranging from eerie discoveries in home renovations and wild animals in party walls to the unique life of a Jewish art historian working in Vatican City. The episode is rich with the hosts' trademark blend of humor, empathy, and a genuine interest in the extraordinary moments that shape everyday life. This minisode especially highlights stories with themes of found objects, family adventures, survival, and the pride (and humor) of the queer community.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hidden in the Walls: The Tale of Trixie the Doll

[03:05 – 07:05]

• Georgia reads a story from Laurel in Dallas, TX, who buys an old house with a colorful local history and, during renovations, discovers a burnt and armless baby doll named “Trixie” within the walls.
• The doll is described as "not a chill little baby doll... more of a monstrosity" (Georgia, 05:03).
• Trixie becomes a running gag and “part of the construction crew”, eerily reappearing in various spots as workers prank one another.
• Eventually, Trixie accidentally gets sealed back inside the walls during construction—possibly awaiting the next unsuspecting renovators decades from now.
• Memorable Quote:
  • "A baby doll wearing no clothes and no arms is a bad combination." — Karen (05:08)
  • "Somewhere inside my beautiful restored 1921 home, Trixie is still there, waiting patiently to absolutely terrorize…60 or 70 years from now." — Georgia reading Laurel's story (06:39)

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2. Graduation Party with a Slithery Twist: Mrs. Alligator the Snake

[07:11 – 11:07]

• Karen narrates a listener’s account of attending a graduation party where the family’s pet snake, “Mrs. Alligator,” was missing.
• The atmosphere is tense as guests are subtly told to look out for the snake during celebrations, which include a margarita machine (and a dad who gets a bit too into the margs himself).
• Mrs. Alligator is eventually discovered curled up in an air conditioning duct inside the wall—“meeting” Trixie in spirit.
• Memorable Moment:
  • "The snake variable. Worst-case scenario." — Karen (09:36)
  • "Because everyone loves a happy ending: Mrs. Alligator was found... in the wall." — Karen (10:52)
• Georgia’s follow-up: "Could it have hurt someone at the party?" (11:07)

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3. Letter from the Vatican City Listener

[14:12 – 18:49]

• Georgia and Karen receive an email from Mackenzie (“Mac”), a 27-year-old American “murderino” living and working in Rome.
• Mac details her work as an art historian and ceramic artist, her internship in the Vatican Museums, and surviving a major accident in Rome.
• She credits the podcast for bringing comfort through recovery:
  • "You brought me a little bit of normalcy and a lot of humor to an extraordinary period in my life and that made a big difference." — Mac, read by Georgia (16:32)
• Mac’s passion for Renaissance art and floors comes alive, and she offers the hosts a future “bootleg tour” of Rome.
• Karen's reaction: "What an honor to be in your ears while you are going through and experiencing such a rich life." (18:49)

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4. Hero Grandma: A Fire and a Fierce Sister

[19:31 – 23:20]

• Karen reads a dramatic family survival story from Kelsey: Eva, a 15-year-old in 1939 Kentucky, saves her three little sisters from a burning house.
• Karen and Georgia revel in the old-fashioned names (“Ima Nell”), and admire Eva’s quick-thinking and bravery—literally tossing her sisters out the door to safety.
• After a frantic search, everyone escapes, some with burns, but all alive, and the community supports them through the aftermath.
• Memorable Reaction:
  • "The idea of your sister picking you up and throwing you out the door to save your life—it's so older sister. I love it." — Karen (22:56)

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5. Pride Month Story: Naomi Campbell Walk

[25:41 – 27:55]

• Georgia shares a delightful story from KK, a tall Black gay man, about using a fabulous Naomi Campbell runway walk while walking at night so women won't feel threatened.
• This tactic—along with show tunes, as Karen notes—becomes a joyful way to communicate good intentions.
• Quote:
  • "Because who would ever hurt anyone if the sidewalk is their runway?" — KK, read by Georgia (27:19)
  • "Stay sexy and do the Naomi Campbell walk. Happy Pride." — KK (27:35)

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6. Doppelganger Grandpa: A Thanksgiving Mix-Up

[28:24 – 31:21]

• Karen tells Sarah’s hilarious family story of accidentally unpacking an entire car at a stranger’s home at 2am, wrongly believing it’s their grandparents’ house—because the neighbor is nearly identical to Sarah’s grandpa!
• The case of mistaken identity culminates years later at her real grandfather's funeral, where both families re-tell the story from their own perspectives.
• Georgia's reflection:
  • "That's like…the best part is like, how do they tell the story?" (31:16)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Every day, somebody moved Trixie to a new location to scare someone else." — Laurel’s story read by Georgia (05:29)
• "Don't spread it around, but keep an eye out for her during the party so she didn't leave the house is what they were asked to do." — Karen (09:36)
• "We can bring you audio soup for the soul. It's not chicken noodle." — Karen (19:21)
• "Stay sexy and always check under the bed." — Kelsey’s story, read by Karen (22:56)
• "Stay sexy and do the Naomi Campbell walk. Happy Pride." — KK's story, read by Georgia (27:35)
• "We laughed about it all Thanksgiving break...We exchanged the story from our different perspectives and learned that they too tell this story all the time." — Sarah’s story, read by Karen (30:23)

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Episode Structure & Flow

• Listener Stories: Each tale is introduced with playful banter between Karen and Georgia, followed by immersive, dramatic readings and spirited reactions.
• Recurring Humor: Throughout, the hosts riff on themes (creepy dolls, family foibles, queer resourcefulness) with warmth and wit.
• Pride and Representation: The episode spotlights LGBTQ+ experiences and celebrates listeners’ resilience and joy.

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Useful Timestamps

• 03:05: Story #1 – Trixie the doll hidden in the wall
• 07:11: Story #2 – Graduation party snake (Mrs. Alligator)
• 14:12: Story #3 – The listener from Vatican City, Rome (“Mac”)
• 19:31: Story #4 – Grandma Eva rescues her sisters from a fire
• 25:41: Story #5 – Pride month runway walk
• 28:24: Story #6 – Doppelganger Grandpa/Thanksgiving mix-up

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Conclusion

Minisode 493 delivers an entertaining, sometimes chilling, often heartwarming mix of listener tales that span from the supernatural to the purely serendipitous—all wrapped in Karen and Georgia’s unique comedic style. With stories featuring haunted dolls, missing snakes, accident survival, LGBTQ+ pride, and doppelganger grandpas, the episode captures why My Favorite Murder continues to foster community and curiosity among its fans.

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SSDGM! Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered.

Transcript

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is exactly right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

While the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The future soccer stars who are already turning heads at age 14.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Because next doesn't wait for an invitation.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And Hyundai doesn't either.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hyundai has always moved the future within reach.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hyundai did it by making advanced safety

[Georgia Hardstark]

standard on every vehicle and by engineering EVs with ultra fast charging capability.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And Hyundai continues doing it every day because the future isn't some far off concept. It's already here.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Next starts now.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye. Summer is all about saying yes, going out and bringing the mess home in your car.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sand, grass and melting snacks will inevitably

[Georgia Hardstark]

hitch a ride, but with WeatherTech, you can live life to the fullest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

WeatherTech floor liners, cargo liner and seat protectors allow you to keep up with your summer adventures without the worry.

[Georgia Hardstark]

WeatherTech is built for all of those summer things, allowing you the freedom to go all in.

[Karen Kilgariff]

WeatherTech is an American made premium product, built to last and easy to clean. If you're going all out this summer, you need WeatherTech.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Visit weathertech.com today.

[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]

Talkspace has really made it just a kind of no brainer to try therapy. If you're nervous about talking to someone, if you're nervous about the money, if you're nervous about leaving the house, you don't have to deal with any of that. They have covered it. And for me, like that is best way to get into therapy. Take all the what ifs out.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You know you gotta do it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You know you do.

[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye. Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

When a charming neurosurgeon rode into Frontier Town selling a Persona of confidence and care, patients trusted him.

[Karen Kilgariff]

He wore cowboy boots in the operating room and became sought after by patients.

[Georgia Hardstark]

He promised to heal them Instead, he left a trail of broken bodies.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is a story of greed, betrayal, and a fight for justice.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Listen to Dr. Death the Cowboy, wherever you get your podcasts or binge the entire series right now. Now only with audible Goodbye,

[Karen Kilgariff]

My savior. Hello, and welcome to my favorite murder, the Minisode.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We read you your stuff. You send us emails, so we gotta read em.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You just keep doing it. Okay, you wanna go first?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes. Okay. All right. This one's called Request for Items Found in the Wall. And I have to show you a photo halfway through.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hey, Karen and Georgia, you guys asked for what did you find in the walls on the REWIND episode of 97. Yes. And I immediately knew I had one. A few years ago, I bought a house built in 1921, just south of Dallas, Texas. The man who owned it before me, Burl. Hell yes, such a great name. Was basically a local legend. He started the neighborhood association and had lived in the house forever. When he and his wife sold it to me, he was 99 and she was 93. And they were still walking up and down the stairs every day.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, they were.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Honestly, I'm convinced the fountain of youth is hidden somewhere in that house.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's on those stairs. Get the stairs going every day.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The property itself is kind of wild. When the house was originally sold in the 1920s, it came with 120 acres. Now it's surrounded by neighborhoods, but it still feels like this tiny surviving piece of Old South Dallas history. People would randomly stop by because Burl had lived there for so long. I'd be outside watering the plants or hauling construction debris, and people would look at me and go, you're not Burl. Anyway, I started renovating the house while also working on a construction job with insane hours. The entire place was torn apart. Plaster dust everywhere, walls open, exposed framing. So I was basically living in a haunted construction zone. One night, I came home super late and noticed something sitting on the top shelf of my shoe rack. It was a doll. A baby doll with wild hair, one eye half open, one eye half closed, wearing a pink shirt and absolutely no pants. Apparently, my electrician had found her inside the walls earlier that day. We affectionately named her Trixie. Now, I can't just read the rest of this to you because it sounds so normal. You have to see what this fucking doll looks like. Okay, so here's the picture of the doll.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, no.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It is like, no arms. Its face is just burnt to a crisp. It's just. It looks sacrificial. Yeah, right?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yep.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's not a Chill. Little baby doll. It is like, well, outside a monstrosity.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's a baby doll. Wearing no clothes and no arms is a bad combination.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, really? And someone cut all the hair off and burned her face.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Which is pretty typical for like dolls and children. Whatever. But yeah, if I were the person and the electrician did that funny joke and put that on my shoe rack, I'd be like, you'll never work in this town again.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, oh. From that point on, Trixie became part of the construction crew. Every day, somebody moved her to a new location to scare someone else. I'd hide her somewhere before leaving for work. Nathan, the electrician would move her again. Later, you'd open a cabinet and Trixie would be there and see, this isn't as scary without knowing what the fucking doll looks like. Right, Right. Turn around. In a dark hallway, Trixie sitting in a wheelbarrow. Trixie. Multiple contractors assured me the house was not cursed and that the spirits were happy here. Which honestly felt like a very specific thing from grown men covered in plaster dust. Like, why do you have to say? Why do.

[Karen Kilgariff]

How do you know about the spirits?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Is this a thing you do all the time?

[Georgia Hardstark]

At the very end of the renovation, we built out a new master bedroom. One day, I realized I hadn't seen Trixie for a while. Turns out one of us had left her sitting on some framing lumber and the framers unknowingly sealed her directly back into the walls of the house. Back where she fucking came from. So somewhere inside my beautiful restored 1921 home, Trixie is still there, waiting patiently to absolutely terror. 60 or 70 years from now when they decide to renovate. Stay sexy, don't get murdered. Buy the old house and spend way too much money restoring it. Laurel.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, those framers need a good talking too. Cause that's a major decision to be like, we're putting her back into the wall.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, like just the knowledge that she's there for the rest of your every time you go to bed. Goodnight, Trixie.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But, like, if everyone is insisting that the vibes were not bad, then I guess they weren't.

[Georgia Hardstark]

If the vibes, construction workers will tell you that. Weird shit keeps happening for sure. Right?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So the vibes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, you would feel like they would be there going, oh, yeah, we work

[Georgia Hardstark]

in a lot of houses. This one, I'm not coming back.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Never seen a ladder fall like that before. So creepy. Okay, well. Tis the season. So I'm gonna read you a graduation party story. Dads and grads, fun all Month long. Okay. The subject line of this email is an unforgettable graduation party. And it says, hello all. This story has everything. Snakes, things in walls and drunk kids, sort of. It's all our stuff to set the scene. My family went to a family friend's high school graduation party in 2006. We were some of the first people to arrive, only to find the mom pretty frantic, but not in the I'm not quite ready to host this party type of way. You mean every single time I host a party?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Jesus Christ.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Why was she frantic, you ask? Because the family's pet snake, Mrs. Alligator, was missing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Mrs. Alligator. Such a good name.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then the next paragraph starts, yes, the snake was named Mrs. Alligator.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's so good.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's what happens when you let an 8 to 10 year old boy get a snake and name it. Oh, it's so funny. It was unknown how long Mrs. Alligator had been missing, but the. But the lid was off her tank and she was nowhere to be seen.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We were told not to spread this news.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God, it's so good. Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's the perfect little variable to mix in before this party.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Here's how it starts.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Is the snake in the punch bowl? Let's find out.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Snake in the toilet.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I told. I know I've told you this, but we were driving down back Highway 1, me and my friend Dave and I had to stop. Cause you know, there's nothing in between gas stations. We had to stop it. And I had to use one of those porta potties that was just on an out look. Oh my God. And so I went in and I was like, oh, this is the worst. I'm like, stand outside, you know, like watch it for me or whatever. The door shuts, it's like almost pitch black in there. And I'm just squatting over and then my friend Dave goes up to the crack of the door and goes, big black snake. He just whispered the phrase, big black snake and I started screaming. I've never forgiven him for that.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I would have fucking squatted in the field.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean. Or just right out in the parking lot.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sure.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay, so snake variable. Worst case scenario. Don't spread it around, but keep an eye out for her during the party so she didn't leave the house is what they were asked to do. Okay. I was never clear on what to do if I saw her because I was definitely not going to pick her up or go near her. Since the party was catered by a Mexican friend restaurant, there was also a frozen margarita machine Set up for the adults.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is awesome. Well, my dad decided that there wasn't going to be any drunk kids on his watch. So he posted himself next to the margarita machine all night.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Buzz kill.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Let's just say it's a good thing my dad isn't in charge of any kind of security. Because not only were some kids able to sneak some margs, but my dad got so drunk that on the way home my mom had to pull over on the interstate to twice for him to be sick. Oh God. So he was just like glug glug, jimmy buffeting.

[Georgia Hardstark]

He's got his arm singing along with the margarita.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You passed those tests so good. And I'll tell you what. Congratulations.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Have a margarita.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, you know how you get in here with me Happy little sneaky sneaks. Because everyone loves a happy ending. Mrs. Alligator was found a day or two after the party. Drum roll please. In the wall.

[Georgia Hardstark]

In the wall.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Meeting with Trixie. Technically she was curled up in an air conditioning duct, but those are in walls. Yeah, and then it's this little winky emoticon. Stay sexy and just let the kids get drunk.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Jenny, I have so many questions. Like what kind of snake was it? Could it have hurt someone at the party?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean I don't think that they let like 8 to 10 year old boys keep poisonous snakes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fair enough.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's for college guys that love metal.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, that's true, don't you think? Yes, but like I can imagine Vince at a party and like he would have screamed and ran. Oh, same like if a spider got out, I'd be like, I'm never coming to your house again.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Bye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Good fuck. Good fuck yourself. Goodbye and good.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye and good fuck yourself.

[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]

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[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Summer is all about saying yes, going out and bringing the mess home in your car.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sand, grass and melting snacks will inevitably

[Georgia Hardstark]

hitch a ride, but with WeatherTech, you can live life to the fullest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

WeatherTech floor liners, cargo liner and seat protectors allow you to keep up with your summer adventures without the worry.

[Georgia Hardstark]

WeatherTech is built for all of those summer things, allowing you the freedom to go all in.

[Karen Kilgariff]

WeatherTech is American made, premium product, built to last and easy to clean. If you're going all out this summer, you need WeatherTech.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Visit weathertech.com today.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay, this one's called It's Me. I'm the Vatican City Listener. Hi. Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Buena sera. Buena.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Buenas noche.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Nope. No, that's Spanish. I told you we needed to be ready for this. Don't say ciao. It's too casual. It could be the Pope. What if this email is from the Pope?

[Georgia Hardstark]

What if.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Scoozy, scoozy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay. Hi, Karen and Georgia. It's me. I'm the Vatican City listener. Or at least one of them. And I'm so excited to write this email.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Buongiorno.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Buongiorno. I'm a 27 year old. Get it, get the. We gotta get the.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We got it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The Italian hand. Oops.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay, there she goes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I'm a 27 year old American murderino living in Rome. I was literally getting ready to leave my apartment and go to the Vatican archives when I heard you two say you have listeners in Vatican City.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hi.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I've been listening to you for years. Since I was an undergrad. I just completed a six month internship in the Vatican museums. This is exactly what we asked for.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is exactly what we wanted.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And I used to listen to your podcast from my desk in the museum while I worked. I'm an art historian and a ceramic artist. I first came to Rome for a ceramics residency and met my boyfriend and fell in love with Rome and him. I came back to Rome and earned my master's degree in art history and he and I are very happily living together. He is the absolute best and most supportive partner and a very talented jeweler.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, nice one.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We have been through a lot and your podcast has always brought me comfort, especially hearing your lovely American voices when my brain was extra tired from Italian. I'm back in Langduage school now. Two years ago I was in a near death motor vehicle accident. I was hit by a motorcycle while crossing the street as a pedestrian in the crosswalk. Guys look both ways. Always.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's so awful. I know. What a scary, horrible thing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Not something you'd expect, but God, I broke so many bones. Both legs, a rib and my sacrum. I spent two months in the hospital. For the first month I couldn't even sit up and I had to learn how to walk again.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And you better bet I listened to a lot of my favorite murder in my hospital room.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Aw, you broke. It helped. I know.

[Georgia Hardstark]

God, wow. What a time. You brought me a little bit of normalcy and a lot of humor to it. An extraordinary period in my life and that made a big difference. Wow. Heart emoji. And now I'm up and walking and wearing stilettos on cobblestones and researching the Apostolic Archives.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Apostolic?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I'm Jewish.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You don't care. No excuse. You've been sitting across from me for 10 years.

[Georgia Hardstark]

My specialty in art history is material culture. Renaissance floors, now that I can walk on them again. I'm interested in how the choice of material was shaped by a world with broadening trade networks and how the floor quite literally dictate the movement of the viewer and their interaction with space. Think arrows on an airport floor. But Renaissance tiles and ancient marble that is so fucking cool.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's incredible. Also, I'm sure you'll see them when you're there. But if you've ever seen pictures of those mosaics that the floors used to be in the ancient times, right? Like, we went and saw one once where just. You're walking on this, like, a walkway over the top, and you're like, this was just the floor back then. And it's like a whole scene and animals and still there.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hell, yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Crazy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I don't have any crazy secrets to share, but archival research is pretty fun, right? Yeah. Right. Right now I'm looking at receipts of payment for some historical tiles. And whenever I see the price of something, I hear your voices in my head go, so in today's money. Receipts from ancient tiles. From ancient receipts.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's crazy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Save your receipts, kids.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Save your receipts, Please.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No, don't touch them. They're now full of toxic things.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, yeah, it's different.

[Georgia Hardstark]

If either of you are ever in Rome again soon, I would love to give you a free bootleg tour of the city or the Vatican museums or anywhere you'd like. Really? I'm not an officially licensed tour guide, but I do have a master's degree in Roman Art History and so many stories.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Not good enough. You need to get that tour guide license.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right. We won't go unless you have a license around your neck.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We need to see your paperwork.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It says SSTGM and lots of love from Rome, Mac. She her. Mackenzie. P.S. if anyone else writes to you from Vatican City, I'd love to meet them. Oh, my God. Make friends with your coworkers.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, my God. That's how you meet people.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Jesus, is that you?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hi. Hey.

[Sponsor/Guest Voice]

Hey, what's up?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Thank you. Mackenzie.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Mackenzie. What an honor to be in your ears while you are going through and experiencing such a rich life.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. That brings us back to where the fuck are you listening to us from?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, that's right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But also, like, not just where I think, like, what time in your life? What are you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, because we were like, what are you doing while we're listening? And we're just like, what's the season

[Georgia Hardstark]

of your life look like while you're listening to us? Are you okay? Yeah, like, are you better?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Are you getting better?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Can we do anything?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Is there anything we can do?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Can we bring you some soup?

[Karen Kilgariff]

We can bring you audio Soup for the soul. It's not chicken noodle.

[Georgia Hardstark]

There you go.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Cause there's an IP play issue that was just such a full rich. I was just like, Ugh.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes, totally. Very exciting. Goodbye. Okay, so the subject line of this email is hero grandma. And then in parentheses it says gold mine of cute old lady names. And it says, hey ladies, in honor of my mom Karen's birthday. Karen with a Cindy. Huh. Never see that. I'm writing to tell you about the time my grandma Eva saved her family from a fire in the winter of 1939. My great grandparents Sid and Gladys were busy running a sausage business and raising their nine children in a small wood frame house in rural Kentucky.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That morning it was snowing, so great grandpa Sid had adjusted the damper on the coal burning stove to keep the house warm and instructed the kids to leave it alone for the day. He and Gladys packed up the horse and buggy and head into town to sell their sausages, leaving my 15 year old grandma Eva May in charge of her three younger sisters, Anna Lee, age 10, Mary Jane, age 3, and Ima Nell, age 2. Great names, I mean. The girls spread out to enjoy their morning. Little ones playing in the bedroom and the older girls in the main room. It wasn't long before Eva smelled smoke. And just as she looked up, the ceiling erupted in flames. The coal stove had caught fire and the flames had traveled straight up the flue above them. The whole attic was. And within minutes, the rest of the house was too.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Eva did what any older sister would do and used this opportunity to physically pick up 10 year old Anna and throw her out the front door into the snow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, she's been waiting.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Finally, it's justified. Mary Jane got the same treatment and was efficiently ousted from the now smoke filled house. But when Eva ran back into the bedroom for little Nell, she was nowhere to be found. She frantically searched Nell's usual hiding spots with no luck. Until through the smoke, she spotted two little feet under the bed. She dropped to the floor, yanked Nell out by the ankle and got out of the house just in time. Eva and Nell both sustained some burns, but they were all alive and together.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God. She was like hiding under the bed.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, trying to get away from the bad. She was so little. Meanwhile, in the buggy, Sid and Gladys were getting close to town when they passed a neighbor on the road. Sid waved and hollered a quick good morning. And the neighbor Turn around Sid. Your house is on fire. Someone in town must have had a telephone because the news of the fire had beat them there. I don't know what the land speed record is for horse and buggy, but I bet they would have come close to it that day, hightailing it back home, wondering all the time if they'd just lost their girls. They reunited and couldn't have cared less about the house. Knowing how that day might have gone. And the community rallied around them to get them through that winter.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh. We lost Eva and my three other grandparents before I was born. But I've always loved the story of how she saved her sisters. I can't. The three amazing women who loved me like grandmothers in her place. Thank you. The idea of your sister picking you up and throwing you out the door to save your life, it's so older sister. I love it. Thank you for all you do. And happy birthday, Mom. Stay sexy and always check under the bed. Kelsey.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God. What a. Like that story could have gone terribly and she just fucking saved the day. Dabbing your tears.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I could have sworn there was a box of Kleenex there. Can I one? Yeah. Fully saving the day. Like.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sorry we talk so much shit on big sisters.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I know you're pretty good sometimes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I know. I'm sure my sisters saved my life a couple times. I just don't remember.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I know for a fact saved mine.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Springtime is finally here. The weather's warming up and it feels good to be outside again.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Whether you're running, walking, or staying inside, now's the perfect time to upgrade your everyday basics with bombas. Bombas underwear and T shirts are the kind of base layers that can upgrade your everyday basics.

[Georgia Hardstark]

BOMBAS underwear are my new go to underwear. This is tmi. But I don't care because they are so comfortable. I can wear them with a dress and there'll be no vpl. You know what I mean? Like, they're just perfect.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Head over to bombas.com and use code MFM for 20% off your first purchase.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's B O M B A S.com, code M F M at checkout.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Summer is all about saying yes, going out and bringing the mess home in your car.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sand, grass and melting snacks will inevitably hitch a ride.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But with Weathertech, you can live life to the fullest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Weathertech floor liners, cargo liner and seat protectors allow you to keep up with your summer adventures without the worry.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Weathertech is built for all of those summer things, allowing you the freedom to go all in.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Weathertech is an American made premium product, built to last and easy to clean. If you're going all out this summer, you need WeatherTech.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Visit weathertech.com today.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Summer is fun, but it can also

[Karen Kilgariff]

completely destroy Your routine between days at the beach, recovering from days at the beach and then remembering you don't even like the beach, it can really mess up your day.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's why it's helpful to have something like cachava that makes it easy to stick to one healthy habit.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Kachava is an all in one nutrition shake. And now it comes in new travel packs.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Every packet gives you a simple shake with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, greens, probiotics, omegas, electrolytes, and more.

[Karen Kilgariff]

They're easy to toss into a bag, easy to take on the road, and a simple way to stick with your normal wellness habits even when your schedule changes. Kachava is a clean, simple option for staying fueled when life gets busy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I am so excited about this because Vince is the crazy person who packs all his vitamins whenever we go somewhere. And I'm like, I don't have room for that. And I also will just ignore them the entire trip. So this is like how I'm going to get it all in.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then you have a satisfying shake. So you have a breakfast or an emergency lunch. Like they're making it convenient.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God, I'm so excited.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Take your daily ritual with you.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Go to kachava.com and use code MFM for 15% off your first order.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's Kachava K A C H A V A dot com. Code MFM.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye. Okay, okay. It's also pride month. Oh, so it says I can't be the only one a pride month story.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. Okay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hello ladies. Love you all. Love the podcast, love the animals. Let's get into. When I left college in Michigan to move to LA and live the big dream, I found out the big dream was living on a couch a friend kindly put in his kitchen. Cause another friend had already taken the one in the living room. Like, what a generous friend. Be like, I don't have room in the living room, but I'll do anything to help you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, I'll go ahead and put a couch in this kitchen.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So nice.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's the idea. It's just like, help as many people as you can in la. That's the advice I'd give. Help as many people as you can because you have no idea where anybody's gonna go.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Right. But also do it because you're a nice person, not just because you want to get somewhere.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, true, true.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But you're not implying otherwise, so I don't need to say that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, yeah, just almost like you could be a nice person but still be like. But I don't have enough couches and it's like. But. But you do.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes. Okay. I got a job at a warehouse nearby so I could walk to and from work. In a city like la, if you don't have a car, you do a lot of walking at night on my way home from work, I would often find myself walking past a woman walking along. I'm a six two black gay man and I can see how that would be a bit intimidating, especially knowing how men treat women in this world. So I did the only thing I could think of to show her I was a good guy. I put on my best Naomi Campbell Runway walk. I even tucked my non existent hair behind my ear to really sell the I mean you no harm message. Because who would ever hurt anyone if the sidewalk is their Runway?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hopefully creepy men won't steal this idea and use this gay power for evil. But just in case, ladies just be skeptical of all men walking alone at night. Anyways, I just had to share. Cause I know I can't be the only one who's done this. I'm pretty sure this is common gay knowledge.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Mm.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love you guys and this podcast so much. It's such a comforting part of my weekly routine. You guys are everything. Anyways, stay sexy and do the Naomi Campbell walk. Happy pride. K K. I love that. Just to be like. It's like, I'm not a threat. Let me show you my walk.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, that's right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I saw someone say somewhere on social media, someone said they just start singing show tunes. I mean, whatever you can do.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Have you seen the one that were like. They're like, hey, I love your dress. And the girl's like, fuck you. And he goes, no, no, I'm sorry, I meant I love your dress. Oh, thank you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh my God, that's so nice. Oh, that's so funny. It must be very satisfying to suddenly just be like, yeah, throwing your hips side to side. Thank God. Thank God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay. The subject line of this email is doppelganger Grandpa. And it says, hello, Karen, Georgia, and pets. Every Thanksgiving, my family would make the 10 hour drive from the middle of Wisconsin to Florence, Kentucky to visit my paternal grandparents. My dad drove the entire way because that's just how he is. He would always leave Wednesday in the middle of the afternoon because he had to work. Typically, we would get there around 1 or 2 in the morning. My grandparents lived in a cookie cutter neighborhood where every other house looked exactly the same. So when we pulled into the driveway with the outside light on, we didn't question it. We knew the routine after years of making the drive and started unpacking the car. My brother, who was 10, grabbed his suitcase and went right inside and down to the basement where us kids always slept. My grandpa came out in his pajamas and watched us unpacking the car top carrier. I remember thinking, grandpa looks taller. But continued to grab suitcases and trash from the long journey. It wasn't until the man said in a thick southern accent, who are you people? We froze, baffled by our mistake, and started throwing shit back into the car, apologizing profusely. My dad hadn't even noticed. This man was not his dad. At 2 in the morning, he looked identical to my grandpa except for height, down to the way he stood, his sleepy expression, mustache, balding, gray hair, big belly, and even that thick southern accent.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

My sister whispered to my mom. Brett went inside. So good. My mom almost became a trash parent and told her to go get him, but remembered she was the adult. She walked up to the man, quickly explained and went into the house. She whispered to him, down the stairs to the basement. We are at the wrong house. And we heard the thuds of his suitcase quickly coming up the stairs.

[Georgia Hardstark]

He was probably like standing down there being like, what the. This is weird.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It smells weird down here. We didn't even bother to buckle up as we backed out and drove our two and drove over two doors to my grandparents.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We laughed about it all. Thanksgiving break. My grandparents told us later that those people were also expecting their family late that same night and had just moved in a few weeks ago.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh wow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We never talked to the people during the years we went to Kentucky for Thanksgiving until summer of 2024 when my grandpa passed away. We were at the entrance of the church greeting people at the funeral when an elderly gentleman introduced himself and his wife to us. We quickly learned that it was my grandpa's doppelganger. We exchanged the story from our different perspectives and learned that they too tell this story all the time. Amazing. My best friend Katrina and I saw you at the second show in Chicago in November. We had an amazing time. Thank you for never failing to make us laugh. SSD GM Sarah oh my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's hilarious.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That is such a great legendary family story of like, such a great example. And it's both directions.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Exactly. That's like. The best part is like, how do they tell the story?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's so good.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So good.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Do you have a story from your perspective? Send it to us at my favorite murdermail but thanks for listening and happy pride and happy grads and dads.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Happy pride. Gay power.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, 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 Squillacci.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Email your hometowns to my favorite murdermail.com

[Georgia Hardstark]

follow the show on Instagram at My

[Karen Kilgariff]

favorite Murder Listen to my favorite murder on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, 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.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal with

[Georgia Hardstark]

Cheap Caribbean's Budget Beach Finder. You can search every destination and every date all in one search.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Say goodbye to to endless scrolling and tab hopping, and hello to Budget beach bliss at your fingertips.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Go to cheapcaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress free vacation planning should be.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye Clothes shopping Not as easy or fun as it sounds. You just want to feel confident in your clothes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You can spend hours scrolling, zooming in, reading reviews, only to end up with a cart full of nothing that feels or fits right and a bunch of return stuff to do.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Stitch Fix makes it so much easier.

[Karen Kilgariff]

A personal stylist sends pieces that match your size, style and everything's in your budget. No guesswork, no stress, and you're guaranteed compliments.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Here's how Stitch Fix works. Take a quick style quiz, share your size, style and budget and get matched with a real human stylist who gets your vibe.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's no risk. All style. Get a personalized fix box straight to your door and try it all on in the comfort of your home.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Shipping and returns are always free and there's no subscription required. Plus plus Get a free try on

[Karen Kilgariff]

for your first fix, get started [e-mail] murder to get $20 off your first order.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's stitchfix.com murder. Goodbye Summer is all about saying yes, going out and bringing the mess home in your car.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sand, grass and melting snacks will inevitably

[Georgia Hardstark]

hit your ride, but with WeatherTech, you can live life to the fullest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

WeatherTech floor liners, cargo liner and seat protectors allow you to keep up with your summer adventures without the worry.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Weathertech is built for all of those summer things, allowing you the freedom to all in.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Weathertech is an American made premium product, built to last and easy to clean. If you're going all out this summer, you need WeatherTech.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Visit weathertech.com today.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye.

[Sponsor/Guest Voice]

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