My Favorite Murder: Rewind with Karen & Georgia – Episode 61: Live at The Neptune

Release Date: September 10, 2025
Hosts: Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Podcast Network: Exactly Right & iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this special “Rewind” episode, Karen and Georgia revisit their iconic live show recorded at Seattle’s Neptune Theater in March 2017. The episode blends live performance energy, personal anecdotes from life on tour, a touch of irreverent fashion talk, and two gripping true crime stories: the murder of Mia Zapata and a retelling of Ted Bundy’s crimes. Through new commentary and updates, they reflect on how their touring experiences have shaped the podcast and themselves, discuss lessons learned about storytelling and fan engagement, and offer moving updates about the cases and their impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tour Nostalgia, Fashion, and Live Show Stories

• Karen and Georgia kick off with banter about the quirks of touring and their now-infamous decision to wear the same dresses during the whole western leg.
  • “When I first put it on the first night, I was like, I'm a gorgeous princess. And tonight I'm like, I feel like Harold's mother from Harold and Maude.” — Karen (04:24)
• Discussion about their “haunted hotel” with odd decor (“a college boy wanted to do a tropical theme in his bedroom” – Karen, 24:41), rumored to be a former hospital or rehab center.
• Interactions with the audience including the mysterious empty “reserved” seats, which amusingly turned out to belong to Karen’s cousin Danny—leading to both familial roasting and a hilarious Buster Posey impersonation anecdote.
  • “Danny looks like Buster Posey... so he just started signing autographs. Ruined rookie cards.” — Karen (14:53)

2. Meet-and-Greets & Tour Learnings

• Honest talk about how exhausting and emotionally complex meet-and-greets can be, especially their anxiety about saying the “right thing” to each fan:
  • “You want to say something new and special to every single person. Which is why it's a very...challenging experience.” — Georgia (20:25)
• An enlightening awkward moment with a wheelchair-using fan leads to reflection on the skill of not always needing to lead conversations (20:41–21:37).
• Lessons from early tours: They recount the mistake of repeating stories in double-header live shows, which led to fan disappointment and sparked a new rule of always telling unique stories at each performance.
  • “After that, we never repeated stories.” — Karen (18:11)

3. Reflecting on Gender, Self-Acceptance, & Comedic Tone

• Karen and Georgia’s stage chemistry, self-deprecating humor, and frankness about personal boundaries and aging:
  • “I'm so relieved I'm never wearing a bra again... I just fucking can't do it.” — Georgia (04:40)
• Openness and mutual support are woven throughout, maintaining their trademark balance between vulnerability and dark humor.

Main True Crime Stories

I. The Murder of Mia Zapata

Presented by: Georgia
Timestamp: 32:17–47:38

• Background:
  • Mia Zapata, frontwoman of punk band The Gits, was a rising star in Seattle’s music scene in the early 1990s—known for her powerful voice, kindness, and community activism.
• The Crime:
  • On July 7, 1993, after a night out in Capitol Hill, Seattle, Mia is attacked, raped, and murdered—her body discovered in a symbolic pose.
  • The case was unsolved for a decade, causing lasting grief and suspicion within the Seattle music community.
• Investigation & Arrest:
  • Friends and artists (including Nirvana and Joan Jett) rally to fund a private investigator.
  • Breakthrough comes in 2003 via DNA evidence linking Jesus Mezquia, a violent drifter previously unconnected to Mia.
  • Notable Quote: “When you find out [the mystery] gets solved, it's just so pointless and empty. It doesn't feel better, you know?” — Georgia (32:51)
• Aftermath & Impact:
  • Mia’s killer is convicted but sentenced only to 36 years.
  • Her legacy and influence endure in punk music and women's safety activism.
• Update:
  • “Her killer died in Pierce County, Washington in a hospital in 2021.” (46:30–47:38)
  • Steve Moriarty, Gits drummer, published a memoir in 2024 to reclaim Mia’s narrative.

II. Ted Bundy: The Serial Murders in the Pacific Northwest

Presented by: Karen
Timestamp: 47:51–88:51

• Background:
  • A deep dive into Ted Bundy, infamous for his charm, manipulativeness, and brutality across several states in the 1970s.
• Story Structure:
  • Karen mixes live storytelling and reference to Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me, with an emphasis on Bundy’s double life and psychological games.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • “She used to like to say if she was 10 years younger or her daughters were 15 years older, she thought he [Bundy] was the perfect man.” — Karen, about Ann Rule (53:07)
    • “People like Ted can fool you completely. I'd been a cop. I had all that psychology. But his mask was perfect.” — Ann Rule, read by Karen (88:16)
• Key Details:
  • Bundy’s progressive escalation from coed kidnappings and murders, dumping grounds in the Pacific Northwest, and notable escapes.
  • Chilling accounts of survivors like Carol DaRonch.
  • Media glamorization and the continued impact on survivor storytelling.
• Dark Humor & Local Flavor:
  • Frequent comedic asides on the oddity of the “Angel of Decay” moniker, wrong (and right) ways to pronounce “Sammamish,” as well as ribbing the live audience about regional in-jokes.
• Victim and Survivor Centered:
  • In 2025, survivors have reclaimed their narrative:
    • “Survivors Kathy Kleiner Rubin, Karen Chandler, Cheryl Thomas, and Carol DaRon have...putting a spotlight on the women and girls who Ted Bundy killed.” — Karen (88:59)
• Unresolved Cases:
  • Many cold cases may still be linked to Bundy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Repeating Stories:
  • “I'll never forget that feeling. That was a real—like, oh yeah, good point. Like, I didn't ever contemplate anybody buying tickets to both shows.” — Karen (18:21)
• On Surviving Social Expectations:
  • “You actually don't have to do anything. The people who really have the secret to life are the people who can be quiet. But I mean, I've never in my life...” — Karen (20:41)
• On Learning to Let Go of Social Pressures:
  • “That...letting go that I have to lead every conversation...practicing self-care that I have really enjoyed the past couple years.” — Georgia (21:13)
• On Ted Bundy’s Duplicity:
  • “He was living the ultimate double life. It’s fucking nuts.” — Karen (70:01)
• On the Importance of Survivor Stories:
  • “The time finally came that [the survivors] got their spotlight. That’s great.” — Karen (89:49)

Timestamps – Segment Guide

| Timestamp (MM:SS) | Segment Description / Highlights | |--------------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 02:03–04:16 | Rewind intro, Seattle live show memories, tour tales | | 04:45–06:35 | On tour fashion mistakes, self-acceptance | | 13:18–16:19 | On-stage family moments, Karen’s cousin “Danny” | | 17:03–20:41 | Reflections on tour endings, meet-and-greets | | 32:17–47:38 | Georgia's telling of the Mia Zapata case | | 47:51–88:51 | Karen’s comprehensive Ted Bundy narrative | | 88:59–90:30 | Case updates, survivor empowerment, Bundy in media | | 90:30–91:59 | Live show themes, lessons learned, future tour notes | | 92:25–92:38 | Original Neptune show sign-off (archival audio) |

Tone, Language, & Style

Karen and Georgia maintain their trademark conversational mix: irreverent, candid, supportive, and consistently comedic despite the heavy subject matter. Reflections on the true-crime genre evolve into moments of self-examination, audience connection, and mutual validation.

Final Thoughts & Episode Legacy

Episode 61: Live at The Neptune—now revisited—serves as a touchstone for MFM’s evolution, both stylistically and ethically. It’s a celebration of personal growth, persistent curiosity, community, and the enduring responsibility to center victims and survivors in every story.

Stay Sexy. Don’t Get Murdered.

(For information about upcoming live shows or to listen to the original episode, visit myfavoritemurder.com)