My Favorite Murder: Rewind with Karen & Georgia – Episode 77 “Live At The Keswick Theatre” (Released December 31, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this nostalgic “Rewind” episode, hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark revisit their Philadelphia live show (originally released July 13, 2017). With their signature blend of comedy and true crime fascination, the pair offer fresh commentary, updates, and reflections on that night at the Keswick Theatre—the last stop on one of their earliest tours. Together, they break down the wild energies of touring, dive into the infamous Gary Heidnik case, explore the story of Edward Gingerich (the first Amish man convicted of homicide), and showcase unscripted audience participation with local “hometown murders.” As always, the hosts lean into laughter, vulnerability, and their community’s unique collective spirit.

Sections

1. Revisiting A Live Show: Comedy, Chaos, and Touring Adventures

Rewind Banter & Tour Tales (02:45–15:15)

• Karen and Georgia open with a recap of the Keswick Theatre gig, reminiscing about live show nerves, odd backstage snacks, and the bittersweet energy of ending a tour.
• Playful jokes about audience sacrifices (“We decided it would be fun to end the tour with an actual murder.” – Karen, 04:28) set the comedic tone.
• Backstage highlights include stories about wardrobe mishaps, vintage shopping, and travel bloopers—like Georgia’s passport fiasco (07:47).
• Notable quotes:
  • “We’re just like Alanis Morissette all barefoot and… we don’t give a chance.” – Karen (06:17)
  • “What are your favorite memories from this tour?” – Georgia (07:28)
• Food becomes a recurring joke: crab rangoon, Chinese food, and near-mythical quests for White Castle.
• Jokes riff on their snacks (“Vincent knows we don’t have that [crab rangoon], we’re not going on stage. That’s why we’re 10, 20 minutes late.” – Georgia, 11:30)

Audience Dynamics & Fan Interactions (15:16–23:00)

• Recollections of meeting fans, “Mother’s Day” awkwardness, and being mistaken for each other’s mothers due to their ages or looks.
• Karen and Georgia reflect affectionately on the intense love and energy live audiences gave—sometimes even “painfully loud” positive feedback!
• They joke about being “manipulative” in revving up audience excitement (“There’s no quiet moments anymore.” – Karen, 23:40)
• Both marvel at how different life is after the initial whirlwind of MFM’s success and touring.

2. Story 1: Gary Heidnik—“The Real Basement Horror”

Karen’s True Crime Deep Dive (27:57–66:57)

Case Summary:

• Gary Heidnik’s crimes in Philadelphia inspired the Buffalo Bill character in “The Silence of the Lambs.”
• Born in 1943, Heidnik faced abuse, injury, and early signs of behavioral disturbance, dropping out to join the Army, then later struggling with mental health.
• After becoming a nurse, he preyed on vulnerable, mentally challenged women, founded a church (with mostly exploited parishioners), and, after a series of escalating violent acts, ultimately kidnapped and imprisoned multiple women in his basement.
• His basement became the site of unspeakable torture, manipulation, assault, and murder.

Key Discussion Points:

• The impact of Heidnik’s mental health and traumatic background (“…he fell out of a tree and hit his head. Of course, classically, but it also deformed his head… So then he was made fun of at school all the time…” – Karen, 29:29).
• Systemic failures: Police and public indifference due to racial bias, prejudices against sex workers and disabled victims.
• The horror and humanity of survivor Josefina Rivera, who ultimately outsmarted Heidnik and secured rescue for herself and other captives.
• Gruesome forensic details drive home the horror (human remains in the kitchen; attempts to electrocute chained victims—that “inspired” pop culture villains).

Memorable/Notable Moments:

• Karen’s candor about personal experiences (wetting the bed, mental health) weaves emotional authenticity into the storytelling.
• Karen notes, with dark humor: “If you were smart enough to get an accomplice, you’re not insane.” (64:56)
• Audience reactions serve as a secondary character: gasps, nervous laughter, camaraderie.

Timestamps for Key Segments:

• Trauma & background: 28:13–32:23
• Criminal escalation: 35:08–38:16
• Basement horror (the “pit,” survivors, escape): 43:36–63:00
• Trial & aftermath: 63:00–66:25
• Silence of the Lambs connection: 66:25

Update Segment (68:23–69:59)

• Karen outlines real-life conflicting accounts about Josefina’s escape, media confusion, and survivor perspectives.
• Notes on DA’s refusal to prosecute Josefina as an accomplice, contextualizing her coerced involvement and ultimate heroism.
  • “…she was a victim, just like the other victims, but then she was being played by this insane person.” – Karen (70:14)

3. Story 2: Edward Gingerich—“The Amish Homicide”

Georgia’s Light(ish) Counterpoint to Darkness (73:36–89:03)

Case Summary:

• The 1993 murder of Katie Gingerich by her husband Edward, the first Amish person convicted of homicide in the US.
• Edward’s mental decline (hallucinations, psychosis exacerbated by religious influence and untreated schizophrenia), the cultural twist (Amish resistance to psychiatric care), and the community’s extreme shunning.
• After serving five years, he was released to live under supervision, but ultimately died by suicide, leaving a simple bucket-dust message: “forgive me, please.”

Key Discussion Points:

• Cultural specificity: How Amish traditions complicated intervention and mental health treatment.
• Georgia and Karen’s trademark humor sets the tone (“I would say that we’re going to get a lot of mean emails, but no one's listening to [this]. They can't say sh*t to us.” – Georgia, 80:01)
• Musings on small community justice and forgiveness (“He was an awfully good person, and he could have helped his community a lot. I don't know about that one.” – Georgia, 89:28)
• Discussion of the rarity of Amish homicide, but clarification that it’s not unique—other cases have surfaced.

Timestamps for Key Segments:

• Edward’s decline, the cultural dilemma: 74:00–81:27
• The murder & aftermath: 81:28–89:03
• Postscript and update: 91:22–91:53

4. Hometown Murder Stories—Live Audience Participation

Local Listeners Share Their Tales (92:09–106:10)

Story 1: “I Survived” in Delaware (Alana)

• A neighbor, Debbie, is kidnapped from her home after her husband is shot by an intruder. She endures days of sexual assault, ultimately gains the perpetrator’s trust, and escapes by persuading him to untie her restraints. Her story features on “I Survived.”
• Quote: “It was the first time I ever watched it, and… they show this clip of these rose bushes in front of the house. And I was like, why does that look so fucking familiar?... And it was really fucking creepy.” – Alana (100:38)

Story 2: Christmas Tree Shop Murder (Andrew)

• A coworker from a retail job is later revealed to have committed a brutal, obsessive murder, tracked via workplace issues and fired employee grudges—ending in a multi-state manhunt and a sentence of life in prison.
• Smart, quick-witted banter (“How? How? Like, it was just like... as though he had a penis bowl that they cut.” – Andrew on suspect’s bowl cut, 103:13).

Hosts’ Responses:

• Karen and Georgia’s comic rapport continues, giving nervous audience members encouragement and lightness, even as the tales are harrowing.
• “You think you kind of know someone. Good old Christmas tree shop.” – Georgia, 105:56

5. Reflections, In-Jokes & “If We Were Naming It Now”

Show Closes & Modern Reflections (106:43–108:57)

• Karen and Georgia joke about alternate episode titles:
  • “Sophisticated Miss” (after a vintage clothing label)
  • “Old Anvil” (Georgia’s penchant for buying ridiculously heavy antiques)
  • “Franklin” (Georgia’s famous confusion of “Hamilton” with “Franklin”)
    • “It shows you how not into fucking musical theater I am. Franklin.” – Georgia, 107:23
• The hosts reflect emotionally on what the podcast and their live fans have meant; the gratitude and kinship is palpable.
  • “It’s been so cool to be here with you in real life… It’s such a huge compliment.” – Karen (108:01)
  • “Every single fucking person we've met on this tour has been cool and someone we would be friends with and hang out with and so fucking nice and awesome, and we feel so lucky.” – Georgia (108:22)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Karen (04:28): “We decided it would be fun to end the tour with an actual murder.”
• Georgia (23:07): “What do you think 2017, end of the tour would have said to 2025?”
• Karen (43:35): “He’s got a plan. And his plan is that he's gonna get 10 women pregnant so he can start his own family.”
• Georgia (55:19): “He would try to shove a screwdriver in their ears because he thought if they were deaf, they couldn't plan anything against him.”
• Georgia (80:01): “I would say that we're going to get a lot of mean emails, but no one's listening to [this]. They can't say sh*t to us.”
• Karen (108:01): “It has been so cool to be here with you in real life and see that the bullshit we do in Georgia’s apartment actually matters to seemingly a shit ton of people.”

Navigate the Show By Timestamps

| Segment | Start | End |
|--------------------|-------|--------| | Opening/Recap Intro| 02:45 | 23:00 | | Gary Heidnik Case | 27:57 | 66:57 | | Heidnik Updates | 68:23 | 69:59 | | Edward Gingerich | 73:36 | 89:03 | | Gingerich Update | 91:22 | 91:53 | | Hometown Murders | 92:09 | 106:10 | | Closing/Joking Alt Titles & Reflections |106:43|108:57|

Tone & Takeaways

• Conversational & Affectionately Irreverent: Karen & Georgia maintain a warm, self-deprecating, and frequently hilarious tone even as they traverse traumatic material.
• Community-Oriented: They celebrate their fandom’s openheartedness, vulnerability, and shared catharsis through true crime storytelling.
• Meta & Insightful: The “rewind” format lets them reflect on how the show—and they themselves—have changed since 2017.
• Survivors’ Voices Matter: Both their main cases and audience “I Survived” stories center the resilience and quick thinking of women targeted by unspeakable violence.

For Listeners New and Old

This episode is peak “My Favorite Murder”: equal parts harrowing, heartfelt, and hilarious. It’s a tribute to podcasting’s capacity for connection, growth, and dark yet necessary laughter.

Stay sexy. And don’t get murdered.