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Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
Oh yeah, that's not real life.
Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
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Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
That's H Y U N d a I usa.com or call 562-314-4603.
Audience Member
Goodbye.
Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
Amen. We just kind of assume they'll keep showing up for work even if we don't.
Karen Kilgariff
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Karen Kilgariff
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Audience Member
Goodbye.
Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
Welcome to Rewind with Karen and Georgia.
Karen Kilgariff
It's Wednesday. It can only mean one thing.
Georgia Hardstark
It means that we're trapped in your phone and we're forced to recap our old episodes with all new commentary, updates and insights.
Karen Kilgariff
And today we are recapping episode 44. It's named Live from the Chicago Podcast Festival and it is a major page in our scrapbook of life.
Georgia Hardstark
It is an epic episode. Epicisode.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean I feel like I can remember every moment of that day leading up to that show. And after.
Georgia Hardstark
Yeah, we should post the video that Brandi Posey took from the audience of when we come out on stage and are stunned by the amount of people and the noise which I could feel in my fucking toes.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Georgia Hardstark
All right, let's get into it. The Chicago Podcast Festival ended in 2019, and their website is now defunct. But we had to great time.
Karen Kilgariff
And this episode came out on November 23rd. That was the day President Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of freedom to 21 people. We did not make the cut. It could have been a clean 23 on the 23rd, but forget it.
Georgia Hardstark
Let's listen anyways. Let's listen anyways to the intro of episode 44.
Karen Kilgariff
What's up, murderinos?
Audience Member
A, you're so. I can't fucking see you, but you're pretty. I don't have a huge speech for this one. Cause we're gonna keep it pretty simple. When we decided we were gonna do the Chicago Podcast Festival, this was a show that was very high on our lists. We asked, they said yes. Please welcome to the stage Georgia Hard star Kieran Kilgariff with my favorite, Murder.
Karen Kilgariff
Come on. Come on.
Audience Member
Damn it.
Karen Kilgariff
You are so drunk.
Audience Member
I am.
Karen Kilgariff
Are you?
Audience Member
No.
Karen Kilgariff
A little bit. Hi, Chicago. Oh, okay. See you later.
Audience Member
It's just gonna be me. A one woman show tonight. Oh, this is crazy. Hi, you guys.
Karen Kilgariff
We're very happy to be here.
Audience Member
Here we are. Anyone not know whose voice was who and is freaking out right now because you thought it was the other. I'm the one who says fuck a lot.
Karen Kilgariff
I'm the one that says, look, you know, here's the thing. I didn't know I did that until you knew. You told me. Now I'm gonna think about it all the time. This is nuts up. Yeah. Exciting. Very exciting. The cool thing is that at some point, I'm going to jump into this orchestra pit.
Audience Member
It's true. That's what we decided beforehand.
Karen Kilgariff
We.
Audience Member
We draw. We drew straws. We drew straws, Karen.
Karen Kilgariff
And I was like, I'm going to do the pit jump.
Audience Member
Going to break. There's no orchestra. She's just going to hold.
Karen Kilgariff
There's no bottom. There's no bottom.
Audience Member
Let me just push you.
Karen Kilgariff
Can I do a model walk to show off my dress? And I got this dress today at Chicago Michigan Avenue Nordstrom.
Audience Member
I thought you were gonna say. I thought I was gonna say, can I do a monologue or.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, can I. Could I do one dramatic and one comedic monologue?
Audience Member
Go ahead. Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
A short dance.
Audience Member
Okay, go.
Karen Kilgariff
Wait, hold this.
Audience Member
You guys. I just wish Karen wasn't so shy.
Karen Kilgariff
Pockets are.
Audience Member
Oh, dude.
Karen Kilgariff
The greatest.
Audience Member
Stop it.
Karen Kilgariff
People love Pockets, right? It's not just me.
Audience Member
And I said that I texted you that my outfit was I was gonna cosplay Nancy St. Stacey.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes, that's right. Did you recognize Nancy Stacy?
Audience Member
But I was gonna like 80s heels and I, I.
Karen Kilgariff
Here, take a. Take a walk. It'll feel good. Yeah, it started off sad and it ended great.
Audience Member
Then.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes.
Audience Member
Should we. Let's sit and talk.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. Cuz this is weird.
Audience Member
This is so weird. All right, well, let's not. Should we. Not with the.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, we shouldn't use these.
Audience Member
Yeah. Yeah. Except you're gonna.
Karen Kilgariff
Although.
Audience Member
Yeah, no, no, you're right.
Karen Kilgariff
You're right.
Audience Member
Let's do this. When we tell the stories. We will.
Karen Kilgariff
It's just kind of slimming when you have it in front of you. Bisex draws the eye upward. Why didn't we ask for a couch? I need kick pants. What the fuck is this? A small top stool.
Audience Member
I said give her the one that's wobbly so she'll look so stupid.
Karen Kilgariff
It'll be fine. I'm fine.
Audience Member
Do you want to sit on the ground?
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, I'll sit cross legged on the ground.
Audience Member
You could. I don't know what we're going to.
Karen Kilgariff
What were other people doing up here?
Audience Member
Perching like a lady.
Karen Kilgariff
Not interested. Let's see. Do you have any. We should do some business, right? Like some. That's right. No more shouting out or I'll have to come out there.
Audience Member
The corrections corner. Is that our family Isn't a thing out here.
Karen Kilgariff
Corrections corner is our drunk families up in a box somewhere. Mommy judging us.
Audience Member
You're all my mommy.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, clap for the family.
Audience Member
You're all my mommy. Do you have things written? Karen, you're gonna fuck him.
Karen Kilgariff
Here's my corrections corner. It's fine. It'll be funny when I fall. It always is my corrections corner. And this one is one of my favorites of all time. Last week we were talking about. I think we were probably reading a hometown and someone mentioned. I read the name Vincent Lee and they were saying like, oh, that's a fucked up murder. And I was like, ooh, I gotta look that up.
Audience Member
We were both like, I don't know who that is.
Karen Kilgariff
I know. And Dennis, so many, so many people let wanted to let me know how I did know what it was because I'd actually reported on it myself on my own podcast.
Audience Member
Yeah, who would have fucking thunk?
Karen Kilgariff
I mean, I don't remember their names or whatever. I remember the machete.
Audience Member
We don't remember killers. We remember. We remember feelings, things and qualities.
Karen Kilgariff
Also, I would like to say people that catch up, people that are behind a little bit.
Audience Member
Oh, yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
I now know that Manitoba is not a city. All right, I know. Now. You don't have to stop telling me.
Audience Member
She gets it. It's funny, the, like, corrections we get where we're like, yeah, we know.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, yeah, I know. I've known that for like two weeks.
Audience Member
We're. You guys know that we're total bitches, right?
Karen Kilgariff
Like, like dad.
Audience Member
Winnipeg Daddy. That was my mom. Love you.
Karen Kilgariff
She's a very tall woman.
Audience Member
Oh, also, Steven Ray Morris could not be here tonight. Stevie, our audio engineer, but his sister is here.
Karen Kilgariff
His sister. Even better sister.
Audience Member
Ray Morris.
Karen Kilgariff
Stephanie Ray Morris.
Audience Member
And she has no. She's never listened to the podcast and doesn't know that he's like, Stephen and I. I want us all to like, give her.
Karen Kilgariff
She thinks it's.
Audience Member
Let her know.
Karen Kilgariff
I believe. I think she. She thinks this is a Christian podcast. Right. So this is going to be fun.
Audience Member
Yeah. And Elvis's mom is here.
Karen Kilgariff
Really?
Audience Member
No, but I'll give it. I want that to happen.
Karen Kilgariff
Like an old cat would come walking around.
Audience Member
Yeah. Half an ear bitten off.
Karen Kilgariff
I just don't know what to do.
Audience Member
Want to get a chair? Should we get a chair? Chair?
Karen Kilgariff
No. I'm going to beat this. I'm going to beat this stool. Don't even. Don't bring it over. Don't do it.
Audience Member
Well, so this. Oh, so this is the. My favorite murder podcast. In case no one didn't anyone know that.
Karen Kilgariff
Thank you for screaming so much.
Audience Member
That's Karen and that's Georgia.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, I like that we're doing it now. As if we do that at the top of every show. We. We honestly treat every show like we've never done podcasting before. Like, it. It's like it surprises us every single week.
Audience Member
Oh, we should introduce this.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Audience Member
Someone just stumbled upon this. Like they're changing the radio stations and.
Karen Kilgariff
Like, what is that exactly? It's 1961.
Audience Member
These girls are cursing. Look at this bait.
Karen Kilgariff
Do you have any questions or shout outs or anything you need to talk about?
Audience Member
No, I'm petrified right now.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, okay. Who wouldn't?
Audience Member
No, this is great. No, no, I mean, everything's the best right now.
Karen Kilgariff
Right? Right now.
Georgia Hardstark
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Audience Member
What was the last one we did? Oh, yeah. Okay. What are you talking about the last episode we did? I don't know.
Karen Kilgariff
I don't remember at all. Was it Vincent Lee? I don't know.
Audience Member
Well, here, face to face, couple of.
Karen Kilgariff
It's like two people who didn't do their book report who are like, Anyway, what I love about books is the Paper inside.
Audience Member
The problem is you're not gonna know all the, like, three hours of shit that's edited out of the podcast. Yeah, that's not true. We just let everything go in there.
Karen Kilgariff
Clearly. We let it all go in.
Audience Member
Let it go in. Should we talk about mur Murders?
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Audience Member
You guys, like, it's pretty. Who's a murderino? Like, for real? Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean, that's called pandering. Now we're pandering.
Audience Member
I don't think it's our thing, though. I'm sitting on it with my butt.
Georgia Hardstark
Okay, Karen, we're back. I just checked. Manitoba is still not a city.
Karen Kilgariff
Damn it. These are the mistakes that, like, you just say it casually.
Georgia Hardstark
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
On a recording nine years previous, and it just never goes away. It's always a mistake.
Georgia Hardstark
Can we talk about a serious thing real quick? Because there's something I remember from that. That was like, our first real live show in a way that wasn't like, yes. We go on stage and you start showing off your dress. And then I go something. I say something like, oh, it's too bad she's not shy. And you later asked me, you said to me, can we not make comments like that that are, like, undercutting each other? And I remember that so specifically because it was like, I hadn't even realized that that's what it was. That's what I was doing.
Audience Member
It was just like how I had.
Georgia Hardstark
Been on stage before in the past, and I just. Yeah, it really set a precedent, I think, for, like, we don't tease. We build each other up in a.
Karen Kilgariff
Way which, you know, it's not like I haven't teased you before, but I think it's that thing of, like, first of all, it was all, like, brand new, this idea of what we were doing and how we were doing it and doing it together, where it's like, we have to real quick become, like, this vaudeville duo. And the way I was taught, and I've said a bunch of these things to you, but it's like, there are ways that you can tell the audience, like, we are all united. And when you do that, they go along with you and they kind of, like, stay in line. But if there's breakdown, then the breakdown starts, like, everywhere.
Georgia Hardstark
So it's like, who are we against? Who are we rooting for? Exactly.
Karen Kilgariff
They have tapped into this podcast because you and I. The way you and I talk to each other, and then it's that kind of thing where it's like, it's easy. I Do it too. I wasn't saying, like, this is what you do and I never do it. It's like this is a trap that it's easy to fall into in comedy.
Georgia Hardstark
Well, I had, you know, in past duos and past relationships had been in that place where it was like, there's only room for one person to shine. Yeah. And so you need to play the, you know, doormat almost. And that was the way it was. And so being able to learn how to do it better and different was really, like, valuable for me in my day to day life itself. So that was really, really cool. And I think I'm glad we figured it out the first time and then just went for it.
Karen Kilgariff
Well, yeah, I am too. And I think those live shows, every single time we did them, and I remember one time you said to me where it was like, I would be like telling you something. You're like, yeah, but this isn't tv. This is this whole new thing. And it's like, yep, you're right. Like, we can't just take exactly what we know and slam it onto other things.
Georgia Hardstark
Right.
Karen Kilgariff
And when something is that new and that, like, kind of intimidating, it's easy to be like, it has to be my way or it has to be the thing I'm most comfortable with. And instead it's like, sorry, we have to do improv right now and do a scary thing, which is not know and do it anyway.
Georgia Hardstark
Because there's no rules. There's no like live there' Especially then was no live podcast. Live comedy, true crime podcast, rules to live by. But now it's what we got.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, we got a couple of those going. It was like the thing of, like, don't ask the front row a question. Cause they'll yell at us for the rest of the show. Where stuff like that. We were like. But I wanted to know what was in their hand. I'm like, of course, yes.
Georgia Hardstark
We're like, they'll tell me how to pronounce that city if I just ask one of them. Like, no, no, no.
Karen Kilgariff
We have to do it in a controlled way where it's like, it's just you, Maureen, you're the only one answering.
Georgia Hardstark
Here's another thing we learned that I learned because you, I think later said, we discussed it. I do not remember this at all. This is like the first and only time I went to a live show in a city and was like, I'm just gonna do any story, like now. Oh, yeah, think to do a story in Illinois. It didn't even Cross my mind. So now when we tour, we do a story that takes place, you know, in and around where we're doing it as close as possible. Because there's so many fucking stories now, it's impossible to.
Karen Kilgariff
Right.
Georgia Hardstark
Get as close as we want. But so I come in here with this story not thinking, like, you should do a Chicago story.
Karen Kilgariff
It's a great story.
Georgia Hardstark
I just noticed that it takes place in motherfucking Texas. So yeah, yeah, let's get into it.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean, this is how you learn, like the old stand up adages, like local jokes get local work. You just. This is it. You're just like, tell them about themselves. It's about them.
Georgia Hardstark
That's what they want. However, we wouldn't have the beautiful wonderfulness that is sweet honesty without this.
Karen Kilgariff
That's true. Oh, there was no mistakes made. There was no mistakes made here. And we can tell. You can tell when the jokes are flowing and it all goes so well. Also, this is our first live podcast and it goes this way. Like that audience, that feeling and that audience. It was. I was finally convinced, even though you had been showing me real good data for a full year. And I finally was like, oh, this is something. It actually.
Georgia Hardstark
And my mom was in the audience and my mom and stepdad and it was just.
Karen Kilgariff
And my sister and Adrian and Audrey and Brandy. All the lady to lady girls were there. Women, ladies. It was very cool. And then again, my favorite murder fully apologizes to the Atheneum Theater staff from that night, who we made stay at their job like four hours longer than they expected to because I invited everyone to say hi to us in the lobby like a fucking.
Georgia Hardstark
Let's talk about it at the end. Because that was pretty epic too.
Karen Kilgariff
So, okay, let's get into George's story. This is the Fort Worth Three kidnapping.
Georgia Hardstark
Hey, Karen, I want you to picture yourself going for a drive. What comes to mind?
Karen Kilgariff
Not ever being able to merge on any freeway in Los Angeles. And potholes and crying.
Audience Member
Oh, yeah.
Georgia Hardstark
Well, the truth is, the road can feel like it's out to get you at every turn. But, Karen, it doesn't have to be.
Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
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Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
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Audience Member
Don'T this is needed.
Karen Kilgariff
Hyundai vehicles are equipped with a standard Driver Attention Warning System system which constantly monitors your attention levels. I oh my God. Once detected it sounds alerts and visual cues to help bring your focus back to the road.
Georgia Hardstark
Oh my God.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean get this for me right now.
Georgia Hardstark
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Karen Kilgariff
Learn more about Hyundai@HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for complete details.
Georgia Hardstark
That's H Y U N d a I usa.com or call 562-314-4603.
Audience Member
Goodbye.
Karen Kilgariff
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Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
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Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
That's squarespace.com murder code murder.
Karen Kilgariff
Goodbye. Are you go. Go first.
Audience Member
I think I'm versus time.
Karen Kilgariff
Awesome. I'm gonna put my hands in my pockets and put my microphone over here.
Audience Member
Would you mind putting your hands in your pocket, Karen? As I tell you, I swore I was gonna belch, and it's about to happen.
Karen Kilgariff
She's gonna do some Robert Durst belches for us. Just.
Audience Member
Oh, that was a good one.
Karen Kilgariff
Did you. Was that really.
Audience Member
That was me.
Karen Kilgariff
That sounded like a fucking horse. I swear to God, I thought you were, like, doing a joke burp sound from a lady. That was unbelievable.
Audience Member
I had a soda pop. If they want to pay us, I'll say which one it is.
Karen Kilgariff
Girl.
Audience Member
Otherwise, we don't do branding.
Karen Kilgariff
Otherwise. Dr. Pepper.
Audience Member
Okay. Okay. Ready?
Karen Kilgariff
Yes. Are you ready? Yeah.
Audience Member
Now. I'm just. Now that's too much pressure.
Karen Kilgariff
All right.
Audience Member
Okay. So December 23rd. Super near Christmas in 1974.
Karen Kilgariff
A great year for collars and cords.
Audience Member
There you go. Bring us back, Karen, to a time.
Karen Kilgariff
1974, where the air was filled with lead pollution and everybody had a mustache. Even girls.
Audience Member
Yeah. You're supposed to beat your children.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes. You were required. You had to sign a paper when you left the hospital with the baby that said, I promise to hit this child in the face every day.
Audience Member
And I'll let anyone hit them too. Yeah, it's fine.
Karen Kilgariff
Strangers, people on the street.
Audience Member
They probably deserve it. So, okay, so three ladies. Renee Wilson, she's 14. Rachel Tralika, who's 17, and Julie Ann Moseley, who's 9, go on a shopping trip for Christmas presents.
Karen Kilgariff
Can't be good.
Audience Member
Nope. No, they were fine. Let's talk about. Let's talk about Ted Bundy.
Karen Kilgariff
Anyway, Vlad the Impaler.
Audience Member
So these three girls, they go to a upscale mall, the Seminary South Shopping Center. This girl knows it. I hear someone whispering in Fort Worth, Texas.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh. Oh.
Audience Member
Have you been.
Karen Kilgariff
I just thought I should make a noise.
Audience Member
Okay. They're supposed to be home by 4pm Guess what? Karen didn't show up. They didn't show up.
Karen Kilgariff
They didn't show up.
Audience Member
So Renee and Rachel, the older girls, were old friends. Renee asked Rachel to come with her shopping. And then Renee's boyfriend was gonna come, but he went to a friend's house. So his little sister Julie begs to come. So they bring her boyfriend's little sister along. So it's the three of them. They get to the mall. Rachel parks her car at the top of the fucking car park. Oldsmobile. And they go shopping. People see them because. And this needs to be our new shirt. She's wearing a shirt that says Sweet honesty.
Karen Kilgariff
What? That's 1974 for you. What the fuck? What stoner put that thing together? And you know, it was like crazy cursive with the Y on the honesty. And then like three loop de loos.
Audience Member
Glitter, like all around, just on the tip.
Karen Kilgariff
Tits.
Audience Member
Yeah. No bra. No bra.
Karen Kilgariff
No bra. Didn't have to.
Audience Member
70S tits. Like that's a thing.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, for sure. They were real low.
Audience Member
So a ton of people see them at the mall.
Georgia Hardstark
People.
Audience Member
Because people see her shirt. Whatever the fuck. And then that evening, families get worried. As they do, they go out looking for the girl, and they find her car where she parked it, on the roof of the small area. And in the car, the car is locked. And inside are the presents. So at some point they went to the car, put the presents in there, locked the car, and then what? Right? Yes.
Karen Kilgariff
I don't know. You have to tell me.
Audience Member
So they're freaking out. The next day, a letter comes in the mail, and it goes to Rachel's husband's house. Now, Rachel, who was 17 and married.
Karen Kilgariff
What? What?
Audience Member
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Wait, is that Sweet Honesty?
Audience Member
That's the other one. Even. Okay, a 14 year old is wearing a Sweet honesty shirt. F. Don't let your babies grow up.
Karen Kilgariff
To be sweet honesties.
Audience Member
For real. She's married, okay, to this dude.
Karen Kilgariff
All right?
Audience Member
This dude. Her husband was dating her older sister beforehand.
Karen Kilgariff
Look, it happens.
Audience Member
Yes, guilty. They break up.
Georgia Hardstark
These.
Audience Member
Her little sister and her boyfriend get married, and then the sister's living with them at the time.
Karen Kilgariff
What? No.
Audience Member
Like, we all know where this is. Like, we know.
Karen Kilgariff
Wait, is that. Are you just talking out an episode of Game of Thrones and saying. Saying it happened in Fort Worth?
Audience Member
Never seen it. No, this is Dallas. I'm talking to Dallas. Yeah, right.
Georgia Hardstark
Okay.
Audience Member
But no letter comes in the mail. Why is he checking his fucking mail the day after his wife gets fucking kidnapped?
Karen Kilgariff
You think he should have avoided that mailbox?
Audience Member
I mean, why are you checking it?
Karen Kilgariff
He loves mail. It's the only thing that made him feel better. Fucking catalogs and postcards.
Audience Member
Fair enough. Well, he goes to his mailbox and he finds a letter from her, supposedly from Rachel, says, I know I'm gonna catch it. Which is like the cutest phrase I've ever heard in my life.
Karen Kilgariff
Like, Catch some shit.
Audience Member
I know I'm gonna catch it.
Karen Kilgariff
Say, I know I'm gonna catch it.
Audience Member
I know I'm gonna catch it. But we just had to get away. We're going to Houston. See you in about a week. The car is in Sears upper lot. Love, Rachel. Right? I know. So, like, he gets that letter. Her name is kind of misspelled. His name is seriously Da, da, da.
Karen Kilgariff
Her first name is misspelled.
Audience Member
Yeah, a little bit misspelled. Like.
Karen Kilgariff
No, it has. Look, I've done that so many times where it's like, K A, F. What is it?
Audience Member
I want to make fun of that, but recently my manager emailed me, was like, hey, your name's spelled wrong and you're real. And I was like, what are you talking about? I looked at it and it said, G E, O, R, I, G A. I fucking spelled my own goddamn name wrong.
Karen Kilgariff
That was like, Giorga Jorga.
Audience Member
And this felt like three years and I didn't notice it. So fair enough.
Karen Kilgariff
Once you change it, you're gonna get so many jobs.
Audience Member
People have been like, I want to hire her for the million dollar thing, but I can't find her. Her name's spelled wrong. No, there goes a million dollars.
Karen Kilgariff
So it does happen. This isn't crazy.
Audience Member
It happens. Let's be fair. Okay. So her husband was married to the Vigora family, thinks that the letter. They're like, that's not her handwriting. And she spelled her fucking name wrong.
Karen Kilgariff
And in addition to back that up.
Audience Member
So the stamp had been stamped, you know, like, cleared at the thing at the post office. Thank you. That morning. So someone sent that thing the night before or on the 24th of when it showed up. Which I'm like, if you're just. If you just kidnap three people randomly, you're not gonna bother to let the family know?
Karen Kilgariff
No, you kidnap and you get straight to that correspondence.
Audience Member
Yeah, like, that's to. That's to throw people off.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Audience Member
That's not like a serial killer who's, like, grabbing three people and doesn't give a shit. Right?
Karen Kilgariff
No, that's like an anal retentive serial killer.
Audience Member
That's like a leave us alone for a minute. Right. Serial killer.
Karen Kilgariff
You mean, can I have some privacy while I write my letters?
Audience Member
Can I have some privacy while I.
Karen Kilgariff
To sit at my secretary's desk and just write out with a feather pen?
Audience Member
Like, right after I kidnapped them, though. You know what I mean? It's weird.
Karen Kilgariff
I get it.
Audience Member
All right, so. So people saw them that day because clearly she had a sweet Honesty shirt on. And like, how you gonna miss that one? A 14 year old. And like, that sounds like a stripper name.
Karen Kilgariff
Nothing.
Audience Member
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with strippers.
Karen Kilgariff
It's just a name.
Audience Member
Just a name that.
Karen Kilgariff
Strippers quite. It's sweet and honest.
Audience Member
So a woman. A woman tells a store clerk that she saw some men hustle the girls into a pickup. Pickup truck. But police never located that witness. Another says that the girls had been spotted in a security patrol car. So in 1981, which was. Let's do math. Was just like so many years later, six plus one is seven years later.
Karen Kilgariff
Seven.
Audience Member
Seven years later, a man. A man randomly comes around and he's like, hey, I saw a girl. I saw a man forcing them into a van that day, you fucking dick. Like, what the.
Karen Kilgariff
Were you. Where were you?
Audience Member
Oh, in 81. I just like, popped into my head that these fucking girls were being forced into a van.
Karen Kilgariff
He had so much stuff on his mind.
Audience Member
Christmas.
Karen Kilgariff
There was tons of littering back then.
Audience Member
But the guy in the van told him. He goes, hey, it's a family dispute. Don't worry about it. And that's why he never told it till he was. Till 81.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Audience Member
I mean, like, can you. I can't even.
Karen Kilgariff
Well, because, you know, it was like, back then, if your family was fighting about something, you could. Could throw them in a van forcibly at the mall.
Audience Member
True.
Karen Kilgariff
It was done.
Audience Member
How many people out here have like, seen that and just never told anyone about it? It was a family dispute, okay? Your family's psychopaths.
Karen Kilgariff
Anything, I will call the police. Just. If I see a van, I don't give a fuck. I don't care. Be like, it's clearly a bread truck. I don't care. Call 911.
Audience Member
Karen does citizens arrest all over town all the time. I won't even believe her. Now, her brother says. Rachel's brother says that there's been sightings all over the Fort Worth area. You know, it's one of those. Like, they were white slaves. Like, people keep saying that some of the sightings were what happened.
Karen Kilgariff
Someone doesn't like that. It doesn't matter.
Audience Member
Oh, shit. Someone's mad about something we said, okay? And they hired a private detective to look for it. He committed suicide in 1979. When your fucking private detective commits suicide, like, come on.
Karen Kilgariff
You're like, no, we're the ones that are mourning.
Audience Member
Yeah. And he was like. He had a will that said, like, destroy my records. When I die, they destroy the records, commit suicide, then Fucking destroyed records.
Karen Kilgariff
They're like, you know what? We're just gonna sweep all this under the rug. We think that's the way we're gonna handle all of this.
Audience Member
You know what we're gonna do? We're gonna be the of the 80s. Okay, so these fucking chicks are never found.
Karen Kilgariff
So wait, sorry, now we're in the 80s? We're that far ahead?
Audience Member
No, 79. That happened. I just. I said the 80s as, like, a thing.
Karen Kilgariff
Sorry, sorry, sorry. It just seems I'm not questioning you.
Audience Member
Yes, you are.
Karen Kilgariff
It's our first fight here in Chicago. It's the place to do it.
Audience Member
Okay, so they were never found. Spoiler alert. I'm sorry. That sucks. It blows. But there's two suspects that I find very interesting. So, Mike Debar. Delen. Ben. Read that. Read that.
Karen Kilgariff
Hold on, let me get my readers. Mike Debar. Ebene.
Audience Member
What'd I say?
Karen Kilgariff
It really is what it says. That wasn't just you kind of copy and paste.
Audience Member
No, no, no, that was a copy and paste. So this dude gets arrested for passing counterfeit bills, and then the cops found evidence of sex crimes, including him taking photos of him raping and murdering humans. Yeah. Thank you.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, you didn't know? That's what the whole fucking podcast is about.
Audience Member
Someone's like, wait, what?
Karen Kilgariff
I thought you were going to talk out the story of the wizard of Oz. No, it's all this bad.
Audience Member
The FBI profilers think that when the face is seen in the photo, he kills them. When the face isn't seen, he allows them to live. It's like, come on, you fucking dick. Okay, so here's the tie in is that he's a convicted kidnapper, rapist, counterfeiter, and suspected serial killer. Was the habit of passing counterfeit bills in shopping malls. He was operating around Texas around that time and was known to impersonate security guards and other positions of authority. Remember that chick was like, I saw a security guard driving them in his van. Right? Because like, who. What girl back then isn't going to, like, go with, oh, my God, I'm a bell chicken. Go with the security guard.
Karen Kilgariff
Do it into the microphone next time. We accept you.
Audience Member
My mom is here.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, that's right. Sorry.
Audience Member
This is what you raised? Yeah. I mean, okay, so a guy comes over and he's like, did you see that?
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, it was awesome. That's good podcasting right there. That's the kind of shit you can't see when you're listening.
Audience Member
Yeah, Saeed, thank you.
Karen Kilgariff
She's like the David Blaine of paper.
Audience Member
Okay, so like back then, a guy's like, I saw you shoplifting. I'm gonna. I'm a security guard. And you're like, no, I didn't. And he's like, come with me. You know, and he makes them all come with him.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. You go, it's like he has a blue shirt on with a belt. And then you're like, oh, I guess you're in charge. I guess I have to fucking do whatever you say.
Audience Member
There's no stranger danger. There's. Don't. Don't talk back to authority.
Karen Kilgariff
That's right.
Audience Member
That's what that was back then.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes.
Audience Member
So you just get in the car.
Karen Kilgariff
Yep.
Audience Member
Goodbye.
Karen Kilgariff
Sweet honesty.
Audience Member
Sweet honesty. She didn't understand. It's actually, you should sweet kick him in the dick. That's what I'm sort of said. You guys pepper spray first and apologize later, right?
Karen Kilgariff
These days, George's favorite thing to say is, should I pepper spray that guy? It's my. It makes me laugh so hard I can't remember where we were. But you were just like, do I need a pepper spray? Spray this guys like, please don't. Not right now.
Audience Member
Why not.
Karen Kilgariff
Just spray it around like room freshener in your mouth.
Audience Member
Beyond what is called a ban.
Karen Kilgariff
Let's do this.
Audience Member
Okay, so he's known to impersonate serial security guards. Not serial killers. Another physician authority. He lived within a. A half mile of Rachel, one of the girls who disappeared at the time of the disappearance. And then I wrote fucked up. He earned the respect of the FBI profilers because he never gave himself away in unguarded moments nor bragged about his exploits. So the fucking FBI was like good on him. But he never told anyone there.
Karen Kilgariff
Well, it was like a healthy respect for the enemy because usually they brag.
Audience Member
I don't respect them for not getting it out of the student. If their fucking killer is smarter.
Georgia Hardstark
Are we gonna.
Audience Member
Should I not talk shit about the FBI?
Karen Kilgariff
Probably. It's a sensitive time.
Audience Member
Do it.
Karen Kilgariff
Someone yells, you fucking do it.
Audience Member
Listen. Love those guys. I'm just saying this dude was a serial killer.
Karen Kilgariff
We're gonna do a show at the FBI at Quantico next month.
Audience Member
The murder of our government. You guys okay? The other day? Dude, who I think is just the dude. Lloyd Welch is a drifter and a hitchhiker. Lord Lloyd.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, sorry.
Audience Member
That would be cool though. He's like a Lord.
Karen Kilgariff
Lord Welch, but in Texas.
Audience Member
Lord of the bad manners. Cuz he the bad manners. That's what gets cut out usually. Okay. He's recently been Charged around that. Oh, so recently, around now, he's been charged with the murder of the Lyon sisters. There's two girls. You're shaking your head. I can see it. Catherine, who is 10, and Sheila, who is 12, disappears from a Maryland mall in 1975.
Karen Kilgariff
Okay, it's the exact same M.O.
Audience Member
At the time of his arrest. No, at the time of his arrest, he's serving a lengthy prison sentence in Delaware for child sexual abuse. So he's a real fun guy. Like a prize. Yeah, Mom's proud.
Karen Kilgariff
Good stuff.
Audience Member
So in December 2014, here's another fucking asshole. Welch's cousin tells detectives that he had helped Welch so that they never found the Lyon sisters. They were like, where? You know, these girls got kidnapped from a mall, never found them. In 2014, Welch's cousin is like, well, one time I helped him with two heavy duffel bags in 1975. It gets worse. They met at a property in Virginia. He said he helped to remove two army style duffel bags from Welch's vehicle. Each bag weighed about 60 or 70 pounds and smelled like death. What the fuck?
Karen Kilgariff
It was probably camping equipment. It gets musty.
Audience Member
You know how when your cousins ask you to help you burn or bury something and you're like, I'm just not asking questions.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean. I mean, look, we're all cousins. We have to be at Thanksgiving together. Just be chill.
Audience Member
It'll be so awkward if I'm like, what's in these? And you're like, I don't wanna tell you.
Karen Kilgariff
Come on. Don't unzip that. It's my murder duffel.
Audience Member
He tells in 2014. And then, oh. And he said further, the bags were covered in red stains. It's probably Kool Aid.
Karen Kilgariff
Was he blind and deaf?
Audience Member
And then in 2014, he came to.
Karen Kilgariff
Snap back miraculously and.
Audience Member
Okay, so Lloyd Welch happens to be. He happens to work at the time. He's like a drifter. But he worked for a traveling carnival company. Guess where they set up all the time in the 70s inside a duffel bag?
Karen Kilgariff
No where.
Audience Member
In malls. And he was in Austin, Texas, until around 75. These carnivals set up in malls from the mid-70s to 97.
Karen Kilgariff
I'm just trying to picture a mall carnival. And it's like, oh, honey. Bumming me out so bad.
Audience Member
You know, your parents always wore, like. They were always like, those rides are gonna kill you. They also didn't say, those ride people are gonna kill you.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes, right. Basically everything over there is gonna kill you.
Audience Member
Yeah, everything. Your mom, like, your parents told you to worry About. And you were like, you're being annoying. And. No, they'll kill you.
Karen Kilgariff
They're dead on.
Audience Member
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Dead on.
Audience Member
It's so annoying when your parents are right.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Audience Member
So in 20. In July 2015, Welch is indicted, charged with the girl's murder. His uncle is a person of interest.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, the duffel bag guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Audience Member
Okay, so here's another thing. So he's in malls, baby. Blah. His longtime girlfriend at the time dated for over 10 years. We're always on the road together, et cetera, et cetera. She was a security guard at a mall.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, like, for the real deal.
Audience Member
Yeah. Borrowed her outfit. What's up? Stole those kids. You know, it.
Karen Kilgariff
Dance moves.
Audience Member
Oh, and then in 2001, a former Sears security guard and Fort Worth police officer gives a chilling account. He says that he witnessed girls climb into a pickup truck of a young mall security guard and that they appeared to go with him willingly.
Karen Kilgariff
Goodbye.
Audience Member
Thank you.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean, that's just.
Audience Member
Yeah. Never found.
Karen Kilgariff
Never found. In the other two girls that were murdered. That was never prosecuted.
Audience Member
But do we know that the husband and sister weren't involved? The brother thinks that. That the sister was involved.
Karen Kilgariff
I'd like to bring all of Texas up on charges for this story. There's kind. No one's innocent in this.
Audience Member
It seems like you wouldn't be wrong.
Karen Kilgariff
But also, it's. So, wait, somebody had. The girlfriend was a real security guard, so they could have been borrowing badges and. And stuff to make it look real.
Audience Member
Totally. Or maybe she was compl. Complicit.
Karen Kilgariff
Complicit.
Audience Member
Maybe she was complicit and was like, get in my car, girls. And they got in her car, you know?
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. All right. So don't go to the mall. Don't talk to security guards. Don't.
Audience Member
Don't wear your sweet honesty shirt.
Karen Kilgariff
No sweet honesty anymore. Stop it.
Audience Member
Don't do it.
Karen Kilgariff
I have to say, those cold cases drive me crazy.
Ashley
I know.
Karen Kilgariff
I love them. I know. That's your favorite.
Audience Member
There's just. No.
Karen Kilgariff
We should set up, like, a red phone on stage in case somebody finds out it comes through immediately. Ring through and be like, Lloyd Welch.
Audience Member
Oh, my God.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, good, you guys.
Audience Member
And then. And then, like, the balloons drop and confetti comes down.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes. And we all dance and dance. Well. Good one. That was a good one.
Audience Member
Thank you.
Karen Kilgariff
Clapford. George's. Where are you going?
Audience Member
What? Oh, I thought you were leaving.
Karen Kilgariff
I was just giving you your time in the spotlight. Okay, we are back. Georgia, do you have updates for this case?
Georgia Hardstark
I Have a couple updates. One really important thing we need to talk about is that Sweet Honesty T shirt. We had no idea what it was. I'll never forget that now, though, because I have Sweet Honesty merch in my house now that listeners have given us.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Georgia Hardstark
So Sweet Honesty was an Avon perfume available from 1974-78. It was advertised as the innocence fragrance of First Love. To, like, tweens, I think. So that's why she had that shirt on. I have multiple bottles that have been gifted to me of Sweet Honesty. It stinks so bad, but it is so cool. And I just love that we have a connection now to a vintage Avon perfume.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean, and people having those memories, because it's the kind of thing where, like, growing up at a certain amount of time, your mom had this one product where you're like, oh, my God. That triggers all these things.
Georgia Hardstark
Gina Tay for sure. Oh, my God.
Karen Kilgariff
The first time I splashed Gina tail, my legs, it burned so bad. I was like, what is happening?
Georgia Hardstark
What was the perfume? I used to have my mom, when we'd spend every other weekend at my dad's house, you know, and I'd bring my pillow with me, and I have my mom spray she had. It was Giorgio. She wore Giorgio perfume.
Karen Kilgariff
Yellow ones. Yep.
Georgia Hardstark
Huh. And I made her spray it on my pillow because I missed her so much. So I could smell it while I was trying to fall asleep in my dad's apartment on a cot. On an army cot.
Audience Member
Oh, yeah. Sorry, dad.
Georgia Hardstark
Okay, back to the story, though. This one is, like, just has always stuck with me. Obviously, you know, it's a cold case, and those are near and dear to my heart. It's been 50 years since Rachel, Renee, and Julie went missing, and the case remains unsolved. Their families have continued the search and received many leads over the years, but nothing's panned out. In 2023, a woman came forward to Rachel's younger brother and claimed that her dad forced her to write that original letter after they went missing. And she believed he was responsible. Her dad was responsible. But nothing came of it. And the brother was like, I hear stories like this all the time. And Julie's brother, Terry Mosley, told Fox 7 that he believes that, quote, the only way the case will be solved is if the person that did it comes forward and can prove they did it. Unless something like that happens, I don't think it'll ever be solved. Ye. But I want to recommend a book. So one of the suspects in the case is Lloyd Welch. And I actually not that Long ago read a book about him because he was suspected and I think eventually tried for another missing girls case. It's called the Last A Masterpiece of Criminal Interrogation by Mark Bowden. And it's an excellent true crime read. I highly recommend it. And I think this guy is a really good suspect for this case. He's an awful human being.
Karen Kilgariff
The idea that he got tried for a different, similar crime.
Georgia Hardstark
Yeah. Two girls missing from a mall. Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Just. Yeah. Horrifying.
Georgia Hardstark
All right, well, my Fort Worth, Texas, disappointment location. Disappointment was luckily, I think turned around because when you announced that you're gonna do this Chicago area story, the crowd fucking lost it. Right, let's get into Karen's story about none other than John Wayne Gacy. Hey, Karen, I want you to picture yourself going for a drive. What comes to mind?
Karen Kilgariff
Not ever being able to merge on any freeway in Los Angeles. And potholes and crying.
Audience Member
Oh, yeah.
Georgia Hardstark
Well, the truth is the road can feel like it's out to get you at every turn. But, Karen, it doesn't have to be this way.
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
This is needed. Hyundai vehicles are equipped with a standard driver attention warning system which constantly monitors your attention levels. I. Oh my God. Once detected, it sounds, alerts and visual cues to help bring your focus back to the road.
Georgia Hardstark
Oh, my God.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean, get this for me right now.
Georgia Hardstark
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Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
That's H Y U N d a I usa.com or call 562-314-4603.
Audience Member
Goodbye.
Georgia Hardstark
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Karen Kilgariff
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Georgia Hardstark
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Karen Kilgariff
Goodbye.
Georgia Hardstark
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Audience Member
Goodbye.
Karen Kilgariff
I hate this fucking stool. Can you say that about your stool?
Audience Member
Stand and deliver.
Karen Kilgariff
I'm gonna stand and stare at you.
Audience Member
Stand and deliver.
Karen Kilgariff
Well I I did a very pandery thing and I Picked a Chicago murderer.
Audience Member
You think you're better than.
Karen Kilgariff
Than me. What's that?
Audience Member
I said, you think you're better than me.
Karen Kilgariff
That's right. But also because there were so many choices. A lot of people love. They love to talk about how, like, Pacific Northwest, oh, you have so many murders in San Francisco. Hello, Chicago. You guys want to kill everybody.
Audience Member
Chicago just doesn't brag about it.
Karen Kilgariff
That's right. They're just low key.
Audience Member
Yeah. Like, yeah, well, they're just like, yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Let'S go have a beer. I don't need to talk about that. How are you doing? More importantly, we don't need to talk about the torso murders. How are you doing?
Audience Member
Eyeball killer. No, that's not here.
Karen Kilgariff
No, no, that's Cleveland. Anyway, so there was a lot lippy. There was a lot of choices to choose from, and there was a lot of favorites, but I actually had to go with, this is my original. The reason I got into reading serial killer books and watching true crime shows. Fucking John Wayne Gay.
Audience Member
And I know this because she accidentally told me in the hotel room.
Karen Kilgariff
It slipped out in the hotel room. What was the context of that?
Audience Member
You were talking about how the hotel concierge was like, you had to print out your notes.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, yeah.
Audience Member
And she was like, if you like John Wayne Gacy, you'll love this tour. And then I was like, oh, fuck.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. That's all I said. Nothing. There was nothing else.
Audience Member
So I don't know the deets. Yeah, but I'm about to hear them.
Karen Kilgariff
You're about to hear them. And you may have heard me say this before, but the first thing I ever saw about John Wayne Gacy, because if, you know, he buried the bodies of teenage boys that he murdered inside his house. And when the police arrested him finally, and he was able to draw a diagram of his house and he knew where every single boy was in the house, and there were 27 of them.
Audience Member
I bet the FBI didn't respect him after that.
Karen Kilgariff
That's right. They were like, oh, look at braggy Braggerstein over there. Take it easy. So I saw when I was, like, probably 12, I opened a book. Good age to see this. The perfect age for true crime. Opened a book. And they had drawn based on the diagram that John Wayne Gacy had drawn. They had because they just used, like, long rectangles to show where the bodies were. And some artist had basically drawn body shapes. Like, it almost looked like a chalk outline, but like body shapes in a house diagram. So that's. I like, was, oh, childhood. And you know, Joanie loves Chachi and fucking this and that. And I look down at this thing and I'm like, why are those boys floating in those boxes? And then I read underneath it, and it's like, you know, 27 bodies were buried inside this house. And I was just like, okay, now I know that, and now I must know more. And I won't stop adding that to.
Audience Member
Charlotte's Web and all the shit.
Karen Kilgariff
You already know some pig. So let's talk about fucking good old John. Also, the middle name Wayne is very common in serial killer world, which I think is kind of great that he got in there. I don't know. But he. They named him John Wayne Gacy because his mom loved John Wayne the actor.
Audience Member
Red flag, right?
Karen Kilgariff
Not a good sign that she loved film. So John Wayne Gacy was born on March 17, St. Patrick's Day, 1942, at Edgewater Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Anyone? Edgewater.
Audience Member
Anyone else?
Karen Kilgariff
You guys work there? Were you also born there with him? He was the second of three children. He had an older sister and a younger sister. And his father was a machinist who had been in World War I. And he was a very bad alcoholic. So the story was that his dad would come home from work and he would go down into the basement and drink brandy, which sounds classy, but they would have. They would. The mom would make dinner, and then they will all sit at the dinner table and wait for him to come upstairs and see how he felt.
Audience Member
Well, I bet when he came up, he was real happy, and everyone was like, we can finally talk to Mandy. Brandy.
Karen Kilgariff
Well, no, instead, normally he would come up drunk and very angry, and he would beat them with a strap for dinner.
Audience Member
So I'm good tonight on strap.
Karen Kilgariff
I'm so full of strap from last night, Todd. You can give it to her, though, if you want.
Audience Member
She's real hungry. Her strapped.
Karen Kilgariff
And part of what they say, they think what fueled his rage is that John was basically a mama's boy. And he liked that, you know, the father was into fishing and hunting and man, man, man. And John liked to cook, and he liked to be in the kitchen with his mom. He liked planting flowers in the garden. Things that in, like, the late 40s, apparently brought deep shame upon you and your ancestors and were unacceptable and made you drink brandy and beat children.
Audience Member
So sounds like the norm back then, though, you know?
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, I think it is. It's like everybody has to fit into their box, and if you don't, I'm gonna punch you in the face. Even though you're eight. All right? And then I wrote down there, toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
Audience Member
Can't wait to see that meme.
Karen Kilgariff
Then when John was nine, he was molested by a family friend. And then when he was 11, he was hit in the head with a baseball bat.
Audience Member
What?
Karen Kilgariff
With a swing. With a swing. Exactly. Like Richard Ramirez with a swing.
Audience Member
You know, if I was like, he got to nine, he was so fucking close to, like, not getting molested. Like, you're so close. And then some shitty neighbor, like your dad's family work friend.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Audience Member
Comes along, you're so close to getting. And then a fucking swing.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. Were they like that swing?
Audience Member
Were they a metal back then?
Karen Kilgariff
They probably were made out of, like, seven pounds of metal. Like, this will really center this swing nicely.
Audience Member
Yeah. And it's lead, so if you lick it, you're gonna die.
Karen Kilgariff
So. But he also had a bad heart, so he was prone to fainting spells, which didn't help with the whole also gardening and cooking thing. He's just, like, taking five every once in a while type of stuff. And the. So we just felt white. He's off fucked up. Then to add to the household tension, John had a secret fetish for women's underwear. So he would steal his mother's silk panties and put them. Hold on. In a bag and In a brown bag in the back of the closet. And he would. That was his, like, panty stash. Mommy's panty stash.
Audience Member
But said he just stashed them.
Karen Kilgariff
He's. Well, I'm. I mean, who am I to say that he masturbated all over them?
Audience Member
That's what I was looking for.
Karen Kilgariff
That's hearsay. Yes.
Audience Member
Cause I have a fetish for panties. I buy a bunch of them and I wear them as underwear.
Karen Kilgariff
Not the same, you know, Victoria's.
Audience Member
Whatever the fuck.
Karen Kilgariff
You buy a bunch of them and then stick them in a brown bag and tuck them into the back of your closet.
Audience Member
No, I don't do that. And then I kill people.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. So. So he told one of his friends that he had them. He showed them to a friend of his and then said he wanted. He wished he could know what he looked like as a woman.
Audience Member
Never trust anyone.
Karen Kilgariff
So then his sister found that brown bag in the closet, and she told the mom. And the mom was like, oh, Johnny's always had a fetish for panties. So she was quite progressive, actually. Just. Just very nice to hear, but not helpful in any way. Okay. So when he. So he had a hard time in School. He wasn't popular. He fainted a lot. He was always thinking about those underwear. And then he would. When he was 9, he never graduated from high school. He went to four different high schools around the greater metropolitan area. And then he never graduated. And when he was 19, he just left town. He moved to Las Vegas without telling his family.
Audience Member
Sounds like what you're supposed to do when you live in the Midwest.
Karen Kilgariff
That's right.
Audience Member
Bye. No, I mean, like, get out of your small town. I don't mean. Not you guys. They just all come rushing to the stage.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. Don't worry. They'll fall into the orchestra pit. We're totally safe. So here's the thing. So he gets a job in Las Vegas. And like, I was thinking about this, like, the first job you get out of high school, it's usually based on the thing you kind of like the most or the thing that you're into. So, like, I worked at a yogurt shop because I fucking love eating so much.
Audience Member
I worked at a bakery.
Karen Kilgariff
Did you?
Audience Member
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
And well, John became a janitor at a mortuary. Yeah. Cause he. It was his passion, the dead. And he actually later admitted to the police that when he worked there one night, he.
Audience Member
That's right.
Karen Kilgariff
He got into a coffin with a. The body of a dead boy. And fondled. Gets so much worse.
Audience Member
There's 47 pages right here.
Karen Kilgariff
A lot of this is my poetry I'm gonna read later. All right. His parents actually hire a private investigator to find him, and they find him in Vegas.
Audience Member
My parents wouldn't do that. Would George?
Karen Kilgariff
You'd be like, well, good luck. I mean, if you've gotta be in Vegas fondling dead bodies, then live your dreams. He came back to Chicago and he went to business college, and it turned out he was a born salesman because he is a psychopath. Right. We're learning, as we talk on this podcast, all about terminology and what it actually means, as opposed to what I think it means and say it means to a whole shitload of people.
Audience Member
And then people we didn't up. We're learning that people believe us when we say, yeah, I didn't know that.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. So I think we've taught, like, psychosis. I've mixed up psychosis and psychopath. So I, I, I had the thing where I told people that 25% of the population were sociopaths. People do not.
Audience Member
And then on Corrections Corner, she said that it was only one quarter.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes.
Audience Member
Yeah. And I was like, okay. I didn't fucking question.
Karen Kilgariff
Everything's fine. You Know, anyone can do a podcast, right? Anybody.
Audience Member
Yeah. Anyone gets a podcast.
Karen Kilgariff
Fucking anyone.
Audience Member
It's true.
Karen Kilgariff
So. But for this, I looked it up because clearly we know that these. These major players are usually psychopaths. And their thing is that they're very ambitious. It's like they just want to get ahead. They're very, very charming, which apparently John Wayne Gacy was very charming and, like, had the gift of Gabby's relationship. He's very, you know, like, he just made people feel very comfortable. And then he had an insatiable sexual appetite. So he was kind of always doing things so that he could.
Audience Member
Those all sounds so, like, time consuming, you know, like, it makes me want to take a nap.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, he had to. He had to, like, take vitamins and just really, like, make sure you got enough water and stuff.
Audience Member
You know, what's great is taking a nap with a cat. I don't know. You don't need to be super sexual or tacky or fucking cool.
Karen Kilgariff
Just relax.
Audience Member
Just go to sleep.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, well, not John, as far as I know.
Audience Member
I mean, good for him. Kind of.
Karen Kilgariff
What if he was like a crazy cat lady? He's like, oh, my God, I have like 12 cats. I love it. He worked at the Nun Bush Shoe Company here in Chicago. Anyone?
Audience Member
No? Karen?
Karen Kilgariff
They shut it down.
Audience Member
Stephen, can we edit that out, please?
Karen Kilgariff
Stephen, can we turn that part up? Where no one supported me? He was very good at it. And he ended up getting transferred to Springfield, Illinois.
Audience Member
Oh, big time, right?
Karen Kilgariff
Are you representing from Springfield? Well, then what the fuck are you doing?
Audience Member
Right? I was fucking right.
Karen Kilgariff
And he joined a group called the Jaycees. You can cheer for it now. I just don't believe anyone.
Audience Member
Actually, the John Gacy's, they're all John Gacy's.
Karen Kilgariff
No, the jcs, that's jgs.
Audience Member
Fuck.
Karen Kilgariff
Sorry, Mom. This is your fault.
Audience Member
Jesus.
Karen Kilgariff
The jcs, from what I can gather, which there is almost no information, I think they might be the Illuminati, because it just is a website. A weird blue website that's like, we're a nonprofit organization to help the city. And it's like, what? But why? And based on who? And, like, there's no answers. Just young people in jackets that are like, the jcs. So he was in the jcs, and he made a lot of, like, contacts and, like, you know, I guess made friends or whatever. Very active. And that's when you hear about John Wayne Gacy. That he was like, you know, he lived this crazy double life because he was all successful and, you know, was in parades and shit. Well, I think it was like, it was based in the JCS. That's how it started. And he was. So in February 1964, he meets a shy bookkeeper. And a year later he marries her. And she has a very wealthy family. It turns out it's an incredibly beneficial marriage to him.
Audience Member
I want to say a shy bookkeeper. As to what bookkeepers are usually like, which is fucking out of control.
Karen Kilgariff
A lot of theater students become bookkeepers. And then.
Audience Member
So she's wealthy.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. And so he's like, that's so weird. I'm in love with you. What a great coincidence. So later that year, so they get married in. Oh, no, sorry. They meet in February. Is 64. They get married soon after. And then later that year. Oh, this is. This is mathematically impossible. Later, it's. I have later that same year while his wife is in the hospital giving birth to their first child. But I'm pretty sure no. Unless.
Audience Member
Well, he could have knocked her up before. Ooh, girl.
Karen Kilgariff
John, you dog. Basically, she gets pregnant with their first child. She's in the hospital giving birth. You know, back then I was like, men didn't have to be in the delivery room. They weren't, you know, they were as fun as you are.
Audience Member
Women didn't even have to be there. They just like knocked you the fuck out.
Karen Kilgariff
That's right. You're like, let me know when the baby comes. Well, he actually was at a bar around the corner with one of his co workers. He ended up fucking that night while his wife was giving birth, wakes up in the apartment the next day, gets dressed, goes to the hospital and holds his newborn son. Yeah. So this is the beginning of his double life. And then in 1966, his father in law says, if you move to Waterloo, Iowa, I will.
Audience Member
I will kill you. From the audience.
Karen Kilgariff
She'S just scared because she was thinking about something that happened earlier.
Audience Member
There was a spider. There was a spider on her.
Karen Kilgariff
There was a spider. The father in law says, if you move to Waterloo, Iowa, you can have three Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants.
Audience Member
Oh, my God.
Karen Kilgariff
Am I right? With fucking Waterloo Chicken, I would do that. So he goes there to manage these. He's 24.
Audience Member
Holy shit.
Karen Kilgariff
And the funniest thing is we watch these. I mean, there's a million. What do you call documentaries about him? He always looks 53.
Audience Member
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Like from. From fucking jump. When there's pictures of him as a boy, you're like, is that the oldest boy in America? He's just at the Kentucky Fried Chickens. They say he's like a good manager and he does very well in the job, but he makes his employees call him the Colonel. What a fucking nerd. Can you believe if I was standing there with my dumb apron on like working Kentucky Fried Chicken? And he's like, I'm your new manager, but you gotta call me the Colonel. I'd be like, see you fucking later, Colonel. I don't work here anymore.
Audience Member
But you know, he thinks it's like fun and like you can call me this, but every time you don't, he's like, call me.
Karen Kilgariff
I said call me.
Audience Member
Sermon. And she comes home from a hard day of work and she's like my 24 year old fucking boss. I'm 53. I just keeps telling me to call him the fucking Colonel.
Georgia Hardstark
He also loves boys.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. So he quickly becomes a well liked member of the community. This is what he does, what he's good at. He joins the JCS in Waterloo. They're everywhere now. You're going to see them everywhere. It eventually turns, turns into Scientology. And they said he became the most valuable member of the JCS because he got put in charge. He was the chairman of the membership drive. And what he would do to get people to join the JCS would have them meet in a motel room and show stag movies and bring prostitutes and have orgies.
Audience Member
That sounds amazing.
Karen Kilgariff
And then people would be like, sure, I'll join the fucking jcs, let's do this.
Audience Member
Yeah. Like, what did it take to become the most valuable member back then?
Karen Kilgariff
Just like some money for prostitutes. Fucking sex workers. Sorry. Back then I think they were prostitutes.
Audience Member
Historical.
Karen Kilgariff
So. Oh. Then his sister in one of these documentaries talks about she finds out when they go visit them one time that him and his wife swap partners like that. They're. What is that called?
Audience Member
Swingers.
Karen Kilgariff
They're swingers like Vince Vaughn and his.
Audience Member
We don't even know what that means.
Karen Kilgariff
And we're like kind of proud of it. He tells his sister when they're visiting. I was like, yeah, we're going to this party tonight, but we might go home with other people saying, okay, you.
Audience Member
Know you're both gross, right?
Karen Kilgariff
You know I know about the underwear and the bag, right?
Audience Member
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
And then he's voted the JC's man.
Audience Member
Of the Year, so call me Colonel.
Karen Kilgariff
So then when he's in Waterloo, he ends up his wife goes out of town, he invites the 15 year old son of a fellow JC and a state senator over to the house to watch a stag film and get drunk and he molests this boy, no shit. And then he told him, you can't tell on me because I have ties to the mafia in Chicago. Here's 50 bucks. Keep your mouth shut. And it works for a little while. It works for long enough so that he molests the second boy. And then finally one boy breaks, and then the other one does, and he gets arrested and he gets sent to prison. Probation for 10 years. Okay. The prison psychiatrist recommends that he not be released ever, as he was a sexual sage and could never be rehabilitated. But he was so well behaved that they. He served 18 months. Yay.
Audience Member
Man.
Karen Kilgariff
His wife divorces him. She's like, yeah, the swinging thing was one thing, but what the. So he goes back to Chicago. While he's in jail, his father dies, has a heart attack, and dies. And he's convinced it's because of what he did, which is probably true. So he goes and moves in. His mother helps him buy a house, and they move in together. And he's like, trying to make good on all of his bad behavior. Good luck with that. So they buy a house at 8213 West Somerdale Avenue in the Norwood Park.
Audience Member
Anyone live there at that house?
Karen Kilgariff
But for real, though, you can't cheer if you don't actually live there.
Audience Member
And we're all going there right now.
Karen Kilgariff
And then In June of 1971, he starts his infamous contracting company business, I should say called pdm, which stands for painting, decorating, and Maintenance.
Audience Member
What does it really stand for? Pedophile Penis. Karen just.
Karen Kilgariff
It stands for penis. But he put DM after just to throw people off. And here's the thing. He basically only hires teenage boys to work for him.
Audience Member
Red flag.
Karen Kilgariff
And when. I mean, really. And when anybody asks him about it, he's like, they're more reliable than grown men. Teenage boys. Boys in the 70s. All right, okay.
Audience Member
There's like, literal movies made about teenage boys in the 70s being unreliable. Being unreliable.
Karen Kilgariff
So, okay, so In January of 1972, when he is 2961, he picks up. He's single now, so he doesn't have to. No one's checking on him. I don't think his mother's really paying attention. So one night he goes to the Greyhound bus station and he picks up a teenage runaway named Tim McCoy and he takes him back to his house where they party, they have sex. They believe that part was consensual. But then Gacy grabs a kitchen knife and stabs him to death. So this is his first kill. And he is also the first body that's buried in the crawl space face. And because he was a runaway, no one ever knew the boy was missing, so the cops were never alerted.
Audience Member
Poor baby.
Karen Kilgariff
So then. Well, the next line is, then he remarries a woman named Carol. Yeah, it's very easy for him to date for some reason.
Audience Member
It's so funny how much more these people have their shit together than you and I. Like, it's just.
Karen Kilgariff
You mean me? You're married?
Audience Member
No, I mean us.
Karen Kilgariff
No, I heard, I heard what you're saying.
Audience Member
I'm married by the string of my teeth.
Karen Kilgariff
What did they say?
Audience Member
I mean.
Karen Kilgariff
It was a friend of his sister's from high school. And the sister, again in a documentary is like. I mean, I didn't really see them together, but, you know, they seem happy. So. And it's just like, oh, all right. So basically he's just using her as body armor and then just like going about his day. So. So in 1975 is when he starts dressing up infamously as Pogo the Clown. Now everybody's seen the pictures, but if you haven't, if you're from Norway or whatever, has anyone. Woo. They don't do that. He dressed up as a clown, but he did the makeup. And there's like a, a rule in clown makeup where everything has to be rounded. Everything's circular and rounded and like fun because you're staring into the face of children. And Pogo the Clown, you know, John.
Audience Member
Wayne Gacy, like round shit.
Karen Kilgariff
They love round shit, donuts and cookies and fucking clown eyes. But John Wayne Gacy's clown makeup is pointy, pointy point. It's the scariest thing. It's. It's truly like a clown nightmare.
Audience Member
Illuminati. Illuminati, right?
Karen Kilgariff
Fucking death trap.
Audience Member
Light swastika on the forehead.
Karen Kilgariff
So bad. Okay, so in 76, after three years of marriage, his wife leaves him just because, you know, she just didn't feel like it anymore.
Audience Member
I'm just not feeling it.
Karen Kilgariff
So there's this story and this guy, Tony Antonucci, tells the story on one of the documentaries. He was 16 at the time. He was working at the contracting company. John Wayne Gacy invites him over because this was the thing. It would be like, come up my house and let's smoke a joint and we'll have a couple drinks, we'll hang out. And then when the teenage boys would get there, he would be. So this guy was a high school wrestler. So John Wayne Gacy's like, oh, come on, Mr. Wrestler, show me your wrestling moves. And the guy's like, okay.
Audience Member
That's such a thing.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes, It's a real.
Audience Member
All of that.
Karen Kilgariff
It's a real thing. Yeah. Cause then you're high, and then you're like, well, I'm not gonna say no to my boss who wants me to wrestle with him. Yeah.
Audience Member
And then suddenly you're.
Karen Kilgariff
You can, though, just know that, guys, you can literally just put the joint down and be like, I'll see you tomorrow.
Audience Member
You don't need to drink with older people. I don't know anyone. My parents are older than me, and I drink with them. It's fine. Something about, you know, something is. There's something deep.
Karen Kilgariff
There's something in there.
Audience Member
It's just.
Karen Kilgariff
No, we're gonna dig around.
Audience Member
Just go with it.
Karen Kilgariff
For sure. You don't need to drink with older people. The agent.
Audience Member
Pepper spray, everyone.
Karen Kilgariff
So basically, he challenges him to a wrestling match, and when, while they're wrestling, he throws a handcuff on one of Tony's wrists, and he tries to get the other wrist handcuffed. And he's fighting him and fighting him, and then he thinks he gets him. So Gacy leaves the room. And then Tony. What had happened is he fought him so much that the handcuff was only clicked to, like, the first thing. So he was able to pull his hand out of the handcuff. But then when Gacy walked back in the room, he kept his hand back behind his back, so it still looked like he was handcuffed. And so when Gacy came over to him, he fucking took him down. He did, like, a wrestling move, took him down to the ground. And Gacy goes, oh, you passed the test. So then Tony's like, oh, okay. And then he just kept working for him.
Audience Member
Oh, yeah. I wanted that to end better.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean, he was alive to tell the story, so that's good.
Audience Member
That's true.
Karen Kilgariff
But it was that thing where he was like, you know, it's your boss, and you just. You want. It was a good job. They were probably making, you know, a good amount of money, and it's such.
Georgia Hardstark
A weird story that there's no way.
Audience Member
To explain it to someone and. And sound like now you'd be like, this thing happened, and that would be a classic assault. But then it was just like, he's just goofing around.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. You know, we got high in that thing where your boss wrestles you and handcuffs you. Didn't you work at the Gap? That happened to you once at the Gap, right? Yes, it happens all the time.
Audience Member
It's normal.
Karen Kilgariff
All right, so Basically, this is his. It turns out that this becomes Gacy's mo. It's either that handcuffed trip trick or the magic rope trick. The magic rope trick was he would say, oh, I'm gonna show you this magic rope trick. And it was all around the fact that he was Pogo the clown. So he'd like, I'm a clown. I have these tricks.
Audience Member
I'm gonna show you the tricks.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, no. So it's such a nightmare. You're, like, kind of high. Like. Okay. Like, even just the clown stuff, I'd be like, I'm sorry, I just had an emergency call. I have to leave.
Audience Member
Like, they didn't have phones back then, right?
Karen Kilgariff
That's right. They couldn't. They just had to sit there in their down vest being like, cool, man. The fucking rope trick. The magic rope trick is they stand there and he goes, so this is what I do. And then he would just throw a rope around their neck and fucking strangle them to death. That was the magic rope trick. So it was quick and bad.
Georgia Hardstark
Oh, God.
Karen Kilgariff
So the problem was that he hired these boys, and a lot of them are written off as runaways when they would disappear. And oftentimes it would come to him. So they'd be like, oh, he worked for you. Have you seen him lately? And Tony Antonucci tells in one of those stories, he said he was supposed to meet this boy, John Zick. And John Zick never showed up for the job they were supposed to go do together. And then Gacy came up and goes, he called me and he said that he went to Cabo San Lucas.
Audience Member
Yep.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah.
Audience Member
Because that's where you go when you're a teenager.
Karen Kilgariff
When you're a teenager by yourself. I'm just gonna go.
Audience Member
I'm gonna quick seize.
Karen Kilgariff
I just need to go down to the Mexican Riviera for a while.
Audience Member
Yeah, I'm gonna go.
Karen Kilgariff
I just need to take it easy.
Georgia Hardstark
Goodbye.
Karen Kilgariff
So.
Audience Member
Oh, man.
Karen Kilgariff
So at this point. Oh, and also around this time, Gacy also put red lights in his car and would. When he would see a target, he would pull them over and say that he was an undercover cop and that he was. Was had to bring them in. He would handcuff them and then he would have them.
Audience Member
Never pull your car over when you're getting followed by a cop. Tell them I. Tell them I said that.
Karen Kilgariff
And when the cop comes to your window, you should pepper spray him in the aunt.
Audience Member
Yes.
Karen Kilgariff
Which is also the thing that Hillside Stranglers did. They posed as cops and pulled women over and would be like, you have a bunch of tickets get into our car.
Audience Member
Which is why you actually, I mean, I'm not bullshitting now, you do want to pull over in a well populated area. You don't want to if you're, if some cop is stopping you on deserted road, you're fucking getting off on the next stop. And parking in a McDonald's.
Karen Kilgariff
You know what you're doing? You're high speed chasing it.
Audience Member
Bye.
Karen Kilgariff
To evolve.
Audience Member
Tell them your mother sent you. Karen and Georgia.
Karen Kilgariff
So around this time time it at this point, he's been getting away with murder for six years. At the end of 1977, he'd killed 19 boys. And by 1978 he was committing a murder every two to three weeks. Holy your town.
Audience Member
I can't even vacuum every two to three weeks.
Karen Kilgariff
There's so much dog hair on all my clothes at the time.
Audience Member
Me too. The only reason we don't have have it is because we packed these.
Karen Kilgariff
I bought this here. All right, so his last victim, this was in December 1978. And it was 15 year old Robert Piest. And he worked part time at a drugstore in Des Plaines. Des Plaines.
Audience Member
Des Plaines.
Karen Kilgariff
Des Plaines. Des Plaines. It doesn't matter. So his mom, this Robert piece's mom, is in the parking lot to pick him up when his shift is over. But he goes, hold on a second. I met this guy who has a better job for me and it's a really good paying job, I'll be right back. And he never comes back. They go out into the parking lot after 15 minutes and he's nowhere to be seen. But here's the thing. And this is where if you've ever seen, there's a movie where Brian Dennehy plays John Wayne Gacy and you have to see it. It's so crazy because he, he was crazy drunk and on pills. So by this point he's been doing it and getting away with it for so long, he's like sloppy as hell. He thinks no one's ever going to catch him and he's just really sloppy. So the people in this drugstore knew who John Wayne Gacy was.
Audience Member
The guy who always offers kids jobs probably.
Karen Kilgariff
Exactly. Pogo the clown's here again.
Audience Member
It's that guy who wears a sweet honesty T shirt all the time. I brought it back around.
Karen Kilgariff
Didn't say that. Thank you. It's called a bring it back around. Thank you. Thank you. So anyway, they file a missing persons report. He is not a runaway. They can't blame it on any of that shit. This boy was an Eagle scout loving family. So the cops, they trace it back to Gacy. The cops go to his house to question him at 3:30 in the morning. When they finally trace it back and he's super pissy. He's like, really bitchy to the cops. I would be, oh, no, I'm sorry. They. They go to his house like at night, normal time, and he's really bitching. He's like, I, I will come down to the station, I'll come down to talk to you. He shows up at 3:30 in the morning at the police station covered in mud. So they're like, could you take a seat in here, please? We just have a couple questions to ask you. And. And they finally do a background check and see that he was convicted for sodomy in Iowa. And they're finally like, I think we've got this the guy. So.
Audience Member
Yeah, but can I just say that sodomy is a charge that they. Because they didn't give him the. You guys. Never mind.
Karen Kilgariff
What?
Audience Member
It's just a thing where they like, didn't want to charge him with child molestation or give him a real fucking charge. They gave him 18 months because they gave him sodomy instead. Which, like, anyone could get sodomy. That's not what I mean.
Karen Kilgariff
That's right. That's right. And if you're not comfortable with that, maybe it's your problem. Yeah, they detain him at the police.
Audience Member
Doesn't even want to.
Karen Kilgariff
I mean, I don't know what to say. Okay, they detain him at the police station. They go and search Gacy's home and they find a trap door that leads down to the crawl space. And then a cop crawls down into the crawl space and they're like, there sure is a lot of lime down here. And they just come back up. They didn't find anything.
Audience Member
They came, yeah, yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Someone said, no, no, there's more in this paper, I swear to God. So what they do find is a bunch of jewelry that does not belong to him. And one of the things that they found was a class ring with the initials J.C. inside it. And they trace that ring back to John Zick. His last name is spelled so insanely, it's C, Z Y S, Z, K or something like that. I just wrote it Z I, C, K because I couldn't deal. But they basically see, they trace the ring, they get John's name, they go to the Zick home and they say the mother tells them he's been missing since January 20, 1977. And they're like, ding, ding, ding, here we go. This is our guy. So then they start. They stake him out and they have to get a search warrant for his house. House. So while they're waiting, they put the surveillance team on his house. And Gacy is doing things like leading them on long, medium speed chases till dawn. Or.
Audience Member
Like he doesn't even know anyone's following him.
Karen Kilgariff
No, no, he does. He's doing it on purpose or he's like buying them dinner. Like they're out there, you know, like trying to order food or whatever, and then he just picks up the tab like he's fucking around. Like he's. There's. He can't ever get caught. But they get a second search warrant and that's when. Oh, no, sorry. He invited them in for a fish dinner. And while the two cops were inside, one of them said, could I use your restroom? And when the cop goes into the restroom, they said it was around Christmas time. So the heater was on and the cop walked into the bathroom. I keep saying restroom, but it's a home. He goes into the bathroom and smells death. And he's like this.
Audience Member
What?
Karen Kilgariff
Did you hear that?
Audience Member
What?
Karen Kilgariff
I just heard a ghost. He, like the heater. The heating vent came on. Sorry.
Audience Member
That's when we found out Karen was.
Karen Kilgariff
Crazy, out of her mind, totally insane. The heater vent came on, the air came out, and it was the smell of death. And he knew that they had to search this house, basically. So essentially, blip, bloop, bleep. Sorry. How they finally got him was he had driven to a gas station and dropped off a bag of pot to somebody. So they got him on this really dumb charge, but they were able to hold him at the police station. They got the second warrant, they go into the house, they go into the crawl space, and after 15 minutes, because they just didn't take enough time the first time, after 15 minutes, they're like, we have three bodies down here. And then it's on like Donkey Kong. And eventually they find in that crawl space 27 bodies of young men and boys. I feel so bad for those cops that had to dig all that up. It. It's so. Even just the old footage is so upsetting. Looking.
Audience Member
I've seen it.
Karen Kilgariff
It's. Yeah, you have to look at it.
Audience Member
Is his mom just playing solitaire the whole time or something? She.
Karen Kilgariff
No, she died at some point.
Audience Member
I almost said.
Karen Kilgariff
She's like, what's that, Johnny? I didn't Hear you come in. I don't want to do the handcuff trick again. I don't want to. You know, you did that to me. I fell my undies. So there's 27 bodies in the house. And then he admits that there are also six he dumped in the river. And that's when he was covered in mud at the police station. He had just dumped Robert Piest's body. He basically dumped it and went straight.
Georgia Hardstark
To the police station.
Karen Kilgariff
He stands trial in February of 1980. He never shows an ounce of remorse. They put the victim's family members and friends on the stand. So everybody sees all of these boys and all their family and all the people that were affected. And in three hours, the jury finds him guilty on all counts. He's sentenced to death, and after 14 years of appeals, he's put to death on May 10, 1994. His last words were, kiss my ass. Oh, he's a good guy. And his last meal was Kentucky Fried Chicken. That's right.
Audience Member
That's cool. I mean, no, that's awful.
Karen Kilgariff
I don't know. I kind of like it.
Audience Member
I know.
Karen Kilgariff
And then they destroyed that house, which I. When I first saw the footage of that, they, like, pulled the whole thing down. And then I was like, that's a bit dramatic. And then I was like, what am I talking about? Like, that what real estate could sell. Real estate agent could sell that house.
Audience Member
Like that killing 27 people isn't dramatic, but them tearing the house down, tearing the house.
Karen Kilgariff
I was like, stop it, you guys. You're being nuts.
Audience Member
You're being. What's the word?
Karen Kilgariff
Dramatic.
Audience Member
Yes.
Karen Kilgariff
And that's Sean Wayne Gacy. Good job, Chicago.
Audience Member
Yay.
Karen Kilgariff
Thank you.
Audience Member
Thanks.
Georgia Hardstark
Okay, we're back. Karen, any other info from this excellent story?
Karen Kilgariff
Let's see. John Wayne Gacy's attorney, a man named Sam Amarante, said that working with him inspired him to write legislation requiring police to immediately begin searches for missing children, rather than waiting 72 hours.
Georgia Hardstark
Amazing.
Karen Kilgariff
That has since evolved into what we now commonly know as the Amber Alert.
Georgia Hardstark
So can you imagine? It was called the Child Abduction Emergency Alert. Like, as if there wouldn't have been an emergency.
Karen Kilgariff
Right.
Georgia Hardstark
A child abduction. And the emergency isn't just a given.
Karen Kilgariff
That's not the assumption. Well, look, it was a time where it was so common to just be like, oh, your child rode away on a bike for a while. They'll be back. It's like, what are you talking about? So that is really nice. Also. It's a very fun and funny thing, you know, When I said toxic masculinity ruins the party again in this.
Georgia Hardstark
Oh, is that when you said it?
Karen Kilgariff
This is the one. I said it, yeah.
Georgia Hardstark
My God. Epic.
Karen Kilgariff
And it was like I'd seen people talking about toxic masculinity on Twitter a lot, but when people, like, afterwards, there were people, I would imagine, some sort of kind of incel y energy type, people who are very upset about it, where it's like, masculinity is not. This is good masculinity or whatever that whole thing. It's like, excuse me, I was talking about John Wayne Gacy's alcoholic, abusive father. So if you're gonna defend that guy, then there's something wrong with your brain that is fully qualifies as toxic masculinity.
Audience Member
Right.
Georgia Hardstark
And the word toxic is there. So you don't have to then argue that not all masculinity is toxic because we really just said the specific kind of masculinity we're talking about. You don't need to caveat.
Karen Kilgariff
But also, you're okay. It's okay. It's gonna be okay. Fine. Go fucking lift some barbells and prove the positive. Masculinity is everywhere around us. Be the example everyone is looking for, please. Come on. Okay, sorry. And then just. I have a minor correction for this. I spelled out victim John Zick's name, talking about his initials on his class ring. But the spelling should have been S, Z, Y, K. I had a completely incorrect spelling, so my apologies to that. And it's S, Z, Y, K. Got it. Oh, and so this was our first, like, true live show, like, large audience hometown. So here's the hometown that we got from Ashley at the live show. Yeah, we might need. We might have time for one hometown murder. Is there a way to turn the lights on for one second?
Audience Member
You have to jump over the orchestra pit, though, if you're gonna say it, if you're going to do it. Does anyone have a hometown? That's like, really good, though. If someone's pointing at you and they're. Okay, okay, okay.
Karen Kilgariff
How do we.
Audience Member
This was. We should have thought this through.
Karen Kilgariff
Can she walk over and around really quick?
Audience Member
Yeah. No. Here they're like, we hate you.
Karen Kilgariff
There's someone standing over there. Someone must be in charge. Who's in charge that could help us?
Audience Member
We're not.
Karen Kilgariff
Does someone work here?
Audience Member
Oh, just kid. Here she comes. What's her name?
Karen Kilgariff
What's her name?
Audience Member
Ashley. Hi.
Karen Kilgariff
How are you? You too. How's it going? Good, good. That's Georgia. Yeah. Just sit right Here. Oh, we're happy to be here. No, sit on it. Do it.
Audience Member
Don't fall.
Karen Kilgariff
Y. Let's just see how you do. It's fun.
Ashley
Yeah, it's really wobbly. You sat on this for an hour.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes.
Ashley
And it's slippery, too.
Karen Kilgariff
And I have these weird boots on.
Ashley
Yeah, that's impressive.
Audience Member
Okay, tell, what's your hometown? Where are you from?
Ashley
So I am from about an hour outside of the city. DeKal, Illinois. Anybody?
Audience Member
NIU.
Karen Kilgariff
Whoa. Yeah.
Ashley
So there's a big college out there.
Audience Member
Oh, I know.
Ashley
That's another really good one. Tony Keller, if you ever get a chance to look that up.
Audience Member
That's a really good one.
Karen Kilgariff
You were talking about, like, someone you went to school.
Audience Member
Yeah, I did too.
Karen Kilgariff
Talk about Tony.
Audience Member
Right now he's a murderer. I bet.
Ashley
So I'm not going to take full credit because this is actually my boyfriend's hometown murder. He's a local in the area.
Audience Member
We'll take it.
Ashley
And he told this story to me on one of our first dates, and I was really fascinated by it.
Audience Member
That's a keeper.
Karen Kilgariff
You are so lucky.
Ashley
Like, are you taking notes? So he lived in a really small town, actually outside of DeKalb. Small farming town. And he worked at a gas station when he was in high school. And there was a guy who would come to the gas station every day, and every day he would buy a pack of cigarettes and a 30 rack of beer. And he was approximately 300 pounds. So, you know, living the dream.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes.
Ashley
The town kind of noticed that he went missing, and they filed a missing persons report about a couple weeks after he went missing. He was a cook at this restaurant slash motel that was. It's on Highway 47. If anybody knows that, it's bad news.
Karen Kilgariff
Bad news.
Ashley
It's like in the middle of nowhere.
Karen Kilgariff
Motel on a highway.
Ashley
Yeah. So it was called the Bohemia. And the owner of the restaurant was a guy. He. He owned the restaurant and he hired this guy as a cook, and the guy also lived in the motel. So after a couple weeks, police are searching for this guy. Somebody calls in a tip and says, hey, I actually was helping my friend the other day. He owns the Bohemia restaurant. He had some extra money laying around, so he decided he wanted to bury it in the cornfields. So he asked me if I'd come out and help dig some holes for him, which is totally logical.
Audience Member
This guy's like, you know, I was thinking about it. Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
So how many duffel bags were involved in this?
Ashley
Well, so. So he called. So he tells the police where they buried it or they buried the money. And the police go out there, dig up the holes and spoiler, it was not money.
Audience Member
No, no.
Ashley
In the hole they found two garbage bags. One was the head of this man, the cook, the £300 pound cook. And the other bag was his torso. So they did an autopsy. They found out, I mean, it's, it's sad, obviously he was murdered, but he was kind of on the verge of death.
Karen Kilgariff
He.
Ashley
Actually they ruled that it was a heart attack because his heart stopped, because.
Karen Kilgariff
His head was removed.
Audience Member
Probably. But.
Ashley
But actually that came up where they were almost gonna press charges because it's. Technically that's all they had was the torso and the head.
Karen Kilgariff
Watch the carbs everybody. Yeah.
Ashley
He also has cirrhosis of the liver and emphysema, which I was gonna say eczema, but my friend corrected me in the car and she's like, no, you wouldn't die from that.
Audience Member
He probably had that too.
Ashley
Yeah. So they end up pressing or indicting the owner of this restaurant, the Bohemia, and come to find out he was murdered in the kitchen where he was a cook. I hate the reason why he was murdered. It was over a bad drug deal, which I'm just boring. But what happened after is just like amazing. So the thing was, is like, is he wanted. I guess he didn't come up with this plan right away because obviously he couldn't move. The 300 pound man decided to cut him up. Didn't know what to do with him at first. The whole digging a hole in the cornfield didn't come to him. So he decided to store the body parts in the motel room fridges. The refrigerators. And they were able to collect evidence because there was his DNA in the fridge. The little ones, I, I mean, I don't know how big they were.
Audience Member
Probably.
Ashley
It probably had like peanuts and candy, you know?
Audience Member
Yeah.
Ashley
And then dead body parts and bags. Weird. Yeah.
Audience Member
That's amazing.
Ashley
So the guy was actually sent in. Sentenced to 90 years in prison. He is still alive. And I'm so sorry, I forgot his name.
Audience Member
I don't.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, you're. Then you're fired.
Ashley
Okay, I'll leave.
Karen Kilgariff
I'll leave.
Audience Member
That's amazing.
Ashley
But one thing I will point out is his head and his torso were recovered, but his limbs, his arms and legs were never found. So I don't know what time your flight leaves tomorrow, but if you guys want to go on a little excavation.
Karen Kilgariff
I'd love to find some legs and arms. Yeah, that'd be great.
Audience Member
Yay. Thank You, Ashley.
Karen Kilgariff
That was awesome. Well done. So good.
Audience Member
Thank you.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes. That's how it's done.
Audience Member
Yes.
Karen Kilgariff
You all know how to do it. Thank you so much.
Audience Member
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Thank you.
Audience Member
Thank you guys so much for being here. You're all sweet baby angels.
Karen Kilgariff
It means the world to us. This is crazy. Crazy. We've never done a crowd this big. Yeah, it really does. It's really amazing.
Audience Member
Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
And you know what? You guys stay sexy and don't get murdered. We'll come and say hi to you guys. All right.
Georgia Hardstark
Well, Ashley, I can't believe, like, how brave of her to come on that stage and then tell a killer hometown. Like, that's how it's done. Ashley set the precedent in the very beginning.
Karen Kilgariff
She really did. And thank you for knowing your job, Ashley. Yeah, there's nothing we appreciate more.
Georgia Hardstark
She did a great job.
Karen Kilgariff
Oh, and I guess because this is the first time I said the phrase toxic masculinity ruins the party again. And then it became a very classic T shirt design, which actually a listener design, Right. That got sent. That's one of the first pieces of art that got sent into us. And we both loved it so much immediately. It was like, oh, my God, this is amazing.
Georgia Hardstark
It was Kirsten Bencomo Cooper. I've met with her. We had lunch.
Karen Kilgariff
She's so, so good.
Georgia Hardstark
She is so freaking cool. Yeah.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes.
Georgia Hardstark
I love that.
Karen Kilgariff
So good. So because of that, we're gonna relaunch Toxic masculinity ruins the party again with Kristin's art. And we're gonna have it in a ladies muscle T shirt in white for the summer. Summer. Summertime. And in a unisex T shirt in Evergreen.
Georgia Hardstark
And so the pre sale kicks off on May 7th. It's just going to be a quick sale, you guys. So if you're listening to this while it's coming out, go run over to exactlyrightstore.com pre sale is May 7th. It's going to run for a week only, and then it's wrapping up on May 13th. So make sure you grab this classic while you can. Yes, please do wear it proudly.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes, it's a classic.
Georgia Hardstark
So head to exactlyrightstore.com for the pre sale and check out.
Karen Kilgariff
So to rename this episode, which of course, live from the Chicago Podcast Festival, is accurate. It is a really good name, but there are more to choose from.
Georgia Hardstark
So if we're renaming it today based on the content of the episode, perhaps we would call it here's the thing, which obviously everyone knows we say all the time.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah, it just Stops everybody to get them ready for the idea that's coming.
Georgia Hardstark
Yeah. I'm about to have a moment. Take a moment. I'm gonna have a moment.
Karen Kilgariff
Here's the thing.
Georgia Hardstark
Here's the thing.
Karen Kilgariff
There's also. People love pockets, of course. Cause my dress had pockets. I'm so proud that our first kind of big theater live show pockets were right up top.
Georgia Hardstark
Pockets got a fucking huge round of applause. It was very unexpected and exciting.
Karen Kilgariff
So exciting.
Georgia Hardstark
Who knew? And then also, of course, you're all my mommy. You're all my mommy.
Karen Kilgariff
So funny. That is it. That's the one I picked.
Georgia Hardstark
Yeah, for sure.
Audience Member
Oh.
Georgia Hardstark
And then. Yeah. So then after the show, we go backstage and you grab me and you go. We have to go say hi to them.
Karen Kilgariff
Yes.
Georgia Hardstark
And then you bring me out to the front lobby and there's just this crowd of people I had never seen, like a wall of people. They were all so friendly and lovely. And then one by one, we did a meet and greet, like on our own side.
Karen Kilgariff
Took pictures, Took pictures.
Georgia Hardstark
Hugs.
Karen Kilgariff
Classic audience member. We don't know her name, but that's the time where the girl ran up, took a picture, and then said, my dad killed his business partner.
Audience Member
Bye.
Karen Kilgariff
That's right. Ran away. Leg. We talk about you all the time.
Georgia Hardstark
We do. My mom sat in a chair and just watched the whole thing. She was so proud.
Karen Kilgariff
So did my sister and Adrienne and Audrey. My sister kept rolling her eyes like, stop doing. It was just like I was 8 years old in her room trying to show off to get attention.
Georgia Hardstark
She's just like, show off time for parents.
Karen Kilgariff
Stop it. Stop it. It's like, I won't stop it. And we're not going to stop it for two and a half more hours.
Georgia Hardstark
And we didn't. And we never did. And it's been nine and a half years, Laura.
Audience Member
We.
Karen Kilgariff
You won't stop. All right, well, thanks, everybody. That was fun.
Georgia Hardstark
Yeah. Thank you guys for listening and for everyone who came to the show and all that.
Karen Kilgariff
Yeah. Stay sexy and don't get murdered.
Audience Member
Goodbye, Elvis.
Georgia Hardstark
Do you want a cookie?
Karen Kilgariff
It's almost Mother's Day and you can now get anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. Well, almost. Almost anything. So no, you can't order a relaxing shower, but some beautiful flower? You bet. We deliver those. A bird bath?
Audience Member
No.
Karen Kilgariff
A bath bomb. Absolutely. It's no to a chocolate lab, but yes to some chocolate truffles.
Audience Member
So whether it's a last minute gift.
Karen Kilgariff
For Mother's Day, fresh groceries or food from your favorite restaurants, get it delivered today with Uber Eats.
Audience Member
Order now.
Karen Kilgariff
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Podcast Summary: My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark – Episode 44: Live from the Chicago Podcast Festival
Introduction
In Episode 44 of My Favorite Murder, titled "Live from the Chicago Podcast Festival," hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark take listeners behind the scenes of their exhilarating live performance at the festival. Released on May 7, 2025, this episode not only showcases their dynamic interaction with a live audience but also delves deep into compelling true crime stories, offering new insights and reflections.
Live Show Experience
The episode kicks off with Karen and Georgia recounting their experiences leading up to and following their performance at the Chicago Podcast Festival. They express nostalgia and excitement about the event, highlighting its significance in their podcasting journey.
“It is an epic episode. Epicisode,” Karen shares at [02:32], emphasizing the memorable moments they experienced both before and after the show.
Georgia reminisces about the overwhelming response from the audience, stating, “We had a great time.” They mention a poignant moment captured by Brandi Posey, where the duo steps onto the stage, taken aback by the enthusiastic crowd.
Fort Worth Three Kidnapping Case
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing the Fort Worth Three kidnapping—a cold case that remains unsolved decades later. Georgia introduces the topic by saying, “This is our first big live show… Fort Worth, Texas,” signaling the depth of their analysis.
The hosts explore the intricacies of the case, narrating the disappearance of three young girls from a San Antonio mall in 1974. They dissect the investigation's shortcomings and introduce Lloyd Welch as a primary suspect.
“He was a born salesman because he is a psychopath,” Karen explains at [62:22], offering a chilling portrayal of Welch's manipulative nature and his ability to evade capture for years.
Georgia adds, “He was bonding with the mafia in Chicago,” highlighting the complex network that allowed Welch to continue his crimes almost undetected.
John Wayne Gacy Case Analysis
Transitioning seamlessly, Karen takes the lead in recounting the infamous John Wayne Gacy case, intertwining personal anecdotes and historical facts to engage the audience.
“The first thing I ever saw about John Wayne Gacy… 27 of them,” Karen shares at [52:50], referring to the grim discovery of multiple bodies in Gacy's crawl space.
She delves into Gacy's troubled childhood, his descent into criminality, and the eventual unraveling of his heinous crimes. The hosts discuss Gacy's facade of normalcy and community involvement, which starkly contrasts with his dark deeds.
“He could have been doing anything else,” Georgia reflects at [70:15], underscoring the deceptive appearances that often mask true intentions in serial killers.
Karen provides a detailed timeline of events leading to Gacy's arrest, emphasizing the failings in the initial investigation and the pivotal moments that led to his downfall.
“They found a trap door that leads down to the crawl space,” Karen recounts at [84:43], illustrating the horrifying discovery that cemented Gacy's fate.
Audience Participation: Ashley’s Hometown Murder Story
One of the highlights of the episode is the interactive segment where audience members share their own hometown murder stories. Ashley, a brave attendee, narrates a chilling account from her small town in DeKalb, Illinois.
She describes the mysterious disappearance and brutal murder of a local cook at the Bohemia restaurant, detailing how evidence surfaced years later, leading to the conviction of the perpetrator.
“In the hole they found two garbage bags. One was the head of this man, the cook, the £300 pound cook. And the other bag was his torso,” Ashley narrates at [95:08], painting a vivid picture of the gruesome discovery.
Karen and Georgia respond with both empathy and their characteristic humor, maintaining a balance that keeps the narrative engaging while honoring the gravity of the story.
Conclusion and Reflection
As the episode draws to a close, Karen and Georgia reflect on the impact of live performances and the importance of community in their podcasting endeavors. They discuss the positive feedback from their audience and the lasting memories created during the festival.
Georgia mentions, “Ashley set the precedent in the very beginning,” acknowledging the brave contributions of their live audience.
Karen wraps up with a heartfelt message, “Stay sexy and don't get murdered,” reiterating the podcast's blend of humor and true crime storytelling.
Notable Quotes
Final Thoughts
Episode 44 of My Favorite Murder offers a rich tapestry of live show excitement intertwined with in-depth true crime discussions. Karen and Georgia's ability to engage with their audience while providing thoughtful analysis of complex cases makes this episode a standout. Whether you're a long-time listener or new to the podcast, this live episode from the Chicago Podcast Festival delivers both entertainment and insightful storytelling.