My Favorite Murder: Rewind with Karen & Georgia — Episode 58: Some Quiet Sunday

Podcast: My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Episode Date: August 20, 2025
Original Air Date of Ep. 58: March 2, 2017
Theme: A comedic revisit of the classic "Some Quiet Sunday" episode, with updates, personal anecdotes, and a fresh look at two notorious true crime cases plus a wild hometown murder call-in from Kurt Braunohler.

Episode Overview

Karen and Georgia take a trip down memory lane, revisiting one of MFM’s classic 2017 episodes, “Some Quiet Sunday.” This Rewind edition brings updated commentary, personal reflections, and new insights into notorious crimes discussed episode #58. The duo also highlight ongoing true crime fascinations, their own evolving friendship, and the process of facing life challenges with humor and openness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter: The Art of Mundane Disgust

[03:02–08:41]

• Lighthearted Comedy: Karen and Georgia riff about gross household chores—dry heels, hair in shower drains, the horror of removing wet food from sinks, and the passive-aggressive comments by parents (inspiring the episode’s title).
  • Notable Quote:
    “Why don’t you spend some quiet Sunday cleaning behind this toilet?” — Karen, quoting her dad ([09:04])
  • Relatability & Tone Setting: Every episode of MFM, even the most serious, is salted with relatable, self-deprecating humor before the crime talk begins.

2. Listener and Hometown Murder Anecdotes

[10:34–13:39]

• Georgia recounts meeting a morgue worker and a fan whose grandfather was a serial killer.
• The power of hometown stories: MFM’s charm comes from the blend of true crime with very human, quirky encounters.
  • Notable Quote:
    “This girl came up to me and was like, ‘HI. I really like the podcast. This is weird, my grandfather is a serial killer.’” — Georgia ([11:49])

3. Crime Podcast & TV Recommendations

[14:29–17:36]

• Georgia recommends “In the Dark,” about Jacob Wetterling, praising its exploration of police failings and journalism.
• Karen endorses “Vanity Fair Confidential,” focusing on satanic panic and the fragility of forensic interviewing.
  • Notable Quote:
    “It is fucking enthralling. One of the best...investigative journo-dick, podcasty things I’ve ever listened to.” — Georgia ([14:40])
  • Observations on how true crime media has evolved, especially with women hosts.

4. Urban Legends & Safety Myths

[17:38–19:32]

• The infamous "windshield wiper shirt trick”—an urban legend spread on social media as a warning against abduction.
  • Notable Quote:
    “Basically—if you can drive with a shirt on your windshield wiper, get the fuck out of there.” — Karen ([18:50])

5. Tour Life, Family, and Murder-Inspired Baked Goods

[19:44–24:34]

• Post-Oakland tour memories, gifts from fans (custom totes, Barb notebooks, murder-themed macarons and cookies), and the surreal realization of having supportive audiences—and families adjusting to what they really do for a living.
  • Notable, humorous detours about Ted Bundy cookies and not idolizing, but confronting, dark fascination.
  • Notable Quote:
    “It’s not about Ted Bundy. It’s the fascination of the story.” — Georgia ([23:22])

6. Case #1: The Erickson Twins

Presented by Karen from [28:01–65:30]

• Story Summary:
  In 2008, Swedish twin sisters Ursula and Sabina Eriksson experience a bizarre shared psychosis ("folie à deux") leading to inexplicable public violence, highway mayhem, and murder.

  • The twins’ paranoid behavior escalates on a UK highway: they run into traffic, are struck by cars multiple times (captured by a reality TV crew), survive, and display superhuman strength and delusions.
  • Sabina, released without a proper psych evaluation, kills a Good Samaritan the very next day.
  • No explanation, drugs, or rational motive is ever uncovered.

• Key Insights:

  • A rare case of shared psychosis, with both legal and mental health systems unable to find satisfactory answers.
  • Reflection on the danger and unpredictability of untreated severe mental illness.
  • Media and public fascination fueled by the bizarre, near-supernatural aspects and lack of closure.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “She starts going, ‘I know who you are. I know you’re not real.’” — Karen ([44:12])
  • “What was the world that they were in? ...I would be so fascinated to know what they thought was happening.” — Karen ([59:39])
  • “Is it real? The connection that they had that made them do this? They’re both crazy.” — Georgia ([61:26])

• Update:

  • Sabina was released on parole in 2011 and whereabouts are unknown; Ursula reportedly moved to Washington State. The case remains unsolved and open to speculation ([64:49]).

7. Case #2: Mel Ignatow and Brenda Schaeffer

Presented by Georgia from [68:52–88:28]

• Story Summary:
  In Louisville, KY (1988), Mel Ignatow, a seemingly ordinary divorced father, tortures and kills his ex-fiancée Brenda Schaeffer with the help of his ex-girlfriend, Marianne.

  • Marianne turns state’s evidence, showing police where Brenda was buried and testifying (while undermining her own credibility).
  • Thanks to a poorly interpreted audio tape and jury bias, Ignatow is acquitted of murder (“double jeopardy”).
  • Later, hidden photos of the crime are found in a house vent, but Ignatow can’t be retried.
  • Ignatow serves short sentences for perjury, dies in 2008 in a freak accident. Marianne serves a short sentence, dies young as well.

• Key Insights:

  • The horrors of double jeopardy and loopholes preventing justice.
  • A classic example of prosecutorial and law enforcement frustrations—how missed evidence and unreliable witnesses can undermine an airtight case.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “Guess what? Ever heard of double jeopardy? Here it is to ruin your night.” — Georgia ([81:14])
  • “I don’t understand—why doesn’t he just break up with her? Why does he have to kill her?” — Karen ([84:23])

• Update:

  • The case is often discussed in true crime analysis about double jeopardy, including a 2024 “48 Hours” episode ([88:07]).

8. Hometown Murder: Kurt Braunohler’s Catholic School Latin Teacher Gone Wrong

[88:25–92:38]

• Kurt Braunohler, comedy writer and host of “Bananas,” calls in to recount a disturbing story:

  • His Catholic school’s strange history of Latin teachers culminates with one teacher, after succumbing to drug use, murdering his crack partner Ms. Weed in a devout New Jersey town.

• Touches on the unsettling reality of how communities can harbor darkness beneath normalcy.

• Notable Quote:
  “He murders her with a knife. He stabs her nine times in the neck. And then he just walked out down the street to Ocean Grove...just bloody, having murdered this woman.” — Kurt Braunohler ([91:31])

9. Personal Reflections & Revisiting “Something Good”

[93:24–97:56]

• Karen and Georgia share life updates from the 2017 episode and how personal struggles and triumphs (financial panic, therapy breakthroughs, the value of trying new therapists) parallel the unpredictable nature of their true crime interests.

  • The importance of friendship, community, and vulnerability in hardship.
  • Foreshadowing future episodes touching on mental health struggles and loss.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “If you’re in a place where you are fucked financially and you’re worried and scared—it will end, and I swear to God, I’ve been in this place before.” — Karen ([94:25])
  • “After going to therapy since I was a child, I had the most amazing session today, I think, ever. She said to me, ‘I know you’re an atheist, but you worship at the altar of doubt.’” — Georgia ([95:54])

Notable, Memorable, and Humorous Moments

• The recurring comedic trope of poking fun at themselves (“We record for two hours. How many mistakes can we make?” [100:17])
• Karen’s dad’s snarky cleaning advice: “Why don’t you spend some quiet Sunday cleaning behind this toilet?” ([09:12])
• Fish and Chips: Brainstorming a British cop show starring “Andy Fish” ([39:14])
• Macarons and Ted Bundy cookies at live shows—grappling with the true crime community’s peculiar intersection of darkness and playfulness ([22:30])

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:31] – Rewind intro and context
• [28:01–65:30] – The Eriksson Twins story (Karen)
• [68:52–88:28] – The Mel Ignatow/Brenda Schaeffer story (Georgia)
• [88:25–92:38] – Kurt Braunohler’s hometown murder call
• [93:24–97:56] – “Something good” segment and personal reflections

Closing Thoughts and Episode Titles

• Reflection on the difficulty and importance of discussing unresolved or unsolvable true crime mysteries.
• Alternate hypothetical episode titles brainstormed: “Andy Fish” (the faux-cop show), “Undermounded” (an accidental new word), and “Some Quiet Sunday.”

Final Signature & Listener Tagline

• Catchphrase:
  “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”
• Elvis the cat cameo: Elvis is promised a cookie for being a good (and appropriately spooky) podcast mascot.

For fans and newcomers alike, this episode encapsulates everything that makes MFM unique: dark subject matter, sharp wit, personal openness, and community connection—delivered with compassion, curiosity, and zero pretensions.