Podcast
Once Upon A Crime
Hosted by Esther Ludlow · EN
Step into the darker side of history with Once Upon A Crime, a true-crime podcast that delves deep into some of the world’s most gripping cases. Hosted by an expert storyteller, Esther Ludlow, each episode unravels the mysteries behind notorious crimes, exploring the lives of victims, perpetrators, and the intricate details of the investigations that followed. With carefully researched narratives, thematic series, and thoughtful insights, Once Upon A Crime offers listeners a captivating blend of suspense, history, and human psychology. Whether you're a seasoned true-crime fan or just curious about the stories that shaped headlines, Once Upon A Crime promises to keep you on the edge of your seat.
47episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The House on New York Street: The Sylvia Likens Case, Part Two
1w ago00:35:33Tap to summarizePart 2 of the Sylvia Likens case examines the heartbreaking final hours of Sylvia Likens, one of the most horrific child abuse and murder cases in American history. On October 26, 1965, after months of unimaginable torture inside a home in Indianapolis, Indiana, 16-year-old Sylvia was carried upstairs for a bath before she was discovered unresponsive. As Gertrude Baniszewski scrambled to cover up the abuse with a fabricated confession letter, investigators immediately recognized the devastating evidence of prolonged torture. Including severe burns, starvation, countless injuries, a fatal subdural hematoma, and the chilling message carved into Sylvia's abdomen.The investigation took a dramatic turn when Sylvia's younger sister, Jenny, courageously told police, "Get me out of here, and I'll tell you everything." Her testimony unraveled Gertrude Baniszewski's lies and led to the arrests of Gertrude, several of her children, and neighborhood teenagers who participated in or witnessed the abuse.Sources:https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/longform/likens-looking-back-indianas-infamous-crime-50-years-laterhttps://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2013/10/24/sylvia-likens/3178393/House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying - John DeanTorture Mom: A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation, and Murder - Ryan Green, 2018.The House from Hell: The True Story of Gertrude Baniszewski, Genoveva Ortiz, Sea Vision Publishing, 2024. https://www.history101.com/sylvia-likens-the-family-she-left-behind/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sylvia_Likens#Gertrude_Baniszewskihttps://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/baniszewski.htmhttps://www.history101.com/sylvia-likens-the-family-she-left-behind/https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/35446-lawyers-book-retraces-indys-infamous-sylvia-likens-murder-caseSponsors: See a list of our sponsors and discount codes on our website:https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/sponsors/Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime Our Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com OUAC Merchandise Shop - https://onceuponacrime.dashery.comYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →TRAILER: The House on New York Street, Part 2
1w ago00:01:38Tap to summarizePolice arrived at the New York Street house and quickly realized the story didn’t add up. Within hours, Gertrude Baniszewski, her children, and neighborhood teens were arrested in the torture of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens. In court, everyone pointed fingers—mother against children, children against mother. Leaving one question: who was lying?Subscribe and listen to Once Upon a Crime for part two.Episode drops Monday July 13, 2026. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The House on New York Street - The Sylvia Likens Case, Part One
2w ago00:57:34Tap to summarizeSome crimes are so shocking that they force us to ask a question that seems impossible to answer. Not 'Who did it?' We know who did it. Not even 'Why?' Though we'll spend this series trying to understand that. The question is this:How did an entire neighborhood watch a teenage girl disappear in plain sight?Over three months in the fall of 1965, dozens of people entered a small house on East New York Street in Indianapolis. Children played there. Teenagers gathered there. Neighbors stopped by. A minister visited. Police responded to the home. A public health nurse knocked on the door.Yet sixteen-year-old Sylvia Likens remained trapped inside…starved and tortured. By the time anyone finally listened, it was too late.Sources:https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/longform/likens-looking-back-indianas-infamous-crime-50-years-laterhttps://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2013/10/24/sylvia-likens/3178393/House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying - John DeanTorture Mom: A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation, and Murder - Ryan Green, 2018.The House from Hell: The True Story of Gertrude Baniszewski, Genoveva Ortiz, Sea Vision Publishing, 2024. https://www.history101.com/sylvia-likens-the-family-she-left-behind/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sylvia_Likens#Gertrude_Baniszewskihttps://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/baniszewski.htmhttps://www.history101.com/sylvia-likens-the-family-she-left-behind/https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/35446-lawyers-book-retraces-indys-infamous-sylvia-likens-murder-caseSponsors: See a list of our sponsors and discount codes on our website:https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/sponsors/Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime Our Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com OUAC Merchandise Shop - https://onceuponacrime.dashery.comYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →TRAILER: The House on New York Street: The Sylvia Likens Case
2w ago00:01:02Tap to summarizeHow does an ordinary home become the scene of extraordinary evil, and how does a community fail to save a sixteen-year-old girl? This week on Once Upon a Crime, we begin a two-part series on the murder of Sylvia Likens, examining the heartbreaking facts of the case and the psychological forces that turned one Indianapolis home into an innocent girl’s torture chamber, drawing seemingly ordinary children into unimaginable cruelty. Follow Once Upon a Crime, new episodes drop every MondaySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →The Tragedy of Sylvia Likens: A Two-Part Series Preview
2w ago00:01:23Tap to summarizeIn the summer of 1965, 16-year-old Sylvia Likens was left in the care of a mother of seven while her parents traveled for work. What should have been a temporary arrangement turned into one of the most horrifying child abuse and torture cases in American history. As the abuse escalated behind closed doors, an entire neighborhood witnessed signs of cruelty, manipulation, and neglect. Yet Sylvia’s suffering continued in plain sight.Next week, Once Upon a Crime takes a deep dive into one of the most infamous true crime cases of the 20th century. A story of abuse, torture, manipulation, and the tragic death of Sylvia Likens that continues to haunt America decades later.Subscribe to Once Upon A Crime so you don't miss this gripping two-part series. New episodes drop every MondaySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Marie Hilley: The Poisoner Who Fooled Everyone
3w ago00:01:04Tap to summarizeA black widow. A poisoner. A con artist. A master manipulator.This week on Once Upon a Crime, Esther dives into the unbelievable case of Marie Hilley. A woman accused of murdering her husband, nearly killing her own daughter, disappearing while out on bail, and creating entirely new identities to stay one step ahead of the truth.As investigators closed in, Marie spun outrageous stories and convinced friends, family, and complete strangers to believe them. The deeper this case goes, the stranger it gets.One of the most bizarre and fascinating true crime stories Esther has ever researched is now live wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Marie Hilley: The Woman Who Became Her Own Twin
3w ago00:51:31Tap to summarizeShe poisoned her husband.She nearly killed her own daughter.She vanished while out on bail.Then she reinvented herself with a brand-new identity… and somehow convinced people she was her own twin sister.This week on Once Upon a Crime, we unravel the unbelievable case of Marie Hilley. One of the most notorious Black Widows in American true crime history.What began as the life of a seemingly ordinary wife and mother spiraled into a shocking saga of poisoning, manipulation, fraud, and deception that stretched across multiple states and identities. As investigators closed in, Marie stayed one step ahead by crafting elaborate lies, faking illnesses, and ultimately attempting one of the strangest identity swaps ever seen in a criminal case.From arsenic poisoning to forged documents and a fugitive run worthy of a movie script, this case is as bizarre as it is disturbing.If you think you’ve heard every wild true crime story, think again.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Marie Hilley: Black Widow and Master Manipulator
3w ago00:01:09Tap to summarizeShe could become whoever people needed her to be.A devoted wife.A loving mother.A trusted friend.A helpless victim.But behind the carefully crafted image was one of the most manipulative and deceptive women in true crime history.In this chilling new episode of Once Upon a Crime, Esther dives into the shocking case of Marie Hilley. A woman whose lies, manipulation, and alleged poisoning crimes left devastation everywhere she went. When Marie’s husband died unexpectedly, no one suspected murder. Later, as her daughter became gravely ill, doctors struggled to explain the mysterious symptoms consuming her body.From poisoning and fraud to psychological manipulation and identity deception, the story of Marie Hilley is stranger than fiction and packed with twists that seem impossible to believe.“Marie Hilley: Black Widow and Master Manipulator” drops Monday, June 29 wherever you get your podcasts.Get episodes early and ad-free by joining Patreon at patreon.com/onceuponacrime.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Marie Hilley: The Woman Who Became Her Own Twin
3w ago00:01:20Tap to summarizeWhat happens when a killer reinvents herself so completely that even the people closest to her believe the lie?In this shocking new episode of Once Upon a Crime, Esther explores the bizarre and twisted case of Marie Hilley. A woman accused of poisoning her husband to death, later poisoning her own daughter, escaping justice, and creating an entirely new identity to avoid capture.But Marie’s deception didn’t stop there.... The deeper this case goes, the stranger it becomes.From poisoning and fraud to identity theft and psychological manipulation, “Marie Hilley: The Woman Who Became Her Own Twin” is one of the most unbelievable true crime stories you’ve probably never heard.The episode drops Monday, June 29, wherever you get your podcasts.Want early access and ad-free episodes? Join Patreon at patreon.com/onceuponacrime.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Once Upon a Crime – Season 11 Announcement
4w ago00:08:13Tap to summarizeAfter the explosive Bundy For the Defense series, Once Upon a Crime took its first extended hiatus in the podcast’s ten-year history. But behind the scenes, the team has been busier than ever.What’s been happening during the break? Appearances at the Beyond the Crime Convention in Albuquerque and Crime Con in Las Vegas, being featured on Impact x Nightline’s “Terror on the Trail” exploring the Trailside Killer case, as well as interviews for two upcoming History Channel episodes.As Once Upon a Crime celebrates its tenth anniversary on June 9th, the podcast is entering an entirely new era.Season 11 will feature more immersive storytelling across both the podcast and YouTube, updates on fan-favorite true crime cases, listener Q&As, expert guests, deep dives, and a brand-new long-form serial killer investigation.For the first time ever, Esther will also share their own personal story and reveal the experience that shaped her fascination with true crime, justice, and criminal psychology.After ten years, Once Upon a Crime is evolving into something bigger, more personal, and more immersive than ever before.Subscribe now so you don’t miss the start of Season 11.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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