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Cindy Overton
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Woody Overton
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Angela Allen
And the wolf is at.
Cindy Overton
Your f you running over that's for.
Angela Allen
Sure Already know all you.
Cindy Overton
Cut you.
Debbie
Down no matter by you.
Woody Overton
Now you.
Debbie
Better wonder.
Woody Overton
Warning this episode of Real Life Real Crime. The podcast may contain descriptions of acts of violence or that of a sexual nature and should be people that are 18 years or older. Heed my warning people I do not get the facts of these cases off of the Internet or for some television show. The facts I'm retelling you were presented to me by the victims of the crimes or the perpetrators who committed the crimes against the victims. My descriptions of the crime scenes, what I saw with my own two eyes. If you're going to get offended, please turn this podcast off now. Thank you.
Debbie
Hello, everybody, and welcome to Real Life, Real Crime, the podcast. And I am Cindy Overton. And before we jump into today's episode, I just want to take a moment to thank y'all from the bottom of our hearts. Your love and prayers and messages during this time of grieving. Woody's daddy have meant everything to our family. I mean, of course we're still healing, but your support is helping more than you know. So please, please continue to keep us in your prayers. Woody will be back as soon as he can. And in the meantime, you've got me. But I promise you, he'll be back. Just stick around. I promise. But also, don't forget that we are still fighting for justice for Haley. And your calls and your emails and the shares matter now more than ever. We've got their attention. There's going to be a meeting May 9th in Cobb County. And Ms. Barbara sent me the list of the people yesterday. And, I mean, it's going to be a room full of some big people. So we're thinking very positively about this meeting, and we're looking forward to hearing the outcome. And just remember that we still have to let them know that we're not going away. They didn't shut us up just by saying we're having a meeting, that we're still going to send our emails and make our phone calls and get their attention, and then we'll take it from there. But also, if you haven't grabbed your tickets for the July 19 live, I think you should, because I think it's going to be. In fact, I know it's going to be an amazing, amazing night. And it's just. I mean, I have. I really cannot describe it, and I've alluded to it. You try to describe it. And Woody, just as good of a storyteller as he is behind the mic. I got goosebumps even thinking of saying this sentence, but he is 10, at least 10 times that when you see him in person. He just. It's just amazing to watch. And I hope to see everybody there. It's going to be a great time, a whole weekend worth of fun. We have the hotel block at home, two suites, and we are going to have some amazing welcome bags. We've got tangible HOA Parish Tourism center involved with us. I have a lot of things planned, but they're not solidified. So I don't want to whisper anything that could possibly happen and have it not happen. And I would rather under promise and over deliver. But what we do have promised is amazing right now. So our VIP people are getting a full VIP experience and our general admission people, in my opinion, are getting a great VIP experience. I mean, it's so I just think that it's going to be truly a night to remember. We haven't had a live event in a long time and I know that as much work that goes into it, it is so well worth it to connect with our community and to connect with new lifers and old lifers and watch truly to watch y'all reconnect, form new bonds, meet each other face to face. I just. This community is Woody and I's fifth child and we are so proud of it and we just look forward to seeing each and every one of you there. But let's dive into today's episode. So to start off today's episode, you might recognize the last name of the person that has contributed this lifer story. And her name is Angela Allen. And now this is P.T. allen's wife. She is the one responsible for making this law enforcement professional start listening to a law enforcement podcast. And we have so many law enforcement officers that listen because you can relate. It's not like sitting down watching Law and Order, you know, like, it's funny. You can relate to some of the stories. It makes you remember, you know, fun times that you had or maybe not so fun times that you had, but you can relate. And so, Angela, I thank you so much for asking PT to listen to the podcast. Pt. I am so glad that you enjoy it and everyone else that has contributed stories. Mary Templin, our anonymous person, Cheryl Reed. We are so, so honored that you took the time to share your stories. I am so grateful because your stories, as I said, have allowed me to focus on not actually producing content, but just edit and produce that content. So I wasn't actually having to sit behind the mic. I just took that audio and did what I do on the back end and, you know, pushed it out to y'all. So I hope y'all have enjoyed those stories. I think Angela's story today is amazing. So without further ado, here is Angela's story.
Angela Allen
Hello, this is Angela Allen. I am P.T. allen's wife and I am not the storyteller that he is. But I do have a story for you. So this was when. Well, first of all, I'm a mother of three, four, a single mother of four. I have four children, one son and three daughters. At this time, I had my son at home with me. My oldest daughter had already moved out, and I had my two younger children that were girls, and they were third grade and fifth grade. So I got invited to this party out in the country one night. No, nothing better than a country party, right? So we're on the way there and I have on a leopard print long dress with matching leopard print high heels. The girls are dressed to a tea, like they're going to a tea party. On the way there, I decided, you know what, I don't really care about being around these folks. Let's just go do something different. Well, it's not really different because we did. I did take my girls driving down dirt roads a lot. But on the way to the country, there was a federal game preserve. I thought, you know what, we've been down these roads before. Let's go do this. This will be fun. We used to go out there and just look for deer and other animals and, you know, a federal game preserve, you cannot kill anything. It is a felony. So anyway, we're just riding around the dirt roads for a little bit, about 20 minutes, and then we're probably going in a circle. And I noticed two red eyes on the side of the road. I thought, oh, that's an alligator. I love me some gator tail. I'm a bulldog fan. I eat gator tail all year round. Well, I thought, I really would like some gator tail for tomorrow night. And this is what my two youngest children call in quotations, chicken nuggets. Because we'd had chicken nuggets quite a bit because I ain't scared. So we went out there and, you know, I rode back around that road and sure enough, he was in the middle of the road. I thought, you know what, I don't want to damage his tail. And I really would like to keep the head for a souvenir. I'll throw it in a big old ant bed and they will eat the meat off of it. Then I can have the skull to put on my desk as a souvenir. Brio. Thinking I'm blonde, I'll admit. And I didn't realize that other things in the wild would eat gator meat besides little bitty ants. So I gently roll the jeep back and forth, back and forth, back and forth over this Gator not to hurt his head or not to hurt his tail. I really didn't care what his body looked like. I wasn't going to eat that part of him. I have a purple jeep, which was well known in the town we live in because it's a purple jeep, the only one around, and I have long blonde hair. So I thought, well, you know, I think I've maimed him enough. Let's go ride around for another 20 minutes and see what happens. So we ride around and I get back to the gator. Sure enough, to my delight, he is in the middle of the road still. I thought, oh, yeah, he's probably done. But just to make sure, I thought, hmm, can't shoot him. Somebody will hear the shot. So what do I have in this jeep? Oh, I got a tire iron. So I proceeded to beat that gator on that dirt road with a tire iron. Not to mess up his head, not to mess up his tail, but I beat him. And I thought, well, you know, he's pretty much done by now. So I picked him up and I put him in the way back of my jeep. My two girls were sitting in the back seat, but he. I put him in the way back, opened the hatched up, threw him in there. Here, we're good to go. But just in case, I left the dome light on of the jeep, Sat right around another 10 minutes or so. And I thought, you know what, it's probably good to turn the dome light off now. We're good. Well, apparently to a maimed alligator or dead alligator, I guess the sound or my voice saying turn the dome light off means come back to life. This gator was trying to do the death roll in the way back of my jeep. The girls are screaming. I said, open your doors and drop, tuck and roll. As they did on to the dirt road. Well, mama opened her front door, the driver's seat, of course, opened my front door driver's seat and was hanging on to the door frame with high heels and a long evening gown on. The car was still in drive. So we're rolling down the dirt road, and finally I managed to put the car in park as it comes to a screeching hole halt on a dirt road. I told the girls, stay where you are in the dirt. I go to the way back of the jeep and I pull that gator out. I thought, what else do I have in this jeep that nobody will hear? Ah, I've got a machete. Just like all redneck country girls do where I'm from. So I Pulled my machete out from under the seat of that jeep and I first of all cut the most important part off. I cut his tail off so we could have chicken nougats the next day. Okay, then. I still was determined to have that skeleton skull on my desk. So I cut his head off through the body in the woods, also through the head of the gator, into a big ass ant bed, thinking, I'll come back the next day or a couple days and get that. Well, so we are heading out of the game preserve. Everything's lovely. We get back home and as I said, my son's not there. He stays late at theater. So I got the girls to bed later on that evening. Before that, I put the gator tail in the bottom of the refrigerator. Later on, I took my bath and headed to bed. About midnight or so, I hear a knock at my bedroom door. It's my son. He said, mom? I said, yes, son, he said, I do not want to know how. I do not want to hear the story. I don't want to know why. But I guess we're having in quotations chicken nougat tomorrow for dinner, aka Gator Tail. I said, yes, son, we are. Well, P.T. allen, my husband, if somebody starts to mess with me, or even if they're not messing with me, he'll look at them and say, you don't want to mess with that girl. She'll beat you like a gator on a dirt road. Thank y'all. I love y'all. So sorry for the Overton family. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. Goodbye.
Woody Overton
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Cindy Overton
I'm so excited to tell you about Deleteme, the sponsor of this podcast. Have you ever googled yourself? It's so frustrating that things like our name, email address, phone number, and even the list of our relatives are being sold online by data brokers. This poses a considerable threat to our privacy, especially if our personal info ends up in the hands of scammers or stalkers. I wanted to put an end to this, which is why I went to JoinDeleteMe.com and signed up for Delete Me. DeleteMe's privacy experts comb through the countless data broker websites looking for places your data shouldn't be, remove it, and send you a report on what they've done. They do this all year round so I don't have to think about it. Since I opened my Deleteme account, I feel better knowing my info isn't easily available online to be used against me for fraud, harassment or identity theft. You can get 20% off your delete me plan when you go to joindeleteme.com protect. Go to joindeleteme dot com protect. That's joindeleteme dot com Protect.
Debbie
Okay, so what do y'all think of that? Please leave your comments like, you know, give her a attaboy on Facebook or in the app. I think it's important that we support each other and this isn't an easy thing to do to get behind a mic, and it's certainly not an easy thing to do as a listener to get behind a mic and submit a story that is going to be heard around the world. So I appreciate your courage in doing that and I appreciate you taking your time to do it. But let's get out our lightsabers and shine a light on Some of the darkest corners of human nature. Because today is May 4th, and it's Star Wars Day, and may the 4th be with you. So some of y'all probably know you're going to see it today. Your fans all over the world are going to be wearing their Jedi robes and stormtrooper helmets and binging movies and quoting Yoda, and all of that's going to be happening. And a couple years ago, two Decembers ago, Debbie and I went to Disney World and we did the experience where you build your own lightsaber. And we are a Star wars family. The boys in the family are la. When he was younger, had all of the lightsabers. He's also Harry Potter, and he had all the wands, too. But. But lightsabers. There was a time in my home that you couldn't look at a corner of our house without seeing a lightsaber leaning up against that corner. We actually had them hanging on walls, you know, on display. So we are definitely a Star wars family. And it's, you know, they play the game on the PS5. I remember for so many years, we'd wake up Christmas morning, and one of the things that Santa would have brought would have been the newest Star wars release. And all day long, all I would hear was the noises and all of the different sounds that came from the game and couldn't get them up from the PS5. And those are just fond, fond, fond memories. But in today's episode, we are taking you beyond the cosplay and the video games and all of that. And we're going to go into the criminal underworld where Star wars meets true crime. We're going to start off by talking about a heist. And we have a man named Steve Sandsweet, and he was born in 1945 in Philadelphia. And he wasn't just any Star wars fan. He became a legend. He was actually a former Wall Street Journal reporter and Lucasfilm director of fan relations. And Steve ended up converting an old chicken barn in Petaluma, California, into what he named Rancho Obi Wan. And Rancho Obi Wan was a sanctuary for Star wars collectors and lovers. His collection spans over more than 400,000 items. He was actually recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest privately held Star wars memorabilia collection. But in 2017, Sansui discovered that he was missing over 120 of his treasured items, and they had been stolen. And the estimated value of these 120 items was over $200,000. What made the theft even worse is it was A fellow collector that stole from him. So, you know, you have a friend, you have, you have your collection. LSU fans get this. You, you know, at, at headquarters, Woody has some valuable, one of a kind items. And as a collector, when anyone comes in that's either a football fan or also LSU fan, you know, you're proud to show, oh, this is my collection. And they're like, oh well I have this helmet and this so and so signed this helmet. And you know, you want to share and you bond over that. Well, this guy, Carl Edward Cunningham from Marietta, Georgia was a real, like I said, he was a really good friend of Steve's. And he had gone to visit Rancho Obi Wan several times between the years of 2015 and 2016. And during those visits he was quietly stealing rare and valuable items from Steve's collection. And I'm assuming Steve trusted him and would leave him alone with the collection. He probably, I mean he probably didn't have, obviously, you know, wouldn't have his alarm system on and all that. So Carl just had free reign to do what he wanted. And what he wanted was to take the collection. And he took some vintage action figures, autographed memorabilia, and some very hard to find collectibles. The crime came to light when another collector noticed something odd. A rare rocket firing Boba Fett prototype appeared for sale on ebay. And the collector recognized the item from Steve's collection and alerted him. For Steve, this betrayal hit really hard. And he's quoted as saying, I have known Carl for many years, considered him a good and trusted friend and played host to him at my house numerous times. I and the staff of Rancho Obi Wan are devastated that he is the perpetrator of these thefts. So eventually Cunningham was charged and he pled guilty. And I'm so glad that he felt he pled guilty and he didn't waste anybody's time. And he pled guilty to felony grand theft. Luckily, many of the items that were stolen were recovered. But what wasn't obviously recovered was the emotional damage done. And there emotional damage wasn't only to Steve, it was to the whole Star wars community. They were shook over this because as lifers are, they are, they're close knit community. And it just was such a huge betrayal. So let's move on to the next story. And then I have another story that kind of goes back to the first story. So now we're going to go to Ashwaubenon High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin and a student had a harmless idea to celebrate May 4th and he dressed up as a Star wars character. And some reports said that it was a Darth Vader costume. Others say it was a Stormtrooper. Either way, the costume included a full black outfit, the cape, and what appeared to be body armor. Not everyone knew that it was a costume. And a concerned parent driving by the school saw what they believed to be a person in tactical body armor walking into the school. So they called the police, and within minutes, law enforcement arrived and the school was placed on lockdown. So students were evacuated and a full scale investigation was underway. And eventually the student was located and he was still in his costume. And the situation was resolved without violence. Of course, he didn't intend to be violent, but it left the school and the community rattled. The student who obviously intended no harm. He was just like, I just wanted to celebrate Star Wars Day. I didn't think it would cause such a big issue. And school officials reminded everyone that while creativity is encouraged, safety is paramount now. The school district had to enforce a no costume policy moving forward. And so what began as a fandom celebration became a cautionary tale about perception, fear, and the realities of our times. And I actually kind of have a funny story to tell about that in kind of the same theme. But two nights ago, I walk outside. W.L. and I are taking the trash to the road, and we have a pretty long driveway. So he carries. He pulls one can, I pull the other. And as a mom, I look at that as like our time, a little bit of time, just one on one, you know, just to chitchat. So when we step outside the door and we're on the side of the garage, I noticed a weird smell. And, you know, Woody's not here. He's staying with his mom during this time. And I'm usually really, really, really good about just taking care of things. And I don't bother Woody, whatever happens. He always says, like, if I'm not there, I know Cindy's going to take care of it. But I think my emotions are on edge and heightened and, you know, whatever. And what. Just all of the emotions that we've been going through kind of messed up my judgment. So I smelled what I thought was. And like an electrical wiring fire, like smoldering, smoldering something. I just. I knew I smelt something electrical burning. And so I told WO I said, as we walk down the road, like, to the road. And when we get to the road, I want to pay attention to see if we see any smoke. I want to pay attention to see if we smell it still you know, that type of thing. So as we walked down the road and as we left the garage area, there was no scent and there was no smoke. So we came back up and wl went back into the house and I started feeling walls all around the garage. And in the back we have a refrigerator and a freezer and an ice machine. So I'm feeling all of those, the outlets. I'm like getting out the big ladder to get this high up on the wall, like just trying to figure this out, trying to like I cut off the electricity to the garage. Like I'm just trying to, you know, problem solve without alerting Woody, without calling the fire department. And finally the smell wouldn't go away. I walked around the house, I walked around the yard, I walked in our house. Never did I smell it anywhere. Anywhere but in and around the garage. If you're looking at our garage to our right we have a steep, like, I would call it a cliff. It's not like, I mean it probably drops 12 to 15ft probably. I could be wrong, but that's what it seems to be for me. And so I look through there, I get as close to that edge as I can and I'm breathing in the air and like paying, trying to pay attention, and I can't smell anything there. And I go a little bit further up, I go to the whole edge of the property as far as I could go to this cliff, and nothing. I don't smell the smell. So I go, I call Woody and I'm like, what is the non emergency line for? 911 or for the sheriff's office, whatever. And he told me. So I called them and he was like, but be prepared because in a few minutes they're going to have, you're going to have fire trucks rolling in and you're going to have. It's going to be 10 cars deep in there. Everybody's going to come to make sure that everything's good. This is just how they do. It's not for us, it's just how they do. It's sure enough, 10 minutes after I call, at the most, the first truck show up. And then, you know, like five minutes after they show up, another set of trucks show up and then another set and they get out and they're asking me the questions they, that they need to ask. And they have all their equipment that they're using, the, the heat seeker little machine that they use and they're showing me how it works and how they're, you know, they're going through and they're assessing everything and they take their time. And they assure me after about 20 minutes in, they assure me that there's nothing there so that they could find because the breakers are off. So they're like, we're going to turn the breakers on. They get into the attic that's in the garage. They do it all. They go to the house, they go in. They just do it all. So we cut on the breakers and they're like, okay, if they're. When you turned off the breaker, if it was just a smoldering wire, that would have cut off the juice to it. And that was good that you did that. We're going to cut it back on and see if we see a change in temperature, see anything light up. So they do that. Stop by Sherwin Williams and get 30% off select paints and stains. May 2nd through the 12th. It's the perfect time to transform your space with color. Refresh your home inside and out with colors that make every space feel brand new. From cozy interiors to stunning exteriors. We've got the perfect shade for your next project. Shop the sale online or visit your neighborhood Sherwin Williams store. Click the banner to learn more. Retail sales, only some exclusions apply. See store for details.
Cindy Overton
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Debbie
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Cindy Overton
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Debbie
20 minutes go by. They go around with their machine. Everybody sniff like, I mean, it's whatever. Everybody's looking at everything. So about an hour and a half into it, I really believe there's about 10 vehicles here and obviously at least that many people. And we're standing all in a circle and they're telling me nothing's wrong. And they're like, I think your neighbor has a fire going on. And I'm like, I didn't see any smoke. I didn't see a fire. And they're like, sometimes you don't see the fires, especially if someone's burning like. Like what you're smelling is not going to present like you would with like leaves or trees, whatever. And they're like, I really believe that's what it is. And I'm like, who's staying with me tonight? I'm blocking My driveway. Y'all are not getting out of here until I know that we're gonna be okay. And they're like, you're fine. And so we're gonna go. I promise you we're not gonna be back here tonight. And then they say, but before we go, I need to get your name and your phone number. And so I'm like, okay, what's your first name? I told him, what's your last? And spelled it, what's your last name? And I told him. And he was like, oberton. And I was like, overton. And I spelled it. He was like, okay, the way it sounds. Another guy in the circle with us goes, overton, you have a podcast. And the guy that's getting the information from me says, you have a podcast? And I said, my husband does. The guy said, yeah, Woody. Woody's her husband. Woody Overton's her husband. And Right. He's Woody Overton's your husband? I was like, yes. The other. One of the other guys in the circle is like, woody's your husband. And they go around like, oh, my gosh, Woody's her husband. And it's the key. I mean, like, amazing that these people actually listen to the podcast. They're like, real life or crime? And so then I said. I said, so now are you willing to leave me? And, like, laughing, but serious. And they said, no, we feel confident, and everything that we've told you, we still feel confident. At the same time, Woody's messaging me, like, are you okay? Everything good? And we have a little code word for that. And I did the code, and I back. And I said, are you. You. Do you want to tell Woody what you told me? And he's like, the guy that was getting the information from me was like, I will. And I'm like, I think you can explain it better than me. So he gets on the phone with Woody, and we're kind of like, standing in the circle still. And, no, he hangs. I don't know, at whatever point. And I said, we made a joke. And we're like, I promise you we're not gonna. They again, promised me they weren't gonna be back here. And I said, well, we don't want to catch you. And so I don't remember what it was, but we used murder by you, and it was just really funny. But it ended up. I'm assuming that our neighbor did, in fact, have a fire went out. Throughout the night, I still smelled the smell, and I only smelled it in the garage, but I kept filling the walls and There was nothing there and nothing ever ignited and nothing ever happened from it. So my point of that whole story was that sometimes our perception is skewed out of fear and, you know, Columbine and all the different school shootings, I, I know is what this parent that passed by saw. And the whole time, you know, the fire department was here, you know, they're volunteers. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming and having patience with me because I was just like, I don't want to waste your time. I am so sorry. I'm going to be so embarrassed if this turns out to be nothing. And they're like, believe me, we would much rather it be nothing than, you know, be something and have to do the destruction that we would have to do to stop the fire, essentially. And so I was like, I get what you're saying, but I will be so embarrassed and feel so bad for wasting Yalls time if I am just, you know, skewing my perception of things based off of what I was going through emotionally at the time or whatever it could. I possibly could have done it on a, on a normal day as well, but it was just an experience that I could relate to that story. And I completely get someone wanting to try to keep, you know, a school safe at this time, as I've said. So again, thank you so much to our firemen and all of the support team that came. You. You really helped Woody feel more at ease that night knowing that we were safe. And you did help me, but I was still a little scared, I'm going to have to tell you. But I really appreciate your kindness with me. Y'all are all so very pleasant, like just great. And I'll never thank you enough. But now let's get to my third story for the day. And this is going to take the first story kind of full circle. So in November 2024, the force was strong in London, particularly at prop store. And if you don't know what prop store is, it is a world renowned film memorabilia auction house. Among the 1800 items available to the highest bidder, one caught the attention of Die Hard fans and collectors worldwide. It was a stormtrooper helmet that was actually used in the original Star Wars Episode 4 A New Hope in 1977. And it wasn't a replica. It was the real deal and they knew it. And it was obviously cinematic history. And its final sale price reflected that. It sold for €325,000, which is roughly $410,000. Collectors have long prized original Star Wars Props. And this one was especially rare. Few helmets from the original production survived intact and fewer still even reach the market. And the winning bidder chose to remain anonymous. And I would too. It's like if you win the lottery, you don't want someone to know that you just won the lottery because first of all, people are going to come out of the woodworks wanting to borrow money. But then you have all of the scam artists and all of the other people trying to steal your money. So if I had something like that, I wouldn't want to share it either. But while this was a very legal and high profile sale, it draws attention back to the black market for stolen memorabilia. Some items taken from collections like Rancho Obi Wan or private estates have resurfaced at auctions, often unknowingly. And so some are legitimate and others are forged in deception. But I know the auction houses go through a major process of evaluating each item and making sure that it's not forged, it's not stolen. But it is not rare to still find items that have been taken at auctions. So if you are a Star wars fan on top of being a true crime fan, I hope you enjoyed today's episode. May the fourth be with you, but may justice be with us all. And please do not forget to subscribe to Real Life Real crime on whatever app you listen to. Please go join our Real life Real crime community app. And if you're a collector, check your shelves.
Woody Overton
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Cindy Overton
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Cindy Overton
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Woody Overton
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Real Life Real Crime | True Crime May 4th Special: Star Wars Day Crimes: Heist at Rancho Obi-Wan, School Lockdown, and a Real-Life Gator Tale
Release Date: May 4, 2025
Introduction
In this special episode of Real Life Real Crime, host Woody Overton delves into a series of intriguing true crime stories intertwined with Star Wars fandom. This May 4th edition, aptly themed around Star Wars Day, explores a high-profile heist at Rancho Obi-Wan, a school lockdown triggered by a Star Wars costume, and a bizarre real-life encounter with a gator. Throughout the episode, Overton weaves these narratives with personal anecdotes and reflections, offering listeners a captivating blend of true crime and pop culture.
Content Warning
[00:59] Woody Overton issues a content warning: "This episode of Real Life Real Crime may contain descriptions of acts of violence or of a sexual nature and should be reserved for individuals 18 years or older. I do not source facts from the Internet or television shows; the information is directly from victims or perpetrators. If you find the content offensive, please turn off the podcast now."
Supporting the Community
[03:49] Cindy Overton opens the episode with a heartfelt message addressing the community's support following the family's grieving period. She mentions the upcoming live event on July 19th, emphasizing the importance of community and connection among listeners, both new and long-time.
Heist at Rancho Obi-Wan
The first major story centers around a notorious heist at Rancho Obi-Wan, a sanctuary for Star Wars collectors founded by Steve Sandsweet. Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for housing the world's largest privately held Star Wars memorabilia collection, Rancho Obi-Wan became the target of betrayal and theft.
The Betrayal: [05:00] Steve Sandsweet recounts the betrayal by Carl Edward Cunningham, a trusted friend and fellow collector. "I have known Carl for many years, considered him a good and trusted friend... I and the staff of Rancho Obi Wan are devastated that he is the perpetrator of these thefts."
The Theft: Between 2015 and 2016, Cunningham covertly stole over 120 valuable items from Rancho Obi-Wan, including vintage action figures and autographed memorabilia, estimated to be worth over $200,000.
Discovery and Impact: The theft was uncovered when a rare Boba Fett prototype appeared for sale on eBay, prompting Sandsweet to realize the extent of the betrayal. The incident not only resulted in significant financial loss but also inflicted emotional damage on the close-knit Star Wars community.
Legal Proceedings: Cunningham was charged with felony grand theft and pled guilty, leading to the recovery of many stolen items. However, the emotional toll on the community and Sandsweet remains profound.
School Lockdown Due to a Star Wars Costume
The episode then shifts to a school in Ashwaubenon High School, Green Bay, Wisconsin, where a seemingly harmless Star Wars Day celebration led to unexpected consequences.
The Incident: A student dressed as a Darth Vader or Stormtrooper in full costume, including body armor, entered the school, prompting a concerned parent to call the police. The school was swiftly placed on lockdown as law enforcement arrived to investigate the perceived threat.
Resolution: The student was found still in costume, and fortunately, the situation was resolved without any violence. The student expressed no intent to cause harm, highlighting the juxtaposition between fandom celebration and public perception.
Aftermath: School officials emphasized the importance of safety over creativity, leading to the enforcement of a no-costume policy to prevent future misunderstandings.
Reflection: Overton remarks, "What began as a fandom celebration became a cautionary tale about perception, fear, and the realities of our times," underscoring the delicate balance between expression and security in today's society.
Angela Allen’s Real-Life Gator Tale
A standout segment features Angela Allen, wife of law enforcement professional P.T. Allen, sharing a personal and unsettling encounter with a gator during a Star Wars Day outing.
The Encounter: [10:05] Angela describes driving through a federal game preserve with her children, where she attempts to maim a gator to preserve it as a souvenir. "I put him in the way back of my jeep... I didn't want to damage his tail... Just to make sure, I thought, hmm, can't shoot him."
The Aftermath: Later that evening, Angela experiences a distressing moment when she believes she detects smoke, leading her to call the fire department. The situation proves to be a false alarm, but not before causing significant anxiety and drawing attention to how fear can skew perception.
Community Interaction: During the incident, Angela humorously recounts an interaction with the arriving firemen, who recognize her podcast. This moment of levity amidst tension highlights the interconnectedness of the community and the unexpected ways in which public figures can influence personal situations.
Emotional Impact: Angela reflects on the experience, acknowledging how emotions and heightened states can distort judgment. She thanks the fire department for their professionalism and support, emphasizing the importance of understanding and compassion in moments of fear.
London Auction and the Black Market for Star Wars Memorabilia
The final major story explores the high-stakes world of Star Wars memorabilia auctions and the darker side of the collector's market.
The Auction: In November 2024, a rare Stormtrooper helmet from the original Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope sold at Prop Store in London for approximately $410,000. This item, used in the 1977 film, was recognized as genuine and became a centerpiece of cinematic history.
Black Market Concerns: Despite the rigorous authentication processes of reputable auction houses, the sale raises concerns about the black market for stolen and forged memorabilia. Items missing from collections like Rancho Obi-Wan often resurface, sometimes unknowingly, at high-profile auctions.
Market Vigilance: Overton warns collectors to exercise due diligence, as the allure of rare items can sometimes lead to deceit and loss. "While this was a very legal and high-profile sale, it draws attention back to the black market for stolen memorabilia."
Community Implications: The story underscores the vulnerabilities within collector communities, where trust can be easily broken, and the passion for collectibles can sometimes overshadow the need for security and authenticity.
Conclusion
Woody Overton wraps up the episode by intertwining the love for Star Wars with the complexities of true crime, emphasizing themes of trust, perception, and community. He reflects on the importance of justice and vigilance within passionate collector circles and beyond.
"May the fourth be with you, but may justice be with us all."
Overton encourages listeners to subscribe to Real Life Real Crime, join the community app, and stay engaged with ongoing stories that bridge the gap between fandom and real-world mysteries.
Key Takeaways
Betrayal in Close-Knit Communities: The heist at Rancho Obi-Wan illustrates how trust can be exploited within passionate collector circles, leading to significant emotional and financial repercussions.
Perception vs. Reality: The school lockdown incident and Angela Allen’s gator encounter highlight how fear and perception can lead to drastic actions, often based on misunderstandings or heightened emotions.
The Dark Side of Collecting: The London auction story sheds light on the persistent issues of theft and forgery in the memorabilia market, urging collectors to remain vigilant.
Community Resilience: Despite setbacks and betrayals, the Real Life Real Crime community stands strong, supporting each other through shared experiences and collective passion for uncovering the truth.
Notable Quotes
Steve Sandsweet on Betrayal: “I have known Carl for many years, considered him a good and trusted friend... I and the staff of Rancho Obi Wan are devastated that he is the perpetrator of these thefts.” [05:00]
Closing Reflection by Woody Overton: “May the fourth be with you, but may justice be with us all.” [44:56]
Final Thoughts
This episode masterfully blends the allure of Star Wars with the gritty realities of true crime, offering listeners a multifaceted exploration of how passion for fandom can intersect with human flaws and societal challenges. Through engaging storytelling and insightful reflections, Woody Overton provides a compelling narrative that resonates with both true crime enthusiasts and Star Wars fans alike.