Podcast
Residue: A True Crime Podcast
Hosted by Chrissy Champagne | BLACKCAT · EN
Residue with Chrissy Champagne dives deep into the gritty world where true crime meets the movies. Each episode breaks down made-for-TV films and theatrical releases based on chilling real-life cases — exploring the facts behind the fiction, the victims behind the headlines, and the emotional residue these stories leave behind. The original episodes are still here, but now we’re turning the spotlight on the stories Hollywood couldn’t resist — because sometimes, the scariest scripts are the ones that actually happened.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
136: The Bling Ring
2d ago00:47:10Tap to summarizeThe Bling Ring is based on the true story of a group of Los Angeles teenagers who burglarized the homes of celebrities including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge, and Orlando Bloom between 2008 and 2009. Driven by an obsession with fame, fashion, and celebrity culture, they stole millions of dollars' worth of luxury items before eventually being caught by police. Sofia Coppola's 2013 film explores not only the crimes themselves, but the culture of celebrity worship that inspired them.SOURCES:The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist https://nypost.com/2023/09/30/bling-ring-leader-rachel-lee-reveals-what-fueled-celeb-crimes/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/erin-lee-carr-ringleader-case-bling-ring-rachel-lee-1235737937/https://www.etonline.com/rachel-bilson-confronts-bling-ring-member-gabby-neiers-years-after-she-robbed-her-192522
Transcribe →135: Boys Don't Cry: The Brandon Teena Story
1w ago00:53:12Tap to summarizeBoys Don't Cry brought Brandon Teena's story to the big screen, but how closely did the film follow the real events? In this episode, we separate fact from fiction, exploring Brandon's life, the people often left out of the story, and the lasting legacy of a case that changed conversations about transgender representation in America. Using a victim-centered approach, we'll look beyond the movie to understand the real people behind the headlines.Sources:The Brandon Teena Story All He Wanted by Aphrodite Joneshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU6zjFkS3PcBoys Don’t Cry https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/boys-dont-cry-1999https://stroudradicalreading.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/devinescut-blackonbothsides.pdfhttps://papers.iafor.org/wp-content/uploads/papers/acah2024/ACAH2024_78518.pdfErased Podcast
Transcribe →134: David (1988): A Survival Story
2w ago00:38:40Tap to summarizeThe story of David Rothenberg's survival would eventually reach millions of viewers through the 1988 made-for-television film David. Starring Bernadette Peters as Marie Rothenberg and Matthew Lawrence as David, the film focused not only on the horrific crime that nearly took his life, but also on his extraordinary recovery and the strength he showed in the years that followed.Sources:David’s Story by Marie Rothenberghttps://medium.com/mel-magazine/the-boy-that-fire-couldnt-destroy-the-life-and-death-of-dave-dave-aa9332120acfhttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-20-mn-2215-story.html
Transcribe →133: She Made Them Do It: Sarah Jo Pender
3w ago00:44:52Tap to summarizeWas Sarah Jo Pender a master manipulator who orchestrated a brutal double murder, or was she a young woman caught in a flawed investigation and wrongfully convicted?One of the most controversial true-crime cases of the 2000s. Sarah Jo Pender was convicted in 2002 for the murders of Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman, a crime prosecutors argued she planned and directed. Dubbed the "female Charles Manson", Pender maintained her innocence throughout her trial and imprisonment. The Lifetime movie She Made Them Do It, starring Jenna Dewan depicted Sarah's story. Sources:https://www.hulu.com/series/5eb21b90-555a-4dc3-9b6c-60c8f7087bd4She Made Them Do It https://law.justia.com/cases/indiana/court-of-appeals/2003/12090302-smb.htmlhttps://www.aetv.com/articles/sarah-pender-escaped-prison-many-call-wrongful-conviction
Transcribe →132: Cruel Doubt: The Murder of Leith Von Stein
May 2600:34:39Tap to summarizeIn July 1988, Washington, North Carolina businessman Leith Von Stein was fatally stabbed and bludgeoned in his bed while his wife, Bonnie, was severely injured. The violent crime was initially staged as a burglary but later exposed a twisted conspiracy motivated by a $2 million inheritance.The chilling true-crime story was famously chronicled in the 1991 bestselling book Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss. Cruel Doubt was adapted into a highly rated, two-part television miniseries that premiered on NBC in May 1992 starring Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow.Sources:Cruel Doubt by Joe McGuinessBlood Relatives: Death is in the Air https://finishedpages.com/from-patriarch-to-the-small-screen-the-north-carolina-murder-of-leigh-von-stein/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1991/11/17/two-very-different-tellings-of-the-same-crime/http://www.theescapist.com/archive-pritchard01.htmhttps://law.justia.com/cases/north-carolina/supreme-court/1992/89a90-0.html
Transcribe →131: Song Sung Blue: The Mike and Claire Sardina Story
May 1900:35:03Tap to summarizeWe are taking a true crime break this week, but still focusing on a "based on a true story" movie. Mike and Claire Sardina were a real-life Milwaukee husband-and-wife musical duo who formed the popular Neil Diamond tribute act "Lightning & Thunder". Their remarkable true story of soaring success, devastating heartbreak, and perseverance inspired the acclaimed feature film Song Sung Blue (2025). The duo were also the subject of the 2008 documentary of the same name. A story that proves we should all dream big. Sources:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDukMQIz1ScSong Sung Blue the Documentary (2008) Song Sung Blue https://parade.com/movies/meet-the-real-life-couple-who-inspired-song-sung-bluehttps://ew.com/song-sung-blue-true-story-fact-vs-fiction-11876118https://shepherdexpress.com/film/i-hate-hollywood/lightning-thunder-story/https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/hugh-jackman-kate-hudson-face-backlash-real-family-behind-tribute-band-filmhttps://archive.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/35103989.html
Transcribe →130: Abducted: The Carlina White Story
May 1200:35:25Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we explore the shocking true story behind the Lifetime film Abducted: The Carlina White Story. A case so unbelievable it sounds fictional, yet every major detail really happened. In 1987, 19-day-old Carlina White was kidnapped from Harlem Hospital in New York City by a woman later identified as Ann Pettway, who raised her under the name Nejdra “Netty” Nance for more than two decades. What makes this story extraordinary is that the case was ultimately solved not by investigators, but by Carlina herself.Sources:Beyond the Headlines: The Carlina White Story https://nymag.com/news/features/carlina-white-2011-10/Abducted: The Carlina White Story https://allthatsinteresting.com/carlina-white
Transcribe →129: I Know My First Name Is Steven: PART 2, Cary Stayner the Yosemite Park Killer
May 500:45:01Tap to summarizePART 2: While Steven Stayner became known for his extraordinary survival, his story reached millions through the made for TV film I Know My First Name Is Steven, and for a time the Stayner name was associated with resilience and hope. But that sense of closure did not last, and years later the same name would return to the national spotlight under far darker circumstances.In 1999, Cary Stayner carried out a series of murders in and around Yosemite National Park, killing Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso, and later Joie Armstrong. The case stunned the country not only for its brutality but for its connection to Steven’s story. The contrast is stark. Two brothers from the same family, one remembered for survival, the other for tragedy.Sources: Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story I Know My First Name Is Steven https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/apr/20/there-was-a-lot-of-torment-the-family-who-endured-two-true-storieshttps://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/12/18/The-man-who-kidnapped-young-Steven-Stayner-alternated-sexual/8624377499600/https://time.com/archive/6883464/nation-escaping-dad/Wikihttps://people.com/carole-sund-teen-daughter-murdered-yosemite-serial-killer-1182569220/20: Evil In Eden
Transcribe →128: I Know My First Name Is Steven: Part 1, Steven Stayner
Apr 2801:02:55Tap to summarizePART 1: The 1989 television miniseries I Know My First Name Is Steven is a dramatization of the real-life kidnapping of Steven Stayner, who was held captive for seven years before heroically escaping and rescuing another child.The film chronicles the abduction of seven-year-old Steven by Kenneth Parnell in 1972. Parnell brainwashes Steven into believing his parents no longer want him and renames him "Dennis Parnell". Over the next seven years, Steven endures severe physical and sexual abuse while living a transient life with his captor. The story reaches its climax in 1980 when Parnell kidnaps five-year-old Timmy White. Determined to spare the young boy from the same fate, a 14-year-old Steven escapes with Timothy and brings him to a police station. The title comes from Steven's actual police statement: "I know my first name is Steven." Sources:Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story I Know My First Name Is Steven by Mike EcholsI Know My First Name Is Steven the movie https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/apr/20/there-was-a-lot-of-torment-the-family-who-endured-two-true-storieshttps://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/12/18/The-man-who-kidnapped-young-Steven-Stayner-alternated-sexual/8624377499600/https://time.com/archive/6883464/nation-escaping-dad/Wiki
Transcribe →127: Soldier's Girl: The Murder of Barry Winchell
Apr 2100:34:30Tap to summarizeThe 2003 film Soldier's Girl tells the true story of Barry Winchell, a young soldier stationed at Fort Campbell who becomes romantically involved with transgender performer Calpernia Addams. Their relationship develops quietly at first, but it becomes increasingly dangerous within the highly rigid and hostile environment of the military under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era.As rumors about Winchell begin circulating among fellow soldiers, he becomes the target of escalating harassment and social pressure. That hostility is fueled in part by other soldiers, including Justin Fisher, who encourages and manipulates younger soldier Calvin Glover. The film builds toward the real-life tragedy where Winchell is attacked with a baseball bat while sleeping in his barracks, a violent act rooted in a toxic mix of rumor, prejudice, and peer pressure.Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NpanzTImkEhttps://inmagazine.ca/2024/07/flashback-soldier-barry-winchell-dies-after-anti-gay-hate-crime-july-6-1999/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2000/05/kentucky-murder-200005?srsltid=AfmBOoppbiKCRONCbuReee_d9LP_ImBd8uuuNkWew3BvLsttjmk1De7khttps://www.out.com/news/drag-race-barry-winchell-murderhttps://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/09/us/killer-s-trial-shows-gay-soldier-s-anguish.html#:~:text=But%20nothing%20came%20of%20their,factors%20in%20meting%20out%20sentences.&text=Articles%20yesterday%20about%20the%20conviction,the%20Army%20account%20for%20312.https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000528mag-calpernia.html
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