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The Craigslist Killer, the 2011 Lifetime film based on the true story of Philip Markoff, a Boston University medical student whose seemingly perfect life concealed a shocking double life. On the surface, Markoff appeared to have everything going for him, a promising medical career, a loving fiancée, and a bright future. But behind closed doors, investigators uncovered a series of violent crimes connected to women he contacted through Craigslist's "erotic services" ads. Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu6i_uzXIOo https://abcnews.com/US/TheLaw/craigslist-killer-philip-markoff-swallowed-toilet-paper-revived/story?id=11413302 https://www.aetv.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-craigslist-killer-philip-markoff https://www.thoughtco.com/julissa-brisman-craigslist-killer-victim-970976 https://www.forensicscolleges.com/blog/interviews/forensics-casefile-craigslist-killer https://abcnews.com/GMA/story?id=7437059 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cries Unheard: The Donna Yaklich Story (also released as Victim of Rage) is a 1994 made-for-TV film based on the real-life case of Donna Yaklich, a Colorado woman convicted of hiring two men to kill her abusive husband, police officer Dennis Yaklich. While the film portrays Donna as a survivor of years of severe domestic violence with no safe way to escape, the true story remains the subject of debate. Supporters believe the movie accurately reflects the abuse she endured, while Dennis Yaklich's family has strongly disputed that portrayal, arguing the film presents only Donna's perspective. In this episode, we examine the real case, the evidence, the controversies, and the question that continues to divide people decades later: how closely did the movie reflect the truth? Sources: Cries Unheard: The Donna Yaklich Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXo6K-K5ZH8 https://law.justia.com/cases/colorado/court-of-appeals/1991/88ca1369-0.html Husband Killer: Donna Yaklich by Jessi Dixon https://www.chieftain.com/story/news/2005/10/21/yaklich-s-release-draws-mixed/8984309007/ Evil Stepmother: Donna Yaklich Nanny Nightmare https://variety.com/1994/tv/reviews/cries-unheard-the-donna-yaklich-story-1200436017/ https://murderpedia.org/female.Y/y/yaklich-donna.htm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we unravel the shocking true story of Tony Kiritsis and the 1977 hostage crisis that became known as the "Dead Man's Wire" case. Armed with a sawed-off shotgun connected to a homemade dead man's wire, Kiritsis held mortgage executive Richard Hall hostage for more than 60 hours, turning a personal grievance into one of the most bizarre standoffs in American history. We examine the events that led to the kidnapping, the intense negotiations that played out live on television, and the legal battle that followed. We also compare how the story has been portrayed in the film Dead Man's Wire and documentary Dead Man's Line, exploring what the adaptation gets right, what they change, and how Hollywood interpreted one of America's strangest true crime cases. SOURCES: Dead Man’s Line Dead Man’s Wire https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/movies/2018/01/31/tony-kiritsis-story-indys-most-insane-hostage-taker-now-movie/699747001/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z117461u004660e1166xxv117461&gca-ft=220&gca-ds=sophi https://thecinemaholic.com/dead-mans-wire-linda-page-indianapolis-news-now-12/ https://www.aetv.com/articles/tony-kiritsis-kidnapping-dick-hall-1977-journalists-reevaluate-live-coverage https://ibha.indiana.edu/the-tony-kiritsis-hostage-incident-62-hours-that-forever-changed-indiana-broadcasting/ https://variety.com/2025/film/awards/gus-van-sant-dead-mans-wire-river-phoenix-1236561384/ https://indyencyclopedia.org/tony-kiritsis-case/ https://deadmansline.com/richard-hall/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Open Water (2003) is a survival thriller inspired by the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. In the film, a married couple is accidentally left behind during a scuba diving trip after the boat crew miscounts the passengers. As they drift alone in the open ocean, they face dehydration, exhaustion, and sharks while waiting for a rescue that never comes. The real events happened in 1998, when Tom and Eileen Lonergan were accidentally abandoned during a dive at Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Their disappearance wasn't discovered for nearly two days, and despite a massive search, they were never found. Months later, some of their dive gear washed ashore, but their bodies were never recovered. Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-faZE1ZJ6Q https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-12/ocean-survival-expert-advice-qld-couple-three-days-at-sea/101848206 https://allthatsinteresting.com/tom-eileen-lonergan Open Water https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/9625524/The-fall-and-rise-of-Milton-Windsor-Harris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we uncover the true story behind When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story, the 2017 film inspired by real events. We explore who Falicia Blakely was, the circumstances that shaped her life, and how an abusive and controlling relationship influenced the choices that ultimately led to a series of tragic crimes. Sources: https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/200146223/s01-e09-falicia-blakely-kiesha-smith Snapped: Season 32, episode 11 https://nappythoughts.com/falicia-blakely https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/atlanta-stripper-falicia-blakely-kills-robs-3-men https://creativeloafing.com/content-171458-alleged-pimp-accused-of-ordering-killings-is-jailed https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/atlanta-stripper-falicia-blakely-kills-robs-3-men Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez is based on the true story of Abby Hernandez, a New Hampshire teenager who was abducted in 2013 while walking home from school. Held captive in a concealed shipping container for nine months, Abby endured unimaginable hardship but demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience. It is ultimately a story of hope, perseverance, and the strength of the human spirit in the face of trauma. Sources: https://abcnews.com/US/kidnapping-survivor-abby-hernandez-details-life-captivity-told/story?id=57599326 https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/how-abigail-hernandez-convinced-nathaniel-kibby-to-free-her https://hollywoodlife.com/2022/02/26/girl-in-the-shed-abby-hernandez-lifetime-movie-interview/ Girl In the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez https://www.kget.com/community/ricks-reviews/abigail-hernandez-tells-her-story-in-girl-in-the-shed/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boys 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices