Scams, Money, & Murder

Episode Summary: Brewing Empire Heir Ransomed: Adolph Coors III Pt. 1

Podcast: Scams, Money, & Murder
Hosts: Vanessa Richardson & Carter Roy
Release Date: November 20, 2025
Episode Length (content): ~35 minutes (ads excluded)

Overview

This episode opens a two-part investigation into the 1960 abduction and murder of Adolph "Ad" Coors III, heir to the Coors Brewing fortune. Through a gripping historical narrative, hosts Vanessa Richardson and Carter Roy revisit the rise of the Coors family brewery—from its humble beginnings in Germany to its transformation into an American empire—while foreshadowing the dark turn the Coors legacy took with the shocking kidnapping of its third-generation leader. This installment focuses on the family’s journey, their entanglement with American history, personal tensions, and the circumstances leading up to Ad’s disappearance.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins of the Coors Empire

[00:50-05:30, 16:14-27:14]

• Adolph Coors Sr. was born in 1847 in Prussia and stowed away to America in 1868 to escape instability and pursue the dream of opening a brewery.
• Coors settled in Golden, Colorado, attracted by the high-quality water from Clear Creek, which became essential to the beer’s unique characteristics.
• Quote:

  "Any decent brewer knows that to make good beer, you need good water. And according to Adolph, the water in Golden was unlike anything he'd ever tasted."
  — Carter Roy, [05:30]

• Coors' early beers distinguished themselves by being lighter and more drinkable, leading to commercial success and expansion.

2. Navigating Prohibition and Diversification

[05:30-16:14]

• The rising temperance movement and Prohibition threatened the brewery’s survival. Adolph Sr. diversified into ceramics (Coors Porcelain Company), foreseeing the need for alternative products and income.
• Adolph Jr., with a chemical engineering background, capitalized on the wartime need for domestic ceramics, positioning Coors Porcelain as a top U.S. supplier.

3. Family Tensions and Corporate Power

[16:14-27:14]

• The Coors family maintained an iron grip on both the business and personal lives. Adolf Jr.’s control over his son's professional prospects—and even their clothing—made the Coors heirs seem ordinary, masking their immense wealth for security reasons.
• Quote:

  "Adolph Jr. didn’t want his children to stand out in any way. It was partially about reputation...but it was also a security measure, something Adolph Jr. could be a bit paranoid about."
  — Carter Roy, [16:14]

• Kidnapping threats plagued the wealthy; the family was blacklisted by labor unions after firing strikers, creating resentment and external pressures.
• Adolph Coors III (Ad) was groomed for leadership but was personally ill-suited: allergic to beer, introverted, and somewhat indifferent to the brewery.

4. Personal Life of Adolph Coors III ("Ad")

[16:14-27:46]

• Ad’s marriage to Mary Grant—opinionated, outgoing, and from a similarly wealthy Colorado lineage—created friction with his father.
• Regardless of internal family turmoil, Ad had a loving, close-knit family with Mary and four children, eventually achieving his dream of running a horse ranch near Morrison.

5. Labor Strife and Brewing Discontent

[27:46-35:38]

• Post-war prosperity did not insulate Coors from turbulent labor disputes; multiple strikes typified the 1950s, culminating in union-busting tactics by Ad’s brothers.
• As family in-fighting over the management style simmered, Ad stayed focused on his ranch and family, hinting at his desire for a quieter life away from the business.

6. The Day of the Disappearance

[35:38-39:26]

• On the morning of February 9, 1960, Ad’s routine was ordinary: exercise, coffee with Mary, time with his kids, and then off to work.
• When Ad failed to arrive at the brewery, concern mounted quickly. His car was discovered running and abandoned by Turkey Creek Bridge, with his iconic tan baseball cap and an unfamiliar brown fedora found nearby; tire tracks suggested another vehicle’s hurried departure.
• Quote:

  “They’d know the tan baseball cap anywhere. AD loved that hat. The other was a brown fedora that neither of the brothers recognized. It didn’t look like something AD would own, and it was slightly bigger than the baseball cap...”
  — Carter Roy, [39:06]

• The family’s worst fears became reality: Adolph Coors III—a brewing heir—was missing, the apparent victim of a kidnapping.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brewing Ambition:

  "From that moment onwards, he was determined to open his own brewery. But he didn't think Germany was the place to do it."
  — Carter Roy, [00:50]

• On Family’s Humble Work Ethic:

  "Adolph Sr. wasn’t like other businessmen. He was passionate about making beer, not money."
  — Carter Roy, [10:20]

• On Security Fears:

  “In the months after Prohibition was repealed, kidnapping for ransom became rampant...From then on, Adolf Jr. was fixated on keeping the target off his family's back.”
  — Carter Roy, [19:22]

• The Suddenness of Ad’s Disappearance:

  "The car was still running. He could hear the engine and the radio, and yet there was no sign of the driver."
  — Carter Roy, [37:24]

• Cliffhanger Ending:

  "It seemed their father's worst nightmare had come true. The Coors had been kidnapped."
  — Carter Roy, [39:22]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Coors origins & founding in Golden, Colorado: [00:50–08:30]
• Prohibition and shift to ceramics: [10:00–16:00]
• Labor strife & family dynamics: [17:30–22:40], [29:00–32:30]
• Adolph Coors III’s personality, aspirations, and family: [23:30–31:50]
• The morning of the abduction: [35:38–39:26]

Tone and Style

The episode mixes meticulous historical research with an engaging, suspenseful true crime narrative. Both hosts maintain a serious but inviting tone, blending empathy for victims with an investigative curiosity that keeps listeners wanting more. The storytelling is vivid and cinematic, with reflective asides on wealth, power, and the human costs of ambition.

Summary

“Brewing Empire Heir Ransomed: Adolph Coors III Pt. 1” delves deep into the Coors dynasty’s rise, its challenging legacy, and the personal and societal factors that set the stage for one of America’s most notorious kidnapping cases. By humanizing the Coors family and contextualizing the crime within both business and family history, the hosts craft a compelling setup for the investigation that follows in part two.

Cliffhanger: The mystery of what happened to Adolph Coors III remains unresolved—listeners are left hanging as the family confronts the unthinkable: their greatest fear, realized.

Next episode: The investigation into Ad’s disappearance and the FBI’s massive manhunt.