Small Town Murder — "Baby-Faced & Deadly: Travelers Rest, South Carolina"

Hosts: James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman
Original Airdate: February 5, 2026
Episode Focus: The dark and twisted story of Leslie Eugene Warren—a small-town youth turned cross-state serial killer. The hosts explore his background, crimes, and the impact on the communities of South and North Carolina, and New York.

Overview

In this episode, James and Jimmie take listeners on a wild ride through Travelers Rest, SC—a seemingly peaceful small town with a dark secret. The pair detail the life and crimes of Leslie Eugene Warren, a baby-faced killer whose troubled childhood sets the stage for a series of gruesome murders spanning several states. All the while, the hosts blend their signature humor with empathetic true crime storytelling.

1. Meet Travelers Rest, South Carolina (05:13–22:59)

• Town Profile:

  • Location: Northwestern SC, near Greenville; small population (~7,600), largely college students due to nearby universities.
  • Atmosphere: Quaint, family-friendly, with a skewed gender ratio (58% women, median age 21).
  • Real estate: Affordable by national standards, but "middle of nowhere" vibe.
  • Crime: Low violent crime but high property crime (mainly college-kid shenanigans).

• Hosts’ Observations:

  • Jokes about the “Swamp Rabbit Trail” and the town's odd motto (“Get in your element”).
  • Banter about local festivals (“Southern Roots Barbecue Festival”) and the cliches of small-town personalities and music.
  • “If you're a 23-year-old guy, there is no reason that you don’t move to this town...” (11:51, James)
  • Residents’ reviews: everything from “everyone gets together well” to car break-ins blamed on “swamp rabbits.”

2. Case Background: The First Murder – Patsy Diane Vineyard (22:59–43:32)

• Victim: Patsy Diane Vineyard, 20, army wife living at Fort Drum, NY, with husband Michael (himself also 21).

• Timeline:

  • May 1987: Michael leaves for army training; returns to find Patsy missing.
  • Last seen: Sunbathing outside the apartments (May 15/16).
  • June 8, 1987: Body found decomposed in Lake Ontario/Black River Bay.
  • Evidence: Purse and jewelry missing; sexual homicide suspected, but cause inconclusive.

• Key Players:

  • Michael Vineyard: Stunned, convinced wife wouldn’t have left voluntarily.
  • Investigator: Trooper Dick Ledoux (“Dick told me that his cop’s gut...”) (39:26)
  • Dick’s theory: Accident, suicide, or murder (“...usually when a young person dies, it’s one, it's an accident, two, it’s suicide, three, it's murder.” 40:34)

• Notable Quotes:

  • “We are comedians. People are gonna die. Jokes are gonna get made... But we never make fun of the victims or the victim's families.” (4:29, James)
  • “Check your town’s expiration date. Look at it. Smell it!” (8:11, James)

3. The Making of a Serial Killer: Leslie Eugene Warren (43:33–80:00)

• Background:

  • Born 1967, abusive home (violent alcoholic father, neglected by mother who adored his younger brother).
  • Pattern of violence and trouble from early on: fights, expelled from school, starts mailing rape threats by 14, burglary, drugs (60:08).
  • 1982 (15 years old): Breaks into neighbor’s house, ties woman up, shoots her friend; caught, sent to juvenile facility.
  • Seemingly patched up by counselor Jamie Hurley (76:51), lives with caring uncle, but problems return.

• Military Stint:

  • 1986: Joins Army, seems to do well; marries, becomes a father.
  • Transfers to Fort Drum—overlaps with the Vineyard murder.
  • Starts fucking up: AWOL, theft, dishonorable discharge (83:53–86:23).

• Key Insight:

  • Warren is intelligent but with severe antisocial tendencies.
  • Multiple diagnoses: conduct disorder, schizoid personality, depression.

4. Escalation: Murders in the Carolinas (90:00–144:19)

Velma Fay Gray (90:00)

• Victim: Faye Gray, 42, beloved local, musician, college staff.
• Circumstances:
  • 8/25/89: Car breaks down near home; truck driver stops.
  • Next day: Body found under bridge, hands tied with shoelaces, beaten, raped, strangled.
  • Car found elsewhere, stolen by an unrelated thief (“terrible luck,” 102:00).

Jamie Hurley (106:46)

• Victim: Jamie Hurley, counselor who helped Warren rehabilitate in juvie.
• Circumstances:
  • 5/25/90: Disappears from Asheville home; only clue is purse found in Warren’s van (111:33).
  • Warren claims accidental overdose but admits dumping body in French Broad River (113:09) and later confesses to the burial with brother Laurent’s help.

Kat Johnson (131:27)

• Victim: Katherine “Kat” Johnson, 21.
• Circumstances:
  • Meets Warren at a Radisson company picnic via mutual friend Terry Quinby.
  • Last seen leaving on a motorcycle ride with Warren (136:26).
  • He returns to take her car, later found in a parking garage with her body in the trunk (“Just to leave his motorcycle there and get in Kat’s car and drive it away” 137:52).

Pattern & Motive

• Warren confesses to sexually motivated murders, often opportunistic (random women with a vulnerability, acquaintance connection).
• Claims (often dubiously) that drug use/overdoses were involved to minimize sexual violence (“He claimed... she died while sleeping. No drug overdose, no nothing. Just apnea like a motherfucker.” 151:40, James).

5. The Confessions & The Takedown (148:41–181:11)

• Arrest: July 21, 1990, found sleeping on Terry Quinby’s couch; police surround house.

• Interrogation:

  • Waives rights, quickly (within 3 hours) confesses to 8 murders (149:11).
  • Known victims: Patsy Vineyard (NY), Velma Gay Gray (SC), Jamie Hurley (NC), Kat Johnson (NC).
  • Claims additional, unverified murders: “Mary,” a Hispanic woman in SC, and a male hitchhiker in TN (“Ronald").
  • Provides details: patterns of sexual violence, strangulation, trophy-keeping (loved to keep victims’ jewelry or car keys).

• Investigation & Jurisdictional Battles:

  • States coordinate on prosecution; SC tries first (strong physical evidence).

6. Trials, Appeals, and Aftermath (181:12–188:42)

• Trial Outcomes:

  • Fay Gray (SC): Life with parole possible after 20 years; death penalty not allowed (“…the evidence wouldn’t allow it.” 173:59)
  • Jamie Hurley (NC): Guilty plea, life sentence; evidence included Laurent’s testimony and location of grave.
  • Kat Johnson (NC): Fast verdict (25 min), death penalty (“You, sir, may fuck off. Death penalty again.” 181:36)
  • New York chooses not to prosecute due to death penalties in the Carolinas.

• Appeals:

  • Multiple failed appeals, including a bizarre claim under the Racial Justice Act (despite all-white victims and defendant) (184:53).

• Status:

  • Remains on death row in Raleigh, NC, as of 2026 (no executions since 2006).

7. Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Small Towns

• “You can't even go to the store without having a big catch up session with somebody from high school. No. Thank you.” (9:49, James)

Gallows Humor

• “Check your town's expiration date. Look on it. Smell it, Open it, smell it. Make sure it's not [expired].” (8:11, James)
• [On murder-solving detective]: “His card has the blanks ready to be filled in. Dick is on the case, don't you worry.” (41:09)

On Warren’s Behavior

• “He's got the cogs to work it. He just doesn't have any belts to make them roll.” (74:01, James)
• “He confesses to eight murders in this session. Eight murders today. Right now. They're like, wow, this guy's horrible. He killed three people. And then he's like, hold on one minute. I got something.” (149:14)

Community Reaction

• “I consider him like a rodent. I’d like to squash him. He doesn’t need to exist. He just shouldn’t live like a swamp rabbit.” (174:00, George Jackson – brother of Velma Fay Gray)

About True Crime/Comedy Marriage

• “We never make fun of the victims or the victim’s families…Because we’re assholes—but we're not scumbags.” (4:34, James and Jimmie)

8. Timeline / Key Case Timestamps

• Travelers Rest context & intro: 05:13–22:59
• Patsy Diane Vineyard murder/disappearance: 22:59–43:32
• Leslie Warren’s childhood & first violent crime: 43:33–80:00
• Army career, first known murders: 80:00–106:46
• Jamie Hurley & evidence/confessions: 106:46–144:19
• The Kat Johnson episode: 131:27–144:19
• Apprehension & confession spree: 148:41–181:11
• Trials and aftermath: 181:12–188:42
• Legacy, death row status, pop culture: 188:42–end

9. Tone & Final Observations

The episode smoothly shifts between dark, tragic facts and the hosts’ quick-witted banter—a relief valve in a story brimming with cruelty. Their jokes about "Swamp Rabbit Trails," small-town quirks, or the parade of men named Dick never deflect from the horror faced by the victims or the pain of the survivors. The through-line: a chilling account of how a “baby-faced” man from a troubled home left a trail of death behind—proving evil can thrive in even the quietest corners.

10. Further Listening / Reading

• Book: "Romeo Killer" by Wensley Clarkson (2004)
• TV: Investigation Discovery’s “Handsome Devils: Baby Faced Killer”
• Referenced Podcasts: Follow “Crime in Sports” or “Your Stupid Opinions” for the hosts’ other mayhem-laden productions.

For tickets, merch, and bonus content: shutupandgivememurder.com & patreon.com/crimeinsports