Small Town Murder – Episode Summary

Podcast: Small Town Murder
Hosts: James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman
Episode: "Murders & Miracles – Skidmore, Missouri"
Date: August 28, 2025

Overview

This gripping episode takes listeners to Skidmore, Missouri—a tiny rural town with an infamous history of violent crimes and unsolved tragedies. James and Jimmie recount the horrific 2004 murder of a pregnant woman, Bobby Jo Stinnett, whose baby was brutally stolen from her womb. Through detailed, empathetic storytelling (interspersed with their signature dark comedy), the hosts explore Skidmore's troubled reputation, the backgrounds of both killer and victim, and the complex legal and ethical questions raised by the case.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Skidmore, MO Setting: "Murdertown, USA"

• Location & History: Skidmore is described as “a tiny town that is famous for murder” with a population fluctuating between 250 and 700 depending on how you count the outlying areas.
• Crime Legacy: The hosts recap several notorious local crimes:
  • The public daylight killing of town bully Ken McElroy (1981) that no one admitted witnessing.
  • The brutal murder of Wendy Gillenwater (2000).
  • The mysterious disappearance of Branson Perry (2001), who was never found.
• Demographics & Lifestyle:
  • 98.6% white, median income below national average.
  • Local events, like the annual (intentionally misspelled) "Pumpkin Show," paint a folksy yet sometimes odd picture.

Jimmie (05:34): “People around likely call them Skid Mark.”

James (06:09): “Motto. They don’t have an official motto, but if they did, it would be Murdertown, USA.”

2. The Crime: The Murder of Bobby Jo Stinnett (December 2004)

The Victim: Bobby Jo Stinnett

• Background: Born and raised in Skidmore, loved animals, especially rat terriers; ran her small dog breeding business, "Happy Haven Farms."
• Personal Life: Married childhood friend Zeb Stinnett; pregnant with her first child.

The Perpetrator: Lisa Montgomery

• Early Life: Lisa’s history includes severe childhood trauma (physical, sexual abuse, extreme neglect), mental health issues stemming from fetal alcohol syndrome, and a lifelong pattern of compulsive lying.
• Adult Life: Married her stepbrother, had four kids, numerous alleged/false pregnancies, ongoing custody battles, moved 61 times in 34 years; eventually married Kevin Montgomery.
• Obsession with Pregnancy: Lisa fake-pregnant several times—eventually, custody stress and the urge to keep her new husband close collided with her mental illness.

Building Toward the Murder

• Online Connection: Lisa (as "Darlene Fisher") meets Bobby Jo on Rat Terrier enthusiast forums ("Ratter Chatter")—both share dog breeding and, supposedly, pregnancy in common.
• The Plan: Lisa studies C-section procedures, amasses supplies (knives, birthing kit), and arranges to visit Bobby Jo under a false identity, using the pretext of buying a puppy.

James (81:32): "The weird thing is here that Bobby Jo is using her name...Lisa is not using her real name on the site...she goes under Darlene Fisher."

3. The Crime Scene (December 16, 2004)

Timeline

• 2:30pm: Lisa arrives at Bobby Jo's house. They talk, play with puppies; Bobby Jo mentions she has to pick up her mom soon.
• Attack: Lisa strangles Bobby Jo with a cord. Bobby Jo briefly regains consciousness and fights back, grabbing Lisa’s hair.
• Murder: Lisa strangles her again, then performs a crude C-section, removing the healthy, crying baby and fleeing with her. She cleans up and prepares the infant as if it were her own.

Quote:

• James (92:49): "She slices across her belly...Bobby Jo wakes up...sees Lisa above her with a knife and starts to fucking fight."
• Jimmie (93:40): "Oh my God."

4. The Investigation and Rescue

• Discovery: Bobby Jo’s mother finds her daughter’s mutilated body; the baby is missing.
• Manhunt: Police, frustrated by Amber Alert limitations (no known description of the infant), rapidly mobilize state and federal agencies. They unravel the online Darlene Fisher identity, connect it to Lisa Montgomery in Kansas, and spot the distinctive red Toyota Corolla.
• Intervention: FBI knocks on Lisa’s door while she’s calmly showing off the baby in public; her story quickly unravels under questioning.
• Rescue: DNA establishes baby Victoria Jo's identity, and Bobby Jo's husband reunites with his daughter.

James (124:12): "She just spits it out and says, quote, ‘The baby isn’t mine. I killed Bobby Joe and took her baby.’”

5. Aftermath: Justice and Legacy

The Trial

• Defense: Attempted insanity plea; claimed Lisa suffered from 'pseudocyesis' (false pregnancy delusion). Questionable legal team, with infighting and key mitigating evidence (her background of abuse) poorly presented.
• Prosecution: Argued meticulous planning and deception were evidence of sanity and malice.
• Outcome: Found guilty; sentenced to death—the first woman to be federally executed in 67 years.
• Execution: After years of appeals, international outcry, and legal battles (including last-minute COVID and competency challenges), Lisa was executed on January 13, 2021.

James (140:02): “The judge adds another lawyer to the team...Her name is Judy Clark...She has successfully gotten three very famous clients not the death penalty....But [other defense attorney] secretly petitions the judge to have her removed.”

The Baby and Family

• Victoria Jo: Raised by her father, shielded from publicity—described as “doing fantastic” as a healthy young adult.

James (173:29): “Victoria Jo...Great. She’s 19 years old. Doing fantastic...never spoken publicly...they don’t let people fuck with her.”

Skidmore’s Ongoing Curse

• Residents grapple with national infamy (“curse”), as the house where the murder occurred remains abandoned and decaying over 20 years later.

James (174:30): “This town...is cursed. It’s more deaths, more tragedies. The town that killed Ken McElroy, the town where babies are stolen from wombs...The murder house...has never been lived in again.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• James (39:22): “She locked her outside naked in the winter as a punishment. And at one point...Judy killed the family dog in front of Lisa with a shovel.”
• Jimmie (95:05): [Describing the horror of the crime scene] “You can see like one of those dance step things. Yeah, Ginger Rogers goes this way...”
• James (156:43): “The prosecutor’s response: ‘Millions of people suffer trauma. They don’t murder pregnant women and steal their babies.’”
• James (171:03): “We should give people last meals before we execute them...you have spent tens of millions of dollars...now you’re going ‘we’re not spending $30 on a meal?’”
• On justice and trauma
  James (158:54): “I don’t think I’m sexist, but as a guy I don’t like killing women. I like when criminals do it. I don’t like when the State does it. It’s just weird to me.”

Important Timestamps

• [06:09] - Town’s "motto" – "Murdertown, USA"
• [17:06] - Crime rate and bizarre small-town events
• [18:56] - Setting the crime: The Whistle Stop Café with Lisa and her newborn
• [24:39] - Bobby Jo’s mother discovers the murder scene
• [39:22] - Lisa’s disturbing childhood revealed
• [55:53] - Lisa and Bobby Jo’s dog-breeding relationship; Ratter Chatter forum
• [81:33] - Lisa’s internet alias and subterfuge
• [89:53] - Lisa arrives at Bobby Jo’s home
• [91:50] - The brutal attack and C-section described in detail
• [106:36] - Investigators trace the online alias to Lisa
• [124:12] - Lisa confesses to the FBI
• [133:48] - Charges, trial, and legal wrangling
• [150:46] - Verdict and sentencing
• [172:34] - Execution day
• [173:27] - Update on Victoria Jo
• [174:29] - The “curse” of Skidmore and the still-abandoned murder house

Tone, Approach, and Listener Experience

The hosts bring their signature blend of unflinching research, gallows humor, and compassion for innocent victims. They openly struggle with the ethical complexities posed by Lisa’s background (“You gotta sit there like, what do you even say? ...she’s obviously sick in the head.”) while providing critical, sometimes darkly comic takes—especially regarding small town culture, law enforcement missteps, and the grim absurdities of rural life.

Their comedic tone prevails—never at the expense of the victims—offering listeners space to process unthinkable tragedy while remaining deeply human and critical of systemic failures.

Conclusion

This episode is a chilling, in-depth journey through one of America’s most disturbing small-town crimes, shedding light on the fragility of rural life and the lasting scars of trauma. The Small Town Murder team provides a balanced, thought-provoking perspective, blending humor with a profound sense of empathy and justice.

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Content warning: This episode includes graphic descriptions of violence, abuse, and mental illness. Listener discretion is strongly advised.