Small Town Murder Podcast

Hosted by James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman

Episode: "Singing Serial Killer – Menomonie, Wisconsin"

Date: November 13, 2025

Overview

In this darkly comedic episode, James and Jimmie dive into the chilling case of Alvin Edward Taylor—the lounge singer with a velvet voice and a penchant for eliminating "demons" he saw all around him in small-town Wisconsin. As always, the hosts blend meticulously researched true crime details with sharp, irreverent banter. They explore Taylor’s mental illness, his series of murders, and the repeated investigative failings that let him evade capture for years—all underpinned by a sharp critique of the U.S. mental health and justice systems.

Episode Structure and Key Segments

• Menomonie, Wisconsin – Town Profile (05:45–22:20)
• Alvin Taylor’s Background & Mental Health History (41:04–53:18)
• The Murders Begin: Bob Williams (68:09–89:40)
• Subsequent Murders: Severson, Lundgren, Hayden (93:04–147:38)
• Investigation, Confession, and Judicial Proceedings (141:18–176:28)
• Taylor’s Commitment and Attempts at Release (176:29–183:22)

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: Menomonie, Wisconsin

• The hosts open by painting a vivid portrait of Menomonie, highlighting its college-town innocence, weirdly low crime rate, and hyper-local quirks.
• Notable reviews:
  • "Definitely not a place you want to be outside at night. Unless you like to party uncontrollably..." (10:00)
• Menomonie is depicted as a safe, sleepy town—a sharp contrast to the violence that would soon erupt there.

The Antagonist: Alvin Edward Taylor

• Born in 1947, Milwaukee; endured serious abuse from his father and maternal neglect.
• Became a musically talented lounge singer with a charismatic persona.
• Suffered from paranoid schizophrenia—with constant auditory hallucinations and belief in a "divine mission" to eliminate “demons.”
• His psychosis grew over time, especially in periods of stress, failure, and after institutionalizations.
• Cocaine as self-medication—"He discovered, you know what calms them down? Cocaine." – James (53:19)

Early Red Flags & Systemic Failures

• Repeated hospitalizations in the 1970s and 1980s, but always released due to lack of insurance, non-compliance with medication, and system failures.
• Lack of mandated psychiatric treatment, especially post-prison, allowed Taylor to freely travel and continue gig work.
• On mental health neglect:
  • “That’s why we have crazy people walking around killing people. Insurance companies won’t fucking pay for it.” – James (52:16)

The Murders

1. Bob Williams (Friend) – July 15, 1985 (75:43–85:03)

• Victim: Lonely computer technician, became friends with Taylor over shared interests.
• Build-up: Taylor’s delusions escalate; believes Williams is a "demon operative" working for "them" (his journal is filled with delusions).
• Murder: Taylor lures Williams to his rural farmhouse, shoots him three times, buries him with quicklime, and plants tomatoes over the grave.
• Aftermath:
  • "First demon eliminated. The force pleased. More work to come." – Taylor’s journal (85:00)

2. James Severson (Neighbor) – May 21, 1986 (93:04–109:14)

• Victim: Divorced, alcoholic neighbor. Taylor believes he’s surveilling him for a “network.”
• Murder: Taylor enters his unit under pretense of friendship, stabs him, chokes him, then repeatedly stabs body post-mortem “to ensure demon was expelled.”
• Police Response: Deemed suicide/accident; failed to notice clear evidence of murder.
• On incompetence:
  • “They just said, well, he’s got a lot of wounds. He was in a bad car accident.” – James (124:43)

3. Daniel Lundgren (Motel Manager) – November 30, 1986 (113:58–125:29)

• Victim: Motel manager who evicted Taylor for bizarre behavior.
• Murder: Taylor shoots Lundgren three times at close range, stages the body in a traffic accident, and the coroner never finds the bullets. Death is ruled as traffic trauma.
• Journal entry: "Lundgren equals central node of demon network. Must be eliminated before the portal opens fully." (121:30)

4. Attempted Murder of Paul Zwick – December 23, 1986 (22:21–38:56; 125:46–147:33)

• Victim: Maintenance worker.
• Attack: Taylor lures him with a fake maintenance call, attacks him with hammer and screwdriver—Zwick escapes, but fails to report.
• Quote:
  • "I was leaving for the Navy in two weeks—didn’t want to deal with courts and trials and bullshit. Just wanted to get the hell out of Wisconsin." – Paul Zwick (37:09)

5. Tim Hayden (Roommate) – March 26, 1987 (128:06–139:55)

• Victim: Young accounting student, shared an apartment with Taylor.
• Murder: Taylor, deep into psychosis, believes Tim is an alien duplicate threatening a bartender (Sandra). Shoots him in the head; waits for "the alien" to manifest.
• Post-killing: Calls police himself, calls bartender to say "I saved you. The alien is dead."
• Quote:
  • "I did and they told me what to do." – Alvin, moments before shooting Hayden (135:32)

Taylor’s Funtime Journal

Throughout these years, Taylor’s journal chronicles his descent:

• Criminal plans described in the language of missions from “the Force.”
• Victims designated as “demons” or “operatives.”
• Chilling, at times darkly absurd, insights into delusional thinking.

Law Enforcement Failures

• Repeated agency mistakes: deaths misclassified (as accident or suicide), bodies missed, confessions ignored because Taylor’s madness made his claims seem incredible.
• Key quote:
  • “He starts telling cops about murders they don’t even know are murders.” – James (142:08)
• Failure to recognize bullet wounds or investigate thoroughly in most cases.

Confession, Plea, and Institutionalization

• Taylor is ultimately apprehended after speaking out at Tim Hayden’s funeral:
  • "Tim was my friend. The demons made me do it. Tim understands." (140:56)
• He confesses to the killings in chilling detail, often before police even realize they’re dealing with homicides.
• Ruled not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect; committed to Mendota Mental Health Institute, home of Ed Gein.
• Never stands full trial; multiple psychiatrists agree on severe, treatment-resistant paranoia.

Life in Mental Hospital & Repeated Parole Attempts

• Taylor is medicated heavily; at times compliant, often relapses into delusional thinking, periodically violent within facility.
• Family members of victims consistently oppose parole.
• Despite becoming elderly, wheelchair-bound, and physically ill, Taylor’s delusions persist.
  • “A doctor said, ‘In unguarded moments, he still refers to his victims as demons and himself as God’s soldier.’” (182:56)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

All timestamps in MM:SS format.

On the case overall:

• "This is the only place in America where a serial killer can blend seamlessly into the background—just another weird musician at the Holiday Inn." – James (45:10)

On investigative failures:

• “You have three hospitals, a flight-for-life helicopter, a rescue squad, and a coroner involved. Nobody saw three .38 caliber bullets to the head.” – James (161:31)
• “They just said, well, he’s got a lot of wounds. He was in a bad car accident. That makes the other police work look good. This is awful.” (124:43)

On Taylor’s delusions:

• “The force says... wait. Better targets coming.” – James, reading Taylor’s journal (38:05)
• "I am chosen. I am the sword of righteousness." – Taylor, journal (90:13)
• “Alien duplicate using pheromones and mind control. Must protect her. Must eliminate the duplicate.” – Taylor, journal (131:03)

On systemic shortcomings:

• “You want a public defender’s job? Imagine this—your only client is God's assassin with a taste for Motown, and he’s mad about your tie color.” – Jimmie (153:26)

On small town quirks:

• “If you go out after sundown, it’s uncontrollable party. By 5:30 it goes crazy! The town turns to Nero’s Rome—orgies, beer, bouncy houses!” – James (11:20)

On dark humor and tension:

• “He shouldn’t be able to have a rubber band and a nickel. Never mind an actual weapon.” – James, on Taylor having a .357 Magnum (80:57)
• “He painted technically very nice portraits that were really disturbing and weird, but good artwork. Well done!” (177:59)
• “He comes over with blood on his shoes and they’re like, no problem, can you start Monday?” (re: getting a job post-murder) (147:44)

Timeline Highlights (Timestamps)

| Time | Description | |-------------|------------------------------------------------| | 05:45–22:20 | Menomonie town profile and real estate oddities| | 41:04–53:18 | Taylor’s mental health history | | 68:09–89:40 | Murder of Bob Williams | | 93:04–109:14| Murder of Jim Severson (misclassified death) | |113:58–125:29| Murder of Daniel Lundgren (staged accident) | |128:06–139:55| Murder of Tim Hayden (roommate/alien delusion) | |141:18–147:38| Interrogation and confession | |176:28–183:22| Taylor’s mental hospital life and parole denials|

The Lasting Outrage

• The episode closes with pointed criticism of the system that allowed this tragedy—highlighting the ignorance of mental health needs, lack of oversight after prison release, failures of law enforcement, and the trauma suffered by surviving families and near-miss victims like Paul Zwick.

Tone & Style Notes

• The hosts keep the banter lively and the tone irreverent, often breaking up gruesome details with sharp comedic asides.
• A running “Alvin’s Funtime Journal” brings the audience inside Taylor’s madness in an (intentionally) absurd, chilling way.
• Their signature way of balancing empathy for the victims while lampooning inaccurate police work, bizarre local customs, and the failures of institutions is on full display throughout.

Final Thoughts

This is classic Small Town Murder: dark, thorough, funny, and deeply unsettling—using the true crime framework to explore not just a “singing serial killer,” but the failures and eccentricities of small-town America and its institutions.

For listeners: You don’t need to be familiar with the series or the town to be horrified, informed, and highly entertained by this wild, true story.