Podcast
The First Degree
Hosted by Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek · EN
Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows... you may be our next guest. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)
103episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
DEEP DIVE: THE MANOSPHERE BAKERY
1w ago00:46:46Tap to summarizeThis week Jac is taking you on a very niche deep dive, so buckle up. We’re going all the way down the manosphere rabbit hole via a “hot” viral bakery owner from Phoenix and it’s a wild ride. Plus updates on the current D4VD hearings happening this week. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Episode 413: Christian Sayre
2w ago00:38:29Tap to summarizeIn October 2021, the owner of a beloved dive bar in Everett, Washington is arrested on multiple counts of sexual assault, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit group of patrons that once considered the establishment a second home. As more survivors come forward, investigators uncover a decades-long pattern of abuse, allegations of drugged drinks, child sexual abuse material, and a growing list of victims that transforms a local gathering place into the center of one of the region's most disturbing criminal cases. In episode 413, Jac and Alexis examine the crimes of Christian Sayre, the community that unknowingly surrounded a serial predator, and how a place that held joyful memories for so many became the site of unimaginable trauma for others. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →DEEP DIVE: MKULTRA ALIVE & WELL?
2w ago00:44:50Tap to summarizeTin foil hats on! Today’s episode, we go down the rabbit hole of Tulsi Gabbard’s brother being arrested for luring kids into his hotel room with candy, being raised in a cult, their connection to Jim Morrison, and how she quite possibly might still be mind controlled by MKUltra??? Also, the latest Tyler Robinson updates, including a bizarre confession from Ben Shapiro. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Episode 412: Hotel Zaza Tragedy
3w ago00:37:07Tap to summarizeOn July 29, 2019, police respond to a 911 call from a hotel in Dallas, Texas. There are noise complaints about some guests, but hotel security is reluctant to intervene before police arrive. When the door to room 228 finally opens, officers find a man covered in blood and a 32-year-old woman shot dead on the floor. The man fights back against police before being taken to the hospital, as authorities try to piece together what has happened to result in the death of a dearly loved daughter, sister, and mother of two. When the truth emerges, everyone in the victim’s circle is left in a state of disbelief about the circumstances that had led to her death. In episode 412, Jac and Alexis detail the tragic death of Jacqueline Rose Parguian Nicholas and the questions that hover over the man who ended her life, asking whether some punishment is better than no punishment at all. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →DEEP DIVE: TYLER ROBINSON HEARING
3w ago00:45:01Tap to summarizeTyler Robinson’s hearing has officially started and it is a shit show already. We are discussing the highlights, the plot holes, and the fake news getting thrown around the internet, because what you’re being told is no where close to the truth. Plus, updates on Haley Beck and glitches in the matrix. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Episode 411: Jeremy "Scotty" Cockrell
4w ago00:36:36Tap to summarizeIn June 2006, a 17-year-old spends the evening volunteering with a local haunted house before making plans to spend the next day at the lake with friends. But when those friends arrive to pick him up the following morning, they find the back door of his home kicked in and discover him shot to death in his bedroom. Investigators quickly determine that the killing was targeted, yet they can't identify a motive, a suspect, or even a reason why someone would want the well-liked teenager dead. In episode 411, Jac and Alexis examine the murder of Jeremy "Scotty" Cockrell, the decades-long investigation that followed, and the questions that still haunt his family, friends, and community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →DEEP DIVE: LEX'S LISK UPDATE
Jul 900:42:18Tap to summarizeThis week, Alexis is giving you the inside scoop on all of the latest LISK updates, including what she saw at the sentencing hearing, never heard stories, and her involvement in the LISK Peacock documentary, The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Episode 410: Terrence Woods Jr.
Jul 800:54:06Tap to summarizeOn October 5, 2018, a 26-year-old man disappears while on a work assignment close to Orogrande, Idaho. The energetic, ambitious production assistant and aspiring film producer is last seen on a TV shoot with his crew before running away into the distance, never to be seen again. A search is quickly mounted for the young man, but despite law enforcement's efforts, no trace of him is found. In the absence of any evidence suggesting what has occurred one way or the other, rumors begin to swirl online, all circling back to the same point - where is he? In episode 410, Jac and Alexis detail the bizarre disappearance of Terrence Shemel Woods Jr, and explore the questions about employers’ broader responsibilities when it comes to workplace safety and alleged negligence, resulting in a tragedy that leaves a family without answers. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →DEEP DIVE: MOUNT SHASTA MYSTERY
Jul 200:44:54Tap to summarizeToday is a bit of a medley episode, because there’s just so much to talk about. We’re hitting the headlines: FBI confirms the Nancy Guthrie ransom letters are fake, Tom Sandoval getting into trouble yet again, Love Island is a microcosm of the state of the world today, and what the hell is happening over at Mount Shasta??? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Episode 409: Paula & Brandon Wade
Jul 100:49:43Tap to summarizeIn October 2002, a 25-year-old mother is preparing to leave Valdosta, Georgia, with her 3-year-old son and move back home to be closer to family. She has accepted a new job, packed up her apartment, and is just days away from starting a new chapter. But before the move can happen, both mother and son vanish without a trace. As loved ones search for answers, they are met with more questions than explanations. Over the years, witnesses come forward, leads emerge, and theories circulate, but the truth about what happened remains unknown. In episode 409, Jac and Alexis examine the disappearances of Paula Wade and Brandon Wade, the investigation that followed, and the family’s decades-long fight to bring them home. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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