Dorothy Kilgallen

Summary

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True Crime All The Time Unsolved – Dorothy Kilgallen

Podcast: True Crime All The Time Unsolved
Episode: Dorothy Kilgallen
Date: January 5, 2026
Hosts: Mike Ferguson & Mike “Gibby” Gibson

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mike and Gibby delve into the mysterious death of Dorothy Kilgallen, a renowned journalist, columnist, and television personality. Kilgallen’s high-profile coverage of crime, her celebrity status, and her dogged investigation into the John F. Kennedy assassination made her both influential and controversial. When she died in 1965 of an apparent overdose while probing conspiracy angles into the JFK case, the unusual circumstances led to decades of speculation: Was her death accidental, suicidal, or the result of a deliberate silencing due to what she knew?

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Dorothy Kilgallen?

• Early Life & Career

  • Born July 3, 1913, in Chicago to journalist parents, eventually moving to NYC.
  • Briefly attended the College of New Rochelle before starting her journalism career at the New York Evening Journal.
  • Gained fame in 1936 from a race-around-the-world contest and published “Girl Around the World.”
  • Wrote “Voice of Broadway” column, syndicated to over 140 newspapers, covering show business, organized crime, and politics.

    “Now, organized crime, that would scare me just a tad.” (B, 06:46)

• Media Success & Socialite Life

  • Hosted “Breakfast with Dorothy and Dick” with husband Richard Kollmar from 1945–1963.
  • Regular panelist on “What’s My Line?”
  • Part of NYC’s high society, friends with Frank Sinatra (until she published exposés about him), Rock Hudson, and others.
  • (“She was often photographed with celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Rock Hudson and Beatles guitarist George Harrison.” – B, 09:01)

• Notable Influence

  • Played a role in overturning the conviction of Sam Sheppard after exposing possible judicial prejudice.

    “She played a part in the overturning of his conviction.” (B, 11:44)

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2. Kilgallen & the JFK Assassination

• Personal Reaction and Investigation
  • Publicly mourned JFK’s death and criticized “the Warren Commission’s laughable… finding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.” (B, 12:30)
  • Only journalist to privately interview Jack Ruby during his 1964 trial.

    “Jack Ruby’s eyes were as shiny brown and white bright as the glass eyes of a doll… his hand trembled in mine ever so slightly, like the heartbeat of a bird.” (Kilgallen, quoted by B, 17:18)

  • Ruby allegedly confided, “he was a patsy.” (B, 17:40)
  • Published transcript of Ruby’s Warren Commission testimony. Refused to reveal source:

    “I’d rather die than reveal the source.” (Kilgallen, quoted by B, 18:09)

  • Maintained a closely guarded investigative file on the JFK case, always keeping it with her.

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3. Mysterious Death (Nov 1965)

• Discovery & Initial Details

  • Found dead in bed by her hairdresser (not in her usual sleeping spot; in full makeup, robe, etc.)

    “She was naked under a blue bathrobe and was wearing the same makeup, false eyelashes, and floral hair accessories she was wearing during filming the night before.” (B, 19:38)

  • Autopsy was performed in Brooklyn despite her Manhattan residence; cause: “acute ethanol and barbiturate intoxication, circumstances undetermined.” (B, 23:07)

• Oddities at the Scene

  • No signs of violence, suicide, or history of substance abuse.
  • Her key research file missing—never found.

    “Most concerningly, Dorothy’s research file was missing, and to this day it has not been found.” (B, 21:40)

  • Her disposition & location contradicted her normal routines—friends thought the scene was staged.

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4. Conspiracy & Theories

• Potential Motives: What Did She Discover?

  • Kilgallen believed Jack Ruby was mob-connected; had expressed intent to expose more about the JFK assassination and was in contact with key figures like New Orleans DA Jim Garrison.
  • Had planned a trip to New Orleans claiming, “I’m going to break the real story and have the biggest scoop of the century,” but canceled last minute. (B, 19:30)
  • Mafia head Carlos Marcello had both strong motive and opportunity to silence critics; connections drawn between Marcello, Oswald, Ruby, and the JFK hit.

    “[Marcello] had the motive, means and opportunity to have President John F. Kennedy assassinated, though it was unable to establish direct evidence of Marcello’s complicity.” (B, 32:14, summarizing HSCA Report)

• Forensic Red Flags

  • Amount of barbiturates in her system required consumption of 15–20 capsules, not prescribed to her.
  • Tests suggested drugs may have been administered via drink (glass residue).

    “But you’re not going to do that 15 to 20 times?” (B, 36:17)

• Other Suspects and Theories

  • Newspaper columnist Ron Pataky—allegedly close to Kilgallen, written a cryptic poem, “somebody who’s dead could tell no tales.” (A, 39:00)
  • Kilgallen had told her hairdresser and attorney that what she knew “would cost me my life.” (A, 39:42)

• Government & Law Enforcement (In)action

  • 2016: Attorney/author Mark Shaw presented new evidence to authorities: prompt investigation, but quickly closed (“the office refused to discuss its findings,” B, 42:07).
  • 2024: Further calls to reopen the case; police cite resource/budget constraints and lack of prosecutable suspects.

    “If we do find foul play, who do we prosecute?” (Holden, quoted by B, 43:20)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the nature of Dorothy’s death:

  “The whole 15 to 20 capsule thing… that throws me. Because that’s not something that’s going to happen accidentally… You’re either doing that on purpose or someone is giving that to you without you knowing it.”
  — Mike Ferguson, 46:37

• On her missing files:

  “If [Dorothy’s file] goes missing, what are people to think? And this file was supposed to blow this thing right open?”
  — Mike and Gibby, 22:07–22:16

• On investigation reluctance:

  “If we do find foul play, who do we prosecute?... I also do feel like… any of her family that are still living, deserve to know what really happened.”
  — Gibby and Mike, 43:27–43:50

• On conspiracy vs. coincidence:

  “There’s a lot of cases where I think, yeah, people are grasping at straws… This case is a little different… There’s a lot of things that point to the fact that it could be that she was murdered.”
  — Mike Ferguson, 47:30

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Segment Timestamps

• Dorothy's Life & Media Career: 04:47–09:00
• Sam Sheppard Case Involvement: 10:30–12:00
• JFK Assassination, Ruby, & Investigative File: 12:30–19:30
• Discovery of Death & Scene Oddities: 19:30–23:07
• Autopsy/Forensic Details & Conspiracy: 23:07–39:49
• Carlos Marcello Background & Motives: 24:25–32:14
• Recent Attempts to Reopen the Case: 41:05–43:50
• Hosts’ Final Thoughts on Uncertainty & Legacy: 44:46–48:04

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Takeaway & Flow

This episode lays out the compelling and often chilling details of Dorothy Kilgallen’s life and death, weaving in her fearless reporting, connection to powerful people (and enemies), and the unresolved mysteries still haunting her story. The hosts balance facts and speculation, highlighting why her case continues to fascinate and what’s at stake in chasing unresolved true crime stories. For both seasoned conspiracy theorists and newcomers, the dialogue brings this decades-old case to life, always with the hosts’ signature blend of seriousness and humor.

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Conclusion:
Sixty years after Dorothy Kilgallen’s sudden death, questions outnumber answers. Was she collateral damage in a historic cover-up? The missing file, forensic uncertainties, and swift silencing of new inquiries continue to fuel intrigue. As Mike summarizes, “maybe the file surfaces someday… but because we’re 60 years on, we’re just never going to really know.”

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For More Unsolved Mysteries:
Find True Crime All The Time Unsolved wherever you listen to podcasts. Stay safe—and keep your own time ticking.

Transcript

[A]

This podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy. Just drop in some details about yourself and see if you're eligible to save some money when you bundle your home and auto policies. The process only takes minutes and it could be hundreds more in your pocket. Visit progressive.com after this episode to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. Sam.

[B]

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 446 of the True Crime all the Time Unsolved podcast. I'm Mike Ferguson and with me, as always, is my partner in true crime, Mike Gibson. Gibby, how are you?

[A]

Hey. I'm doing good. How about you?

[B]

I'm doing great. Had a, a wonderful Christmas. It was nice to have the week off, but now we're right back at it. How was yours?

[A]

It was good. It was good. Nice to be with family and friends and.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So hope everyone had a great holidays. Time this comes out, it'll be a new year 2026.

[A]

It will be. Wow, another year.

[B]

Let's go ahead and give our Patreon shout outs. We had Catherine Carpio.

[A]

Hey, Carpio.

[B]

Ricky jumped out to our highest level.

[A]

What's going on, Ricky?

[B]

Sherry Billet.

[A]

Hey, Billet.

[B]

Spring. Pierce jumped out at our highest level.

[A]

Thanks, Pierce.

[B]

Angela Rogers.

[A]

Hey, Rogers.

[B]

Ally Perry.

[A]

What's up, Perry?

[B]

Terry R. Yoma, Creative 16.

[A]

Well, you know, it's important to be creative.

[B]

It is. Nick Smith.

[A]

What's up, Smith?

[B]

Jasmine Hauck.

[A]

Hey, jasmine.

[B]

And Emily McCreano.

[A]

Well, thanks, Emily.

[B]

So we appreciate that new support. And then if we go back into the vault this week, we selected Melissa Beebe.

[A]

Thanks, Melissa.

[B]

Yeah, the long term support is amazing.

[A]

It's awesome.

[B]

We also had a great PayPal donation from our friend Melinda Wargacki.

[A]

Thanks, Melinda.

[B]

Yeah, thank you very much. So, Gibbs, we have a new episode out right now on True Crime all the Time and it's part one of two on the Idaho college murder case. You know, this is a scary one for me. I also can't believe that it's been over three years.

[A]

Yeah, I'm shocked by that.

[B]

Since this occurred, the murders of Kaylee Gonzalves, Madison Mogan, Zanna Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. But you know, we dive into the crime and we start to dive in to the life of Brian Coburger who becomes a suspect in the case.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So that's out now. All right, buddy, are you ready to get into this Episode of True Crime all the Time Unsolved. I am talking about the death of Dorothy Kilgallen. Dorothy Kilgallen was a journalist and TV personality known for covering high profile murder cases and appearing on game shows. She died of an overdose at the age of 52. At the time of her death, she was investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy, leading many to believe her death was not an accident.

[A]

If you could have the extra time to take a really deep dive into what some say are not really a solved case. I'm not talking about just the things we cover, but also more of those like JFK and things like that. Which one would you dive into?

[B]

Like something with a lot of conspiracy theories and things like that. I mean, the JFK assassination, obviously that would be one because who wouldn't want to know, right? You know, was it really Oswald acting alone or was there something more to it, as many believe? The only other one that I can really think of is what happened to D.B. cooper, because, you know, that one which we covered on this podcast, but that one has fascinated me for a very long time.

[A]

I thought for sure you would be going after like, you know, Bigfoot, don't believe in it.

[B]

Loch Ness monster, Don't believe in it.

[A]

I think the Loch Ness monster would be an easy one, like just like drop a submarine in or something, right?

[B]

Yeah. I think we have the technology at this point to figure out if there's one down there. Dorothy Kilgowen was born on July 3, 1913 in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were James Lawrence Kilgallen, a respected journalist, and May Ahern. During Dorothy's childhood, the family relocated to New York City. Dorothy briefly attended the College of New Rochelle, but left school to follow in her father's footsteps by accepting a job with the New York Evening Journal. In 1936, Dorothy entered a competition with reporters from two other newspapers to see who could travel around the world the fastest. Dorothy was the only woman in the competition and came in second place. The exposure from the competition made her.

[A]

Famous sound like a fun competition to be part of.

[B]

Well, it, you know, it sounds kind of a Amazing Race ish, but we're talking 1936. You know how much harder it was to travel around the world in 1936.

[A]

Thinking it had to be pretty difficult.

[B]

So I mean it was pretty amazing that she was able to do that and beat out who knows how many other men. She wrote about her experience in the book Girl around the World published that year and co wrote the screenplay for the 1937 movie Flyaway Baby.

[A]

So, been around the world, wrote a book about it and also did a screenplay. Sounds like she's having a pretty successful kickoff of her career.

[B]

Yeah, she's not that far into it, I don't believe. In 1938, Dorothy started writing the column Voice of Broadway for the New York Journal American. It was syndicated in over 140 newspapers.

[A]

Wow, that's pretty big.

[B]

It is. The column covered show business, organized crime and politics. Now, organized crime, that would scare me just a tad.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Politics. Touchy. Show business. All right. Some star gets bent out of shape by something you said.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Probably not that big a deal, but if the mob doesn't like what you're writing, there could be serious repercussions.

[A]

I'm thinking back in that time frame, they probably had a little bit more power.

[B]

Yeah, I would say so. Than today.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The New York Post called Dorothy the most powerful female voice in America. In April 1940, Dorothy married Richard Kollmar, a music comedy actor and singer. They had three children, Richard, Jill and Carrie. From 1945 to 1963, they hosted a morning radio show from their home called Breakfast with Dorothy and Dick.

[A]

That's a pretty long running show.

[B]

It is. I'm also amazed that they could host it from their home. You know, they didn't have to go into the studio. They just worked from home. Like it's 2022.

[A]

Yeah, just bring all that equipment over here. But you know, back then, that equipment had to be pretty heavy, bulky, taking up a lot more space than it would take up the day.

[B]

Part of her job was interviewing young singers starting their careers at New York's trendy nightclubs. This was how she befriended Johnny Ray. Dorothy and Ray had an affair that was called an open secret. And one rumor was that her youngest son, Kerry, was actually Ray's son.

[A]

An open secret.

[B]

Very similar to you being a Mensa member. It's kind of an open secret.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, I am. I didn't want to talk about it, but it got out. Wonder how Dick feels about this open secret?

[B]

Well, probably not. Not real good. In 1950, Dorothy began regular appearances on the show. What's my Lot? A role that she had until her death. And that was a very popular show.

[A]

It was.

[B]

I know you were on back in the 50s. As a 20 year old, Dorothy and her husband hosted parties with famous guests. She was often photographed with celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Rock Hudson and Beatles guitarist George Harrison.

[A]

That's all impressive.

[B]

Well, those are very famous people. Dorothy was friends with Frank Sinatra until 1956 when she published A multi part article titled the Real Frank Sinatra Story, which exposed his affairs and controversies.

[A]

Well, that's going to put a stop on the friendship.

[B]

Yeah. After the publication, Sinatra made derogatory comments about Dorothy's physical appearance to his nightclub audiences in New York and Vegas. And, you know, Frank had quite a bit of pull.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

We were talking on Patreon about how I finally watched that show called the Offer and you know, really talked about how Frank did not want that Godfather movie made and he almost got it shut down.

[A]

And until I watched that Offer show as well, I didn't realize they really didn't want the role. Michael going to Al Pacino.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Didn't like him at all. And now who else could have done it? Right? I mean, that's what always happens. Once an actor is really good in something, you can't picture anybody else doing it but that person.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Because of her celebrity status, Dorothy was sometimes asked for an autograph. One of these autograph requests led to the overturning of a conviction in a famous murder trial. Wow. In 1954, Sam shepherd was convicted of murdering his wife Marilyn. And we did cover that case in 2022. Dorothy followed the case and expressed shock in her column when Sheppard was convicted. Nine years after the verdict, she attended an event at the Overseas Press Club in New York and told a group of fellow reporters about an encounter with Judge Edward Blythen, who had since died. Blythen saw Dorothy at trial and asked for her autograph. He told Dorothy, it's an open and shut case. He is guilty as hell. Attorney F. Lee Bailey, who was working on a habeas corpus petition for Sam Shepard, attended the event and heard what Dorothy said. He asked her privately for help and she submitted a deposition. Shepherd's conviction was later overturned in 1966.

[A]

Well, that was such a big case, well known case.

[B]

Yeah, it really was. I mean, that was a case that, you know, even back then, before the real proliferation of, you know, true crime, people, oh, they were hooked on that one. But it's amazing, right, that she played a part in the overturning of his conviction. Dorothy was deeply saddened by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. She had previously met Kennedy at the White House. In her column the week after the assassination, she wrote, the American people have just lost a beloved president. It's a dark chapter in our history, but we have the right to read every word of it.

[A]

I remember seeing so many newscasts and videos of that day, and even in movies Today, how they portray how everybody reacted to. To his death. I've never seen anything like that.

[B]

I. I don't think there was anything like that. Maybe until 9 11.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, people of an older generation used to say they remembered where they were or what they were doing when Kennedy was shot. And then, you know, for us it's, you know, we remember what we were doing on 9 11. Yeah. Dorothy began her own investigation and dismissed the Warren Commission's laughable, in her words, finding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. The Warren Commission was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on November 29, 1963 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Kennedy and the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald. On November 24, 1963, Oswald was killed by a Dallas nightclub owner named Jack Ruby on live television. And that was shocking as well.

[A]

I remember seeing that video several times.

[B]

Oh, yeah, I've seen it a bunch. You know, they used it in movies and I mean, just think about watching live television.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And seeing somebody get killed. I'm assuming back then they didn't have any tape delay. There was no. There was nothing.

[A]

It was just what it was. And I wonder if a lot of people were assuming shock, but other people, maybe they were like, did you see what just happened? Did that happen? Or are we sure that's what happened?

[B]

The Commission submitted its findings to The President on September 24, 1964, finding no evidence that either Oswald or Ruby were part of a conspiracy. Dorothy was one of the few American journalists who publicly expressed skepticism about the Commission's findings. She told friends the assassination had to be a conspiracy. And let's be honest, Gibbs. I mean, we're over 60 years after the assassination of Kennedy and people still are divided, absolutely they are, on whether Oswald acted alone. There was a conspiracy. It was part of a coup. It was this person. It was that person.

[A]

There's multiple scenarios people believe.

[B]

Oh, yeah, a lot of different ones.

[A]

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[B]

Dorothy also doubted the second theory, that Jack Ruby was not involved in organized crime and shot Oswald for personal reasons without encouragement or assistance from anyone else. She believed that Ruby had ties to local police and the murder was ordered by the Mafia. Dorothy had written in her column a week after the assassination. I'd like to know how in a big, smart town like Dallas, a man like Jack Ruby can stroll in and out of police headquarters as if it was a health club at a time when a small army of law enforcers is keeping a tight security guard on Oswald. Security. What a word for it.

[A]

I have to agree. I mean, how are you getting in there and getting that close? Unless you know somebody that is basically walking you through that door past all that tight security and getting you up and close. How's that happening?

[B]

Well, and then I think the second part of it is, what's his motivation? Rubies. Just that he was so incensed that this man killed Kennedy. He wanted to take his revenge. It's possible. It is, but it's also possible, as many people have thought, that he was told or contracted to do that by someone else.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Dorothy was the only journalist to privately interview Jack ruby. They had two short interviews during his March 1964 trial. She wrote, jack Ruby's eyes were as shiny brown and white bright as the glass eyes of a doll. He tried to smile, but his smile was a failure. When we shook hands, his hand trembled in mind ever so slightly, like the heartbeat of a bird. Ruby told Dorothy he was a patsy, per the New York Post.

[A]

So basically, he's telling her what she kind of believes.

[B]

Well, and is that because it's true or. He already knew what she believes and he was feeding into it. In August 1964, Dorothy published the then classified transcript of Ruby's testimony before the Warren Commission. Ruby told the commission, I want to tell the truth, and I can't hear. And maybe certain people don't want to know the truth that may come out of me. The commission also turned down Ruby's request to be transferred to a jail outside Texas where he could speak freely. Dorothy refused to tell who gave her the transcript, saying, I'd rather die than reveal the source.

[A]

So hardcore reporter right there. Keep the source always secret.

[B]

I think the other thing is, Gibbs, you know, we talked about her level of fame, and I think we're seeing it right. She gets in to interview Jack Ruby.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

When nobody else does. After her interview with Ruby, many noticed that Dorothy carried her investigative file with her all the time. It remained locked up when she was not holding it. A couple of weeks before her death, she planned to go to New Orleans and told her lawyer, Jim Garrison, I'm going to break the real story and have the biggest scoop of the century. But she inexplicably Canceled her trip. On November 8, 1965, Dorothy was found dead in her Manhattan townhome. She filmed an episode of what's my line? On Nov. 7 and got home around 11:30pm her husband recalled that she was feeling chipper.

[A]

Chipper.

[B]

That's what he said.

[A]

That's a good way to feel.

[B]

Yeah, people don't use that word very much anymore. They used to use it quite a bit.

[A]

I'll use it more often moving forward now.

[B]

Okay, I'd appreciate that. Dorothy's hairdresser, Mark Sinclair, found her body in a bedroom around 9am her husband and her youngest son, Carrie, were sleeping in different rooms. Dorothy was perched upright in bed. She was naked under a blue bathrobe and was wearing the same makeup, false eyelashes, and floral hair accessories she was wearing during filming the night before. The bathrobe was not something Dorothy would typically wear to bed. She was also positioned in the middle of the bed, which was described as spotless. And, you know, I know my wife's routine. She is not going to go to bed in full makeup. You know, she's taking that off, she's getting comfortable, she's putting her PJs on. It doesn't sound to me like Dorothy had gotten to the point where she was ready for bed, ready to go to sleep. I mean, who goes to bed with false eyelashes on? I guess you could, but could.

[A]

I mean, if you're really tired, maybe you're like, oh, it's been such a long day. I don't want to have to even deal with this right now.

[B]

But not many people sleep in a bathrobe either.

[A]

No, I mean, there's been a few occasions I come back from working a couple shows. You know, I throw my robe on backstage.

[B]

Are you just so tired by the time you get home?

[A]

I don't even change. I just wear the bathrobe home and.

[B]

And just go to sleep in your singlet. The Honey Badger by Robert Ruark was on the bedside table, but the book was not in the position it should have been if she had put it down before falling asleep. Dorothy had already finished this book and. And it was said that she didn't like it. Most concerningly, Dorothy's research file was missing, and to this day it has not been found.

[A]

So it sounds like the site looks staged.

[B]

Yeah, the book, I think, you know, the way that she was positioned. There are a lot of people who believe that all of that was staged. And we have talked right. About this investigative file. It was said she always had it, and if she didn't have it, then it was locked up somewhere.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So if it goes missing, what are people to think?

[A]

And this file was supposed to blow this thing right open?

[B]

According to what she told her attorney, yeah. I mean, if nothing else, you can really see the makings of a conspiracy theory here. The Brooklyn Medical Examiner's office completed Dorothy's autopsy, not the Manhattan office, despite the fact that she lived in Manhattan. On November 15, medical examiner Dr. James Luke announced that Dorothy died of a combination of alcohol and barbiturates. Only moderate amounts of alcohol and barbiturates were found in her body, but the combination caused a fatal depression of the central nervous system. That's what the medical examiner said. Her official cause of death was listed as acute ethanol and barbiturate intoxication, circumstances undetermined.

[A]

So is it concerning that she lived in Manhattan but her body was taken to Brooklyn?

[B]

I don't know if it's concerning. I think at the very least it's perplexing as to why that would happen. I mean, those are pretty big burrows, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Why would she be taken out of.

[A]

One to another now, to add to the conspiracy, could she have been force.

[B]

Fed the pills and or the alcohol? Yeah, I mean, I think that's always a possibility. Police said there was no indication of violence or suicide at the scene. Dorothy was also not known to abuse alcohol or prescription drugs. Dr. Luke emphasized in a phone interview that it could have been accidental, saying, per the New York Times, it could have simply been an extra pill. We really don't know. All we know is that depressants such as alcohol and barbiturates on top of another are dangerous. But as we kind of alluded to, there has been a lot of speculation over the years that Dorothy was killed to prevent her investigation from going public. In 2016, former defense attorney and investigative reporter Mark Shaw published the Reporter who Knew Too Much in his book. Shaw argues that Dorothy's research on the Kennedy assassination and her suspicion that New Orleans Mafia boss Carlos Marcelo orchestrated the killings of both the President and Lee Harvey Oswald might have gotten her killed. Marcelo has been cited in other conspiracy theories about the assassination. Carlos Marcelo was known as the godfather of the New Orleans Mafia and was a target of President Kennedy's campaign against organized crime. And he had been running the New Orleans Mafia since 1947. He was born in a colonial outpost of Sicily in Tunis. He arrived in New Orleans with his family as a baby. By the age of 19, he was running a youth gang and had two teens rob a store. The boys were Arrested and named him as their sponsor. He was sentenced to nine to 14 years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

[A]

I mean, he's got the real mob in him. You know, he's from Sicily.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, he also got a pretty no joke sentence. Right. At the age of 19. He's serving nine to 14 at probably one of the worst state penitentiaries in the country back then especially. Frank Costello, leader of the Genovese crime family, decided to move his slot machine empire from New York to Louisiana due to shifting public opinions on gambling. With help from Senator and former Governor Huey Long, Costello chose Carlos Marcelo to run the business in New Orleans. Costello asked a local legislator to visit Governor OK Allen, who pardoned Marcelo after he served just five years in prison. So I said he got nine to 14. He was pardoned after five by the.

[A]

Governor because he had friends in high places.

[B]

It does sound like that was the reason why Marcello established the Jefferson Music Company, a jukebox and pinball distribution company. Hundreds of Frank Costello slot machines were put in bars in the French Quarter and throughout Jefferson Parish. Marcelo paid off politicians and police officers across the state. Over the next decade, he also acquired land and businesses. He influenced politics and became a multimillionaire real estate developer. By age 37, he became the boss of the New Orleans Mafia.

[A]

Wealth and power.

[B]

Yeah, and it's pretty young to be the boss, right? 37 is pretty young. Twice in the 1950s, Marcelo was summoned to testify before Senate committee investigating racketeering in the Mafia. He invoked his fifth amendment rights and refused to answer questions. All right, you know, little bit of, you know one of the scenes from the Godfather.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Where Michael is asked to testify before the Senate. When Kennedy became president in 1961, he appointed his brother Robert Kennedy as Attorney General. Robert began going after Mafia bosses and made Marcelo his prime target. We know John was assassinated, but Robert was assassinated too.

[A]

Yeah, he was.

[B]

Many people think both of them were assassinated due to this, you know, crackdown on the mob, maybe even more, especially on the part of Robert.

[A]

Yeah, when you go after the mob, you got to really make sure that's the direction you want to go, because I don't believe they're just going to sit there and allow it to happen.

[B]

Marcelo had never applied for US citizenship and had to appear before immigration authorities every three months. He attended his regular appointment in April 1961, but was arrested and deported to Guatemala, where he claimed citizenship under a forged birth certificate.

[A]

He.

[B]

He allegedly re entered the US Months later on one of his shrimping boats. I know everything there is to know about the shrimping business. Okay, Bubba, I didn't know if you knew that or not. Marcelo was charged with illegal entry, perjury and evasion of federal taxes. He blamed Robert and John Kennedy for his legal troubles, according to a 1979 House Select Committee on Assassination report. In 1962, Marcelo told Business associate Edward Becker, don't worry about that little Bobby son of a bitch. He's going to be taken care of.

[A]

Normally, when somebody that high up in the mob says something like that, something.

[B]

Bad'S about to happen.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Well, and we know something very bad did happen to Robert. He was assassinated. Becker recalled Marcelo inferring that if the president was gone, Robert Kennedy would lose his position as Attorney General. Becker thought Marcelo was going to arrange the president's murder in some way, possibly by getting someone outside the mafia to commit the crime. Marcelo also had a link to Dallas because mobster Joseph Savello ran the Dallas mob family under him. Man, he was. It was pretty big.

[A]

Yeah, this Marcelo guy, multistate, very connected.

[B]

Homes.com knows that when it comes to home shopping, it's never just about the house or condo. It's about the home. And what makes a home is more than just the house or property. It's location and the neighborhood. If you have kids, it's also schools, nearby, parks and transportation options. That's why homes.com goes above and beyond to bring home shoppers the in depth information they need to find the right home. And when I say in depth, I'm talking deep. Each listing features comprehensive information about the neighborhood, complete with a video guide. They also have details about local schools with test scores, state rankings and student to teacher ratio. They even have an agent directory with the sales history of each agent. So when it comes to finding a home, not just a house, this is everything you need to know all in1place.homes.com We've done your homework. True crime all the Time Unsolved is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices. That's why they offer a tool called Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your progressive car insurance quote with rates from other companies. So you save time on the research and can enjoy savings when you choose the best rate for you. Give it a try after this [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. Lee Harvey Oswald also moved to New Orleans in the spring of 1963. Shortly before the assassination, Oswald was living with his uncle, a bookmaker for Marcelo's mob.

[A]

More connections.

[B]

There's a lot of connections here. And then additionally, Jack Ruby ran a club in Dallas that was a drinking spot for mobsters. The HSCA report ultimately concluded the committee found that Marcelo had the motive, means and opportunity to have President John F. Kennedy assassinated, though it was unable to establish direct evidence of Marcelo's complicity. And I can't help but think about the movie jfk. Great movie.

[A]

Sure was.

[B]

You know, I thought Kevin Costner was great in there. He plays Jim Garrison.

[A]

He does.

[B]

Who we already talked about. But most of that movie outside of the assassination takes place in New Orleans.

[A]

It does.

[B]

That's where Garrison's the district attorney and you know, he's going after people in New Orleans. In his book, Mark Shaw theorizes that Dorothy was murdered by unknown persons who tricked or coerced her into consuming a lethal dose of alcohol and drugs. Shaw points out lesser known facts about the case, Such as, in July 1959, Dorothy was the first reporter to allege that the CIA and organized crime were teaming up to eliminate Fidel Castro. Dorothy traveled to Miami and interviewed Cuban exiles about their hatred of Castro. Just before Jack Ruby's murder trial started, Dorothy wrote in a February 1964 column that the government refused to provide the defense with certain requested information about Lee Harvey Oswald. She wrote, it does make you think does appears that Washington knows or suspects something about Lee Harvey Oswald that it does not want the rest of the world to know. Who is Oswald anyway?

[A]

A lot of people have thought that.

[B]

I'm also getting a picture of Dorothy Kilgallen as somebody who is a real risk taker in a sense. I mean, she is writing things that she has to know could potentially tick off some very nasty people. Yeah, but she does it anyway.

[A]

She could be making the mob, the CIA, other government agencies upset.

[B]

Shaw also notes that Dorothy's autopsy report was later amended to note that the barbiturate originally found in her system, a sleeping pill called Seconal which Dorothy was prescribed, was actually a combination of Tuanol and Nimbutol, which Dorothy did not have access to.

[A]

Well, just add that to the conspiracy theory.

[B]

Well, if true, I mean, it really says something, right? How are you accidentally going to overdose on a barbiturate that you don't have, you're not prescribed and don't have access to? Yeah, I think it would be a lot tougher. Tuol is a barbiturate that contains amibarbital sodium, a Sedative, Hypnotic. Dorothy didn't have a prescription for this drug. And doctors forbid patients from consuming alcohol while taking this medication.

[A]

Well, doctors can forbid anything, but, you know, I've known people that have taken prescription medicine that you're not supposed to take alcohol with. That take alcohol with.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah, I have as well. It was said that Dorothy normally took two Seconal capsules every night, but the amount of Seconal found in her bloodstream would have required her to ingest 15 to 20 capsules. And I go back to what the medical examiner said. It could have been one too many pills.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. If that's the case, then you could see somebody thought they took a pill or didn't take a pill, so they took another one. But you're not going to do that 15 to 20 times?

[A]

No. You're not throwing 15, 20 pills down your throat.

[B]

Inadvertently, yes. Two toxicologists with the Brooklyn Medical Examiner's Office discovered the additional barbiturates three years after Dorothy's death, but did not alert authorities. And, you know, back to, you know, some we talked about earlier. The reason the autopsy was done in Brooklyn was never explained. Shaw believes this could be because of the Brooklyn office's alleged connection to the Mafia.

[A]

Well, it kind of lines with some of the other theories.

[B]

Tests also showed a powder residue on a glass found at Dorothy's bedside, suggesting someone opened capsules and poured drugs into her drink. According to Shaw, one theory is that someone spiked Dorothy's vodka tonic that she drank at the Regency Hotel on the night of November 8th. The what's My Line? Cast and guests gathered there after the show. However, the more likely theory is that the drink was spiked in her bedroom. Shaw also discovered that Dorothy was under surveillance by the FBI. Through a Freedom of Information act request, he obtained interviews conducted by investigative reporter Katherine Fable. One person interviewed was Katherine Stone, a dynamite saleswoman from what's My Line? Stone saw Dorothy at the Regency Hotel bar with a mystery man. Now, I don't know what is meant by mystery man. The man was a mystery to Catherine Stone because she didn't know who he was. Right, but maybe not a mystery to Dorothy. Yeah, or maybe was. Maybe it's the first time she'd ever met this man. Shaw identified the mystery man as Ron Pataky, an Ohio newspaper columnist. Shaw believes he and Dorothy were having an affair based on love notes Dorothy sent him. Their relationship soured when she suspected Pataky was leaking her evidence to her targets.

[A]

Well, that's one way to ruin a relationship.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, obviously, if you're both columnists or reporters, especially investigative reporters. Leaking your evidence would be one of the worst things you could do.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Decades after Dorothy died, Pataky wrote a poem titled Never trust a stiff at a Typewriter, featuring the line, somebody who's dead could tell no tales.

[A]

All right, that's a little strange.

[B]

Well, it's not an untrue statement. I guess the question is, does it refer to Dorothy or does it have nothing to do with Dorothy? Pataky admitted to having a close friendship with Dorothy, but denied having an affair or being at the Regency Hotel the night Dorothy died. Dorothy refused to allow anyone to look at her research folder, but she told her hairdresser Charles Simpson, before her canceled trip to New Orleans, if the wrong people knew what I know about the JFK assassination, it would cost me my life. I don't think that's a stretch at all.

[A]

I don't think so either. And now, you know, knowing what happened to her, you know, that could be.

[B]

The reason why Shaw's belief is that whoever silenced Dorothy burned her missing jfkfa. Dorothy also told her hairdresser Mark Sinclair, she had received threats. She purchased a gun because she feared for herself and her family's safety. Something that was said to be very unlike her to do. There are people, Gibbs, who you wouldn't be shocked if you knew they had a gun. But there would be others where you really would be sure you'd be like, oh, that's. I would have never thought that he or she was the type of person to, you know, have a gun, carry a gun. Some of Dorothy's closest friends thought the death scene was staged. Dorothy never slept in the bed she was found in, possibly because she once caught her husband cheating. There. Okay, that might be a reason to never want to sleep in a bed for sure.

[A]

And, you know, obviously that's something her good friends might know and, and you have to think about that a little bit. Well, why was she in that bed then if she would never sleep in that bed, why was she in it? So if she didn't climb into that bed voluntarily, who put her in that bed?

[B]

In December 2016, Mark Shaw delivered a letter to the Manhattan DA citing the new evidence and lab results. In January 2017, DA Cyrus Vance Jr. Agreed to probe Dorothy's death, but the investigation was dropped. In September, the DEA's office said that after a thorough eight month long investigation, they could not conclude Dorothy's death was a homicide. But the office refused to discuss its findings. And I get that right. You can investigate as Much as you want in a case this old, it very likely would be tough to make a definitive conclusion that she was killed or murdered. You might think it right, signs might point to it, but to come out and say without a doubt she was murdered, that might be hard for investigators to do. Sources claim the office failed to interview still living witnesses. In 2024, New York City Councilman Robert Holden asked DA Alvin Brack to reopen the case. Holden told the Post, I was told there was going to be an investigation, but it turned out there wasn't. They just looked at it on a superficial level and decided it wasn't worth doing. A police spokesman confirmed that The NYPD in DA's office declined to reopen the investigation. They didn't explain why, but Holden said cold case officials told him, if we do find foul play, who do we prosecute? So, all right, I get it. You know, the NYPD has a lot of cases, right? The DA has a lot of cases. How much effort are they going to spend on a decades old cold case? One that's already been looked at before? That's one way to look at it, yeah. The other way to look at it, if you're, you know, going down the conspiracy theory path, is someone told them to shut it down or someone didn't want to reopen it. This thing reopened.

[A]

I mean, I. On the first instance, I can see, you know, budgets. Do we want to put man hours, people hours behind that case, resources, or should we just leave it alone? But I also do feel like the people, you know, any of her family that are still living, deserve to know what really happened.

[B]

I agree with you. I do. I mean, I'm sure whoever's job it is to make those decisions, it's not an easy job because I truly believe police want to solve every case. But like you said, there are constraints on resources, personnel. There's only so much time in a day. And unfortunately, there are new cases happening right every day. But as we wrap this one up, Gibbs, we're 60 years later and many questions still remain regarding the death of Dorothy Kilgallen. Officially, her manner of death remains undetermined, with authorities leaning towards accidental. But many believe that her research into the JFK assassination led to her untimely death before she could reveal the evidence she had gathered.

[A]

I wish we could get, I say we the people, could get our hands on that file, because I think there was definitely some things in there that would make people wonder. I don't know if there was anything. Crystal clear. She seems like she felt like There was some crystal clear, solid information that would change how that case went down.

[B]

Well, I think it's probably what fuels a lot of the conspiracy theories and things like that. Right. If you have this file that was known about, people saw it with her.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

She never left it out of her sight. And if she did, it was locked up. She told her attorney she was about ready to break this thing wide open. So she's found dead, but the file is nowhere to be found. I mean, that's the type of stuff that conspiracy theories are made of.

[A]

Just wonder one day, you know, like, somebody will find this file sitting somewhere. Like, whoever took it was supposed to burn it, but didn't burn it. You know, they put it on a file cabinet out in a garage somewhere, and somebody luckily comes across it and says, oh, look at this.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, that would be amazing. I would say more likely somebody was thorough.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If they killed Dorothy, they made sure that file was never going to resurface. I mean, when it comes down to it, is there any way to know for sure whether she accidentally combined alcohol and barbiturates that killed her or whether she was murdered? The whole 15 to 20 capsule thing. Yeah, that throws me.

[A]

It does.

[B]

Because that's not something that's going to happen accidentally taking one, maybe two more pills than you're supposed to. Okay, that's. That's accidental. 15 to 20, you're either doing that on purpose or someone is giving that to you without you knowing it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And maybe that is the residue left on the glass. I. I don't know. But you can see why people would be drawn to this case and the ambiguity that surrounds it.

[A]

Yeah. Definitely understand why people look at it as a conspiracy.

[B]

Yeah. Because I think it's possible. It is. I don't know that for sure. What I will say is there are a lot of things that point to that being a possibility.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

There's a lot of cases where I think, yeah, people are grasping at straws. You know, they're trying to make a conspiracy theory out of something that I don't really see. This case is a little different.

[A]

I think so, too.

[B]

There's a lot of things that point to the fact that it could be that she was murdered. But like you said, I. You know, maybe the file surfaces someday. I doubt it. This could be one of those cases that, because we're 60 years on, we're just never going to really know.

[A]

Yeah. It's just going to be one of those ones that people will talk about.

[B]

And say, this is what I think happened. This is why I think it happened. Yeah. Because there are a lot of cases like that. But that's it for our episode on the death of Dorothy Kilgallen. We got a voicemail. Gibbs, you want to check that out?

[A]

Let's hear it.

[B]

Hi, guys. My name is Xaria. I've been a very long time listener, and I finally finished the very last episode of 2025 of Unsolved. I finished all of the solved, and I feel like now it's time for me to move on to Patreon. It was time for me to give you all a call and just let you guys know how much I loved y'.

[A]

All.

[B]

And I'm not either Team Mike or team Giddy. I'm both. But if I were to take a buzzfeed, buzzfeed quiz, it would definitely be Mike. Anyway, love you guys. Happy New Year. All right, Gibby, what is a BuzzFeed Quiz?

[A]

BuzzFeed Quiz just means she's more aligned with you.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So I say I was going to tell her how she can listen to other cases on our secret portal, but.

[B]

Now you're not going to.

[A]

Yeah. Cause she's not Team Gibby, you know, so I can't.

[B]

You know, I like the fact that you use the word portal. Yeah. It's like you're being whisked into another dimension.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Where there are countless episodes. But we appreciate the voicemail and the fact that you're listening. And we love you, too.

[A]

And she went through all that, Heard them all.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's amazing.

[B]

And kept listening. Yeah.

[A]

Kept on going. The fact that she came out more of a Team Mike over at Team Gibby is baffling. But, you know, that happens.

[B]

It does every now and then.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. You can't win them all.

[A]

Turning more and more that way, though.

[B]

Can't win them all. All right, buddy. This is our first episode of 2026.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

And we got a lot more in store.

[A]

I know. We love y'.

[B]

All. Yep. So for Mike and Gibby, stay safe and keep your own time. T.

[A]

Sa.

[B]

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