In this episode, we dive into the glitter-soaked rise and catastrophic fall of New York City’s infamous Club Kid scene, as portrayed in the film Party Monster. But beyond the tabloid-fueled fame lies a far darker true story — the murder of Andre "Angel" Melendez.

We explore how Michael Alig, once a self-proclaimed king of nightlife, built a celebrity persona in the early ’90s underground party world alongside figures like James St. James. Fueled by fame, excess, and escalating drug use, the scene spiraled into chaos culminating in Andre "Angel" Melendez’s brutal killing in 1996.

Sources:
Party Monster by James St. James
Glory Daze: The Life and Times of Michael Alig
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/michael-alig-dead-club-kid-party-monster-1107737/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Melendez

In this episode, we dig into the truth behind Jennifer’s Body the 2009 horror film that was initially dismissed and later reclaimed as a cult classic with feminist themes of female rage, power, and exploitation. While the movie is fictional, its central premise (a teenage girl sacrificed by a band seeking fame) echoes a disturbing real-life case that many viewers are unaware of. We examine the 1995 murder of Elyse Pahler, a 15-year-old girl from California who was killed by three teenage boys who claimed they were performing a ritual to help their own metal band succeed.

This episode walks through what happened to Elyse, how the case unfolded, and how her parents later filed a lawsuit against the band Slayer, arguing that violent lyrics and imagery influenced the killers — a case that was ultimately dismissed on First Amendment grounds. We explore how Elyse’s story became entangled in broader conversations about satanic panic, media blame, and moral responsibility in the 1990s. By separating fact from fiction, this episode centers the real tragedy behind the parallels and highlights the lasting impact of Elyse Pahler’s case beyond the courtroom.

Sources:
In the Name of Satan by Wensley Clarkson
A Killer Among Friends: episode 3
https://www.courthousenews.com/two-killers-from-shocking-satanic-teen-murder-case-paroled/
Wiki
https://www.courthousenews.com/two-killers-from-shocking-satanic-teen-murder-case-paroled/

In this episode, we unpack the story behind Abducted Off the Street: The Carlesha Gaither Story and the real-life survival of Carlesha Freeland-Gaither. On November 2, 2014, Carlesha was abducted while walking home in Philadelphia, a crime that was partially caught on surveillance footage and sparked a desperate search. Through the Lifetime film, viewers are taken inside the fear, resilience, and quick thinking that defined those terrifying days — including Carlesha’s bravery in leaving behind clues for detectives after she was taken.

Sources:
Abducted Off the Street: The Carlesha Gaither Story
https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-philadelphia-abduction-found-alive-police/story?id=26706205
https://www.aetv.com/articles/carlesha-gaither-abduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ-oME48Pd4
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/24/1040048967/missing-black-women-girls-left-out-media-ignored#:~:text=The%20media%20ignores%20missing%20Black,of%20the%20overall%20female%20population.

In this episode, we examine An American Crime (2007), a harrowing film based on one of the most disturbing true crime cases in American history. The movie follows the story of Sylvia Likens, a teenage girl left in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski while her parents traveled for work. What begins as a temporary living arrangement quickly spirals into unimaginable cruelty, as Gertrude, her children, and neighborhood kids participate in escalating physical and psychological abuse.

We also dive into the real-life case that inspired the film, exploring what actually happened to Sylvia Likens in 1965 and how closely the movie follows the facts. This episode discusses the social conditions, power dynamics, and warning signs that allowed the abuse to continue unchecked, as well as the legal consequences that followed. While deeply unsettling, this story raises critical questions about accountability, community responsibility, and how extreme harm can occur in plain sight. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Sources:

Torture Mom - Ryan Green

https://people.com/sylvia-likens-abuse-caretaker-orchestrated-8752827

Wiki

An American Crime

The true story behind The Girl From Plainville, the chilling real-life case that sparked national debate about responsibility, mental health, and the power of words. In 2014, 18-year-old Conrad Roy III died by suicide in a Massachusetts parking lot. In the months leading up to his death, Roy had been in an intense, mostly digital relationship with 17-year-old Michelle Carter — a relationship later revealed through thousands of text messages. Prosecutors argued that Carter’s messages didn’t just witness Roy’s struggles, but actively encouraged his death, including a final phone call in which she told him to get back into his carbon-monoxide-filled truck. Carter’s eventual conviction for involuntary manslaughter raised unprecedented legal and ethical questions: Can someone be held criminally responsible for another person’s suicide? We explore the facts of the case, the court’s controversial ruling, and how this tragedy continues to shape conversations around mental health in the digital age.

Sources:

Dateline:Reckless

Michelle Carter: Love, Texts, and Death

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a37499262/where-is-michelle-carter-now-texting-suicide/

https://www.masslive.com/politics/2022/03/conrads-law-bill-created-after-michelle-carter-texting-suicide-case-still-not-passed-case-gets-looked-at-through-new-lens-of-hulus-the-girl-from-plainville.html

https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Conrad_Roy

Talhotblond is a 2012 Lifetime made-for-television movie based on a shocking real-life internet love triangle that ended in murder. The film dramatizes how online anonymity, emotional insecurity, and deception spiraled into deadly violence.

The story centers on Thomas Montgomery, a middle-aged, married factory worker who is dissatisfied with his life and seeks escape through online chat rooms and poker sites. There, he reinvents himself as a younger man, claiming to be a U.S. Marine named “Tommy.” Using this false identity, he begins an online relationship with a young woman known by the screen name “talhotblond.”

Unbeknownst to Montgomery, one of his younger coworkers, Brian, is also communicating with the same girl online. Unlike Montgomery, Brian is honest about who he is, and his growing connection with “talhotblond” triggers intense jealousy in Montgomery. As the online relationships deepen, Montgomery’s lies multiply, and his emotional stability begins to unravel.

Sources:

Talhotblond

https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ng/date/2012-06-28/segment/01

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/courtney-cox-lifetime-movie-review-wer_b_1828672

This podcast episode explores the tragic true story of Nick Markowitz, a 15-year-old boy whose life was taken after being used as leverage in a reckless dispute that spiraled out of control.

When a conflict involving his older half-brother and a local drug dealer escalates, Nick is pulled into a situation he had no part in creating. What starts as a misguided attempt to intimidate someone quickly becomes a tragedy driven by fear, ego, and the inability of the adults involved to stop what they started.

The episode also examines how this case entered popular culture through the 2006 film Alpha Dog. While the movie brought national attention to the crime, it also raised difficult questions about storytelling, responsibility, and whose perspective gets remembered. We compare the film’s portrayal of events with the real case, including criticism from Nick’s mother, Susan Markowitz, who later wrote My Stolen Son to reclaim her child’s story from sensationalized narratives.

Sources:

My Stolen Son: The Nick Markowitz Story by Susan Markowitz w/ Jenna Glatzer

https://allthatsinteresting.com/nicholas-markowitz

Alpha Dog

https://allthatsinteresting.com/jesse-james-hollywood

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Dog

https://www.independent.com/2009/06/21/witness-rundown-hollywood-trial/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-01-me-64254-story.html

https://www.independent.com/2009/06/10/ben-markowitz-on-stand/

In this episode, we explore the real-life case of Susan Wright, a Texas woman whose story captured national attention and later inspired the Lifetime made-for-TV movie Blue-Eyed Butcher. We walk through Susan’s background, her marriage to Jeff Wright, and how a seemingly ordinary suburban life became the center of a high-profile criminal case.

Sources:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/susan-wright-193/

Snapped season 1, Episode 9

https://abc13.com/post/susan-wright-murder-trial-jeff-stabbed-husband-193-times/9184616/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Wright_(murderer)

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/trending/blue-eyed-butcher-texas-woman-who-stabbed-husband-193-times-2003-released-parole/GMR2DZYQLVEIBCYYT7DPOB6IW4/

https://6abc.com/archive/7736279/