Rebecca Shaeffer and Celebrity Stalkers
Criminology
In 1989, Rebecca Shaeffer was just hitting her stride as an actress. She was coming off a three-year stint on a television show, My Sister Sam, opposite Pam Dawber. Robert John Barbo had been stalking Rebecca, though she was unaware of it. His obsession would end in tragedy. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Rebecca Shaeffer and other instances of stalkers targeting celebrities. Stalking is a scary thing and often involves a person who knows their victim personally. But in the case of celebrities, stalkers don't really know their target but often believe they do. You can . We'd...
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Missing and Murdered Scientists
Criminology
Dating back to 2022, at least 11 scientists or people with high security clearance levels have gone missing or been murdered. This has caused speculation to run rampant and has fueled many different conspiracy theories online. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the missing and murdered scientists. But it's not just the online community that has fueled speculation regarding these cases. The White House, top lawmakers, and even the President have commented on the cases. It's been announced that the FBI will officially begin looking into it. You can . We'd love to connect with...
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The Suitcase Murder
Criminology
In May 2004, suitcases filled with body parts were discovered around the Chesapeake Bay area. It took the police some time to identify that the remains belonged to Bill McGuire. This was in large part because Bill had not been reported missing, so the authorities turned their attention to his wife, Melanie. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss what the media has dubbed "The Suitcase Murder." Melanie told the police that Bill was violent towards her and had a gambling addiction. She did file for a restraining order against Bill, which gave her story more credibility. But evidence began to...
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Sarah Widmer
Criminology
Just before 11 PM on August 11th, 2009, Ryan Widmer called 911, requesting help at his home in Hamilton Township, Ohio. According to Ryan, His wife, twenty-four-year-old Sarah Widmer, had fallen asleep while she was taking a bath and accidentally drowned. Police quickly became suspicious of his story. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the death of Sarah Widmer. Ryan's story was picked apart, and discrepancies emerged. Also, the crime scene didn't seem to make sense. But the state's case was primarily circumstantial. And although Ryan has been convicted multiple times of Sarah's murder, there...
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Ebby Steppach
Criminology
On October 26th, 2015, 18-year-old Ebby Jane Steppach was reported missing. She was last seen leaving her grandparents’ home in West Little Rock, Arkansas, around 8 PM on the 24th. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Ebby Steppach. Three years, Ebby's body was found less than 20 yards from where her car was found after she disappeared. Before she went missing, Ebby dropped a bombshell on her stepfather. Many people have pointed to deficiencies in the police work early on. You can . We'd love to connect with listeners on social media. We are available on the following platforms: -...
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Thomas Perez Jr.
Criminology
On the night of August 8th, 2018, Thomas Perez Jr. of Fontana, CA called the Fontana Police Department to report that his father, Thomas Perez Sr., had been missing for about seventeen hours. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Thomas Perez Jr. Thomas caught the attention of the police by the way he was acting when they arrived. They also discovered that bleach had been used inside the house, blood in the house, and his father's mattress had been removed, as had some of his clothing. You can . We'd love to connect with listeners on social media. We are available on the following...
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The Au Pair Murders
Criminology
Brendan and Christine Banfield had been together for nineteen years. They dated for many years, got married, and had a daughter named Valerie. The family was living in Herndon, Virginia, and because of their busy schedules they decided to hire a nanny. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss what has been called "The Au Pair Murders" by the press. On the morning of February 24th, 2023, Juliana Magalhaes, the au pair, and Brendan Banfield called 911. They claimed they found Brendan's wife, Christine, and that she had been attacked by an intruder who turned out to be a man named Joseph Ryan. Both...
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The Oakland County Child Killer Part 2
Criminology
The Oakland County child killer was responsible for the murders of at least 4 children in Oakland County, MI, in 1976 and 1977. Technically, we don’t know whether it’s a single killer or multiple killers. What we do know is that these murders shocked that area of Michigan and forever changed the lives of the people there, not just the families of the victims, but the entire community. Join Mike and Morf for the second and last part of a discussion on the Oakland County child killer. In this episode we focus more on the known evidence in the case and dive into the plethora of suspects that...
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The Oakland County Child Killer Part 1
Criminology
The Oakland County child killer was responsible for the murders of at least 4 children in Oakland County, MI, in 1976 and 1977. Technically, we don’t know whether it’s a single killer or multiple killers. What we do know is that these murders shocked that area of Michigan and forever changed the lives of the people there, not just the families of the victims, but the entire community. Join Mike and Morf for the first part of a discussion on the Oakland County child killer. The perpetrator selected both male and female victims and dumped their bodies where they would easily be found. It...
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Asia and Ashton Brown
Criminology
In 2015, 22-year-old Asia Brown and her 2-year-old son Ashton Brown disappeared. On February 22nd, a friend of Asia called 911 to report her missing after she failed to show up to work for two days. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance and murder of Asia and Ashton Brown. On February 20th, Asia was active on her social media accounts and was seen on surveillance video at an Autozone store. But the police had few clues to go on, and virtually no tips came in after the bodies of both Asia and Ashton were found. You can . We'd love to connect with listeners on social...
info_outlineIn 1989, Rebecca Shaeffer was just hitting her stride as an actress. She was coming off a three-year stint on a television show, My Sister Sam, opposite Pam Dawber. Robert John Barbo had been stalking Rebecca, though she was unaware of it. His obsession would end in tragedy.
Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Rebecca Shaeffer and other instances of stalkers targeting celebrities. Stalking is a scary thing and often involves a person who knows their victim personally. But in the case of celebrities, stalkers don't really know their target but often believe they do.
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Criminology is an Emash Digital production hosted by Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford.