Kerry and Erika hope you loathe Richard Speck loathe as much as we do after listening to this story.  Our Illinois neighbors grew up knowing about him.  He grew up in Western Illinois and killed in Chicago and Monmouth.  We are calling him "Dick" for obvious reasons. The nurses he murdered were all young and beautiful ladies that were devoted to becoming nurses to help people. They were studying for finals, planning graduation, some were planning weddings to the love of their lives.  There was one survivor that is an inspiration. This one is brutal and disgusting at the end when we talk about his prison life. Just a warning.  It  is outweighed by the humanity that  still honors these nurses today. Most of the information is from the book The Crime of the Century, Life Magazine from July1966 and a great documentary on Reelz called Murder made Me Famous. There is a little treat at the end for my FOTC fellow fans;) And pardon the heavy breathing, its allergy season here in central illinois as fall sets in and the harvest goes out. 

Behind the Sugar Cane

The Monster Richard Speck: Terror & Torture

June and July have been chaos, but we wanted you to know we are still here.  Go for a little ride in the BTSC time machine to a summers night on Bebe&apos;s porch filing in Daisy on all the goings on in Villisca over the summer. At first everyone was convinced that it was an intruder, an maniac from out of town who killed the Moore family, but was it? Bebe and Daisy gossip about the local suspects. We added a little blooper at the end. Oh ya! We also went out looking for escaped convicts. Don&apos;t try that at home. 

Behind the Sugar Cane. Suspects and Convicts Villisca Part 3

This episode is to review some of the symbolism and ponder the reasoning why some of the bizarre elements of the crime scene. The suspect was from England and came to America with his wife, Laura. He became a traveling minister. His picture looks sinister and so was his character. But could this little peeping Tom wield and axe and kill two adults and six children? If not, then how did he discuss the murder with fellow train passengers on the morning train before the bodies were discovered? 

Villisca Axe Murders Part Two Suspect #1 Rev. George Kelly

Part One covers the background information and the night of the murder of the Moore family and two young friends in 1912 in Villisca , Iowa. On the evening of June 12, 1912  the family and two guests returned home from a church program. After they were tucked in and asleep, someone snuck into the house, or perhaps from the attic closet, and killed Josaih B. Moore, his wife Sarah, and three children, Mary Katherine, Arthur, and Paul. The guest were the Stillinger sisters, Ina and Lena. No robbery, and no clear motive. Listen to this so you can pick your suspect or suspects out of many in Part 2. This is one of the most horrific unsolved murders in Iowa and the midwest. 

The Villisca Axe House Murders Part One

True Crime shows and podcasts are flooded with the big murders like Bundy, Gacy, and Speck, but why are  the crimes that happen in our communities  less known? We are telling two stories that are local in McDonough and Fulton County, IL and has primarily relied on word of mouth. Thanks to  a 1960&apos;s detective magazine, we are able to sort truth from fiction about these murders. The killer and con man named Barger took the lives of two innocent men in order to avoid payment and steal a pension.  His dapper charm was not enough to escape justice. Two counties worked together to easily solve this case and despite his appeal, he remained in jail until he died. 

Ashes to Ashes. The Con is Caught in Marietta, IL

It is taboo for Podcasters unless it’s a platform to discuss a lot of politics. Kerry and Erika Break the rules just to reflect on the last week. It’s not about policy or conspiracy theories it’s just about the typical reaction that people had when they watched the television on January 6th. Yes we do poke fun at the people who invaded the capital and the soon to be ex president. So don’t throw a bunch of negative waves our way because we’re not gonna discuss in detail politics because we’re not politicians.  

Kind of Political but not really....

On a summer evening on June 11, 2001, EIU student and member of the Zeta Alpha chapter of Alpha Phi ,Shannon McNamara, enjoyed hanging out with friends for a few drinks.  After everyone left and she was sleeping, a stranger entered her apartment and killed her in a brutal manner.  Murder was rare in this community, yet the year prior another woman was murdered. Amy Warner was murdered in her home where her two children were present. Shannon fought the murderer and his organized method of approaching violence became disorganized when he was surprised and found himself being attacked in return.  He made mistakes that would uncover this merging serial killer and stop him in his  path . While there was not enough evidence for Amy, yet, Shannon&apos;s murder had exposed him and a long history of violent sexual assaults, battery, trespassing, and other traits of a budding serial killer.  There was also pornography of women, children, and even animals on his computer.  He was brazen and hid in plain sight and watched chaos erupt from his apartment while people searched for a malicious killer in the college town. The defense attempted to pull on the heartstrings of the public and jury by telling about his childhood of abuse and neglect.  A drug given to the military to prevent malaria, Larium, was also questioned due to a discovery that military personnel who killed others and themselves seemed to be impacted by this drug.  They also tried to use his alcoholism and black outs to explain his actions. At the end of the day he was found to be culpable of these horrific crimes.  He was purely evil. These murders brought two inspiring families who supported one another to accomplish putting the killer, Anthony Mertz, away so he could not continue his rampage of assaulting young women. 

Shannon Stops a Serial killer in Charleston, IL

A random Kerry story for if you only have 5 minutes to laugh. 

Kerry is harassed by Dog the Bounty Hunter- Baby Sugar Packet Clip

We discuss What is a Karen? Some say it is racist, sexist, agist, and tells women to keep their mouth shut. We conclude that we all may have a little Karen inside of us at one time in our lives.  There is also Kroger Karen, Covid Karen, and Barbecue Becky.  Kerry challenges on of the Real Housewives to a war. 

The Culture of a "Karen". Kerry's Happy Birthday Episode

Grab a warm drink, light some candles, and wrap in your favorite blanket. Behind the Sugar Cane invites Crystal and Will to tell you a tale so scary that the next time you hear a bell you will scream. They have a wide range of experiences from demons in the closet to a ghost who cleans their house. Enjoy these well told tales. 

I'm Hearing Bells- Halloween Campfire stories from Behind the Sugar Cane

The tavern across the street puts a Bloody Mar at the end of the bar in case Resurrection Mary stops by. Listen to Kerry and Erika&apos;s adventure in learning more about one of Chicago&apos;s most famous ghosts. Also, hear an interview with local ghost hunter Maggie. Grab a blanket, light a fire, and pour a Bloody Mary and learn about Resurrection Mary. 

Ghosts Behind the Sugar Cane: Resurrection Mary- First of many Spooky Sugar Tales

Steven and Cary Stayner were brothers living in Merced, California. On December 4, 1972 Steven was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell and abused by him for over seven years. Steven rescued another child, Timmy White who was Kenneth Parnell's latest victim. Steven and Timmy would remain friends for the rest of their lives. His brother was at home enduring the same abuse from a family member.  He would choose a different path to cross paths with Agent  Jeff Renick when he is arrested at a nudist resort running from the  four murders he committed while working at the Cedar Lodge park in Yosemite National Park.  He is now on death row at San Quentin. Renick would go on to write a book that became a television movie based on his book "I know my first name is Steven". Then HALLOWEEN PREVIEW

The Stayner Brothers. One predator and One Prey

On Labor Day in 1929 Kurt Barthel had a picnic with his friends in which they took "air baths" naked. It inspired them to form the American League of Physical Culture. Now you can go on a nude cruise, go to a nude library, and experience a whole new subculture. One nudist explains that it is a sense that everyone is equal when you are humble and naked, free of status. There are a lot of myths about nudists focusing on sexuality. Therefore the practice of raising children in a naturalist/nudest community is controversial. Kerry arranged an interview with someone who went to a naturalist resorts, actually several, when he was a boy. The interview was very insightful as will as hilarious. Thanks Vern. ....and sorry Kerry&apos;s 1 pound dog growled at you like a tiger. We discuss R. Norton the nudist from Pekin. He made international news when his wishes to be buried nude became a hot topic. Find out what Dear Abby had to say about the subject. 

Is There Equality through Nudism? Is it a Constitutional Right?

Scott Peterson has been in the news the past week for the amendment to his sentencing to remove him from death row. Some of our favorite networks and other podcasts are revisiting this  tragedy. The leading cause of death for pregnant women is murder! What makes a woman carrying a child so vulnerable? Laci Peterson was killed by the person she should have trusted the most. This relationship is typical for pregnant women who die at the hands of spouses and partners. Tammy Jo Thompson (1978-1998) was killed by a stranger when she was pregnant with twin girls. She may have recognized him from high school but no one knows. He fled and when captured claimed his innocence and is still using the justice system and social media to do the same today. Kerry and Erika discuss the fact that people feel that killing an unborn child should constitute murder. However with the Unborn Victims Act it contradicts  Roe vs. Wade. If a unborn fetus is not a person, then how can someone be convicted? We do not get into our views or any ugly discussions about abortion, just facts as it relates to this dilemma. 

The Tragic Case of Tammy Jo Black Thompson and Twin Babies in Fulton County IL

It sparked media attention, mystery, ballads, food stands, and fear. Fay was last seen leaving his mistresses apartment after being told she was going back to her aggressive husband. She ended the relationship on the eve before his divorce. His new green Caddy had been vandalized and someone tried to run him off the road several times before disappearing that night. First deputy Virgil Ball who later became Sheriff took his oath seriously and pursued the mystery long after he held any public office. In the same year Playboy was published, this playboy went missing. Who had it out for Fay? A soon to be ex-wife, mistress, mistresses husbands, mining, or money? See what you think and share it with us. 

Mistresses, Murder, and Mining. The Mystery of what Happened to Fay Rawley and his Green Cadillac

Kerry and Erika will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you pee your pants a little. We love true crime, subcultures, and will take you on some crazy discussions. Kerry and Erika are based in Bloomington Normal IL. They also have a facebook page and a website by the same name. Tune in to find out what we talk about on Kerry's front porch behind the sugar cane.

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Behind the Sugar Cane

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