TRIGGER WARNING! This episode is dark and depressing so listen with caution! December 15, 1927 was a normal day at Mount Vernon Junior High School in L.A. until a strange man walked in and convinced the school that he was there to pick up little Marion Parker.Who was this man and did he have connections to the Parker family? We discuss the timeline, the horrific events, and of course, the motive. Sources:Wikipedia LA Times Heathermonroe.medium.comMedium.comFollow us!Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

From the outside, Forrest Teel's life looked perfect. He's got a wonderful family, a nice car, and making good money as the executive for Eli Lilly. Not everything was perfect though, he was having a VERY long affair with not one, but two women. In 1958 his mistress, Connie Nichols, had enough and was ready to end her 15 year affair with him. That night, her gun accidentally went off killing Forrest Teel in his car. Was this really accident or was it self-defense? Sources:Indystar.comTrue Crime Discussions"In the Eyes of the Law" by Tom Faulconer Follow us!Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

This one is a doozy so listen with caution! Between 1991 and 1996 over 24 women were murdered and discovered years later in New Orleans. When the alledged killer, "Clay," calls in to the Howard Stern show in 1997, that's when pieces of this 24 year-old cold case starts to come together. Listening to the timeline, it will still make you question if "Clay" was the person who killed all of these women or was someone else involved. Sources:Wikipedia CrackedRedditHuffpostCriminalMinds.FandomFollow us!Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

Usually when you're struggling financially, you ask for help. That was not the case for Nick and Heidi Firkus. Heidi was a sweet and caring person who was very active in her church. On the morning of April 25th, 2010 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Heidi didn't make it to church. She was murdered. This week on Horrific Heartland, we discuss the timeline of what happened to Heidi. Her husband, Nick, says an intruder murdered her....but was that actually what happened?Sources:ABC CBSTwinCities.com20/20 "Stranger in the House" Season 45, Episode 27Follow us!Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

TRIGGER WARNING! It's a heavy episode this week as we talk about John Edward Robinson, aka The Slave Master. Between 1984 to 2000, he had over 8 victims in Kansas City, MO. We talk about his past, his MO, and how he used the internet to murder.Sources:Wikipedia Investigation Discovery The Crime WireABC NewsFollow us!Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

We're heading out of the Heartland this week and into California to cover a case Aly has been watching for a long time! On May 25, 1996 Kristin Smart, a student at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA, goes to a party off-campus. She appears to be intoxicated and one person at the party offers to help her back to the dorms. That person was Paul Flores. We talk about the timeline of the case and what led to Paul's arrest.Sources:Your Own Backyard Podcast FBI.govABC NewsNY Times Wikipedia Follow us!Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagramhorrificheartland@gmail.com

It goes without saying that it is NOT romantic when a couple commits murder together. During the month of April in 2021, 18-year-old Aaron Guerrero and his 16-year-old girlfriend, Sierra Halseth murdered Sierra's father, Daniel Halseth in Las Vegas. How did this happen and why did they make a video talking about it!?Sources:NYPostReviewJournalNews3LVNBC News Insider Edition (their video in the woods)Follow us!FacebookTik TokInstagramhorrificheartland@gmail.com

We got another baffling case for you this week!On the night of November 17, 1978 in Speedway, Indiana, four Burger Chef employees went missing after closing time. Police at first thought it was your typical robbery, but when the employees Jayne Friedt, Daniel Davis, Mark Flemmonds, and Ruth Ellen Shelton were found dead near a wooded area, that's when the case changed. Who murdered these teens? Was it just a robbery gone wrong or something more?Sources:Wikipedia InsiderIndyStarFox59 WXIN Follow us!FacebookInstagramTik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

On September 20, 1988, Tara Calico went out for her daily bike ride on the New Mexico State Road 47 (she biked 36 miles by the way!) and never made it home. Her walkman was found on the side of the road, but Tara and the bike were missing. Then, in June of 1989, a polaroid of a young female and a young boy were found in a parking lot of a convenience store. Was the young female in the terrifying polaroid Tara? Who is responsible for her disappearance? Sources:FBI.gov ThoughtCatalog.comWikipedia.orgFacebookInstagramTik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

20 year-old Dorothy Stratten had a promising future. She was named Playboy's Miss August in 1979, Playmate of the Year in 1980, and worked on a few movies and TV shows. Her career and life tragically ended on August 14th, 1980 by the hands of her estranged husband, Paul Snider. This week, we cover her life and what lead to her murder. Sources:ABC News Oxygen The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson Crimes of the Century Podcast Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

There's quite a few updates in the true crime world, so this week we're going to discuss them! Have we really found Madeleine McCann, who are they exuming that might be connected to Alex Murdaugh, and the person who murdered Kristin Smart is found guilty and sentenced. Sources:Skynews.com.au Dailyrecord.co.ukNYPost.comCNN.comslocounty.ca.govFacebook, Instagram, Tik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

Trigger warning! This episode contains mention of suicide. We're doing a spooky episode this week! There are a bunch of haunted places in Missouri and this week, we discuss the history and hauntings at The Elms Hotel & Spa (Excelsior Springs, MO), Zombie Road (Wildwood, MO), and the famous Lemp Mansion (St. Louis, MO). Let us know if you've been to one of these places and experienced something ghostly, horrificheartland@gmail.com. Sources: VistMO.comElms Hotel and SpaOnly In Your State - The Elms, Zombie RoadLemp MansionWikipedia Fox2NowFollow us! Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok

It's great news when police arrest someone that's connected to a cold case, but it's frustrating when we still don't know who the victim is! In 1997, John Doe was found in a cornfield near Blissfield, MI without his hands....and head. In January of 2023, police arrested 2 men from Ohio connected to the case. Who was this man and where are his remains!? Also on this episode, we also cover the most recent news in the Madeleine McCann case. Sources:WTOL.comFreep.comLenconnect.com Daily TelegramAdrian MichiganCnn.comGlobalnews.ca FacebookInstagramTik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

Buckle up, we're covering a heavy case. Throughout the 80's and 90's, Gary Ridgway murdered 71 victims in King County, Washington. He would prey on women and young women who were in vunerable situations and would dump their bodies around the Green River. This week, we talk about the timeline of murders and what led to the Green River Killer's arrest. Sources:Seattle TimesLA TimesWashington PostWikipediaBritannica FacebookInstagramTik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

Mermaids have facisnated people for years and this week on H.H., we're doing a deep dive (ha!) on them. Are they real or are they part of the mysteries of the ocean...Sources:Oceanservice.NOAA.gov Oceaninfo.comLivescience.comFacebookInstagramTik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

We’ve heard the cases of serial killers or lovers who kill together….but what about a family of killers? Between 1871-1872 the Bender family murdered over 11 victims in Osage, Kansas. This week on the podcast, we discuss the family's background, their method of killing, and what happened to the family afterwards. Sources:Wikipedia.org Crimereads.comSlate.comFacebookInstagramTik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

This week on the podcast we are sheding light on something not many people (or news channels) are talking about. As of January 1st, 2023, over 30 people from the ages of 9 to 45, have been reported missing in South Dakota. This doesn't even cover the amount of people missing since 2022. So what is happening in South Dakota!? Sources:https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/01/18/nearly-30-missing-persons-reported-sd-since-new-years-day/KOTATV.comhttps://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/tribal-news/south-dakota-ag-creates-council-to-advise-on-missing-indigenous-people/article_51187b62-5cbf-57c8-a2c8-54054ce941a6.htmlhttps://missingpersons.sd.gov/True Crime with Alex FacebookInstagramTik Tokhorrificheartland@gmail.com

On the morning of November 2nd, 2016, 34 year old Sherri Papini went out for a jog near her home in Redding, California. When her husband Keith arrived home from work, she still wasn't back. So, he tracked her phone which he found on the side of the road. Days go by and they cannot figure out what happened to Sherri. Then, 3 weeks after she went missing, Sherri reappears 150 miles away from her home. Sherri tells police that she was kidnapped and branded....but is that really what happened?Sources:Nightline ‘The Vanishing Act’20/20 GMAhttps://www.cnn.com/2022/09/19/us/sherri-papini-fake-kidnapping-sentence/index.htmlFacebook: Horrific Heartland Podcast Discussion GroupInstagram: horrificheartlandpodcastTik Tok: horrificheartlandpodcastEmail us: horrificheartland@gmail.com

We're keeping it "light" this week by playing some trivia that covers the first documented serial killer, to pop culture and murder. You might know the answers to some and you just might learn something new! Source:The Ultimate Serial Killer Trivia Book by Jack Rosewood....copywrite 2022 LAK PublishingFacebook: Horrific Heartland Podcast Discussion GroupInstagram: horrificheartlandpodcast Tik Tok: horrificheartlandpodcast

After our true crime catchup, a lot of information was released regarding the Idaho murders. 28 year old Bryan Kohberger has been arrested for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho.If you don't have time to read all 19 pages of the arrest affidavit, this episode is the shortened version with the info you need to know. Sources:https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/06/us/idaho-killings-investigation.html https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/idaho-murders-roommate-traumatic-shock-phase-rcna64629https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/05/us/key-takeaways-idaho-affidavit-bryan-kohberger/index.htmlFacebook: Horrific Heartland Podcast Discussion GroupInstagram: horrificheartlandpodcastTik Tok: horrificheartlandpodcast