Female Criminals

After fighting obscenity charges for her stage plays, Mae West went to Hollywood and quickly earned a level of power unheard-of for women in movies. But between censors' efforts to sanitize her, and the revelation of a shocking secret from her past, Mae had to do everything she could to survive.

When one of the most famous entertainers in America couldn’t find another good role, she wrote one for herself. The result was a play titled “Sex,” and it became a Broadway smash in 1926 — but moral reformers couldn’t handle its heat, and took drastic action.

Facing an ultimatum from her husband, 24-year-old Kristin drugged him with a lethal mix of prescription drugs, then staged his death to look like a suicide. Her story quickly unraveled, but to this day she claims innocence. 

After a childhood spent striving for perfection in the early '90s, a devastating ballet injury turned Kristin Rossum to drugs. She married the man who helped her get clean, but after a series of marital rifts, she used her knowledge as a toxicologist to plan the perfect murder.

In February 1887, a man opened a package to find a bloody torso, and police set to work following a trail of clues that led right to Hannah Mary Tabbs — but she knew exactly how to play her cards. 

In the late 19th century, Hannah Mary Tabbs used violence to control those around her, directing her cruelty toward family and acquaintances. When she began an affair with a younger man, she thought she'd found happiness. Until he lost interest, and she began to plot her revenge...

After an argument in a Days Inn Motel, Yolanda Saldívar shot her boss, beloved Tejana superstar Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, in the back. The murder shocked the world. When her trial began in October 1995, Yolanda stood in a Houston courthouse and swore: Not Guilty. 

From the moment she saw Selena perform, loner and misfit Yolanda Saldívar was obsessed.  But it wasn't enough to just be a fan. Within months, she was Selena's personal assistant and one of her closest friends. And Yolanda was prepared to do everything she could to keep Selena close—even if it meant harming her...

On the morning of Friday, June 13th, 1980, suburban housewife Candy Montgomery was confronted by the wife of her ex-lover. Betty Gore was desperate—and holding an axe. Candy had no choice but to fight for her life... or so she says today.

Pretty, perky, and careful to always mind her manners, Candy Montgomery was married with children before realizing she wanted more. She wanted passion. So she set her sights on a man she knew from church. But there was only one problem: his wife.

With twin sons, a sprawling mansion, and a blossoming career, Clara Harris had it all—or so she thought. But when her world came crashing down in 2002, her anger fueled a violent outburst… with deadly consequences. 

After pursuing a career that launched her from Colombia to America, Clara Harris met the man who would turn her world upside down. The two married and built the perfect life together, but something wicked began brewing in 2002, when Clara discovered her husband was having an affair. 

On June 2, 1972, 20-year old Cathy Kerkow drove to the airport with her boyfriend on a mission to hijack a plane. But several hours after takeoff, the ambitious trip took a turn that landed young Cathy halfway across the world—and onto the FBI's most-wanted list.

Before she hijacked a plane in 1972, Cathy Kerkow was simply a young woman from Oregon with a penchant for risk and scandal. Days of aimless rebellion reunited her with a man from her past, who enlisted her in a brash scheme to free the imprisoned political activist, Angela Davis. 

When Brittany Norwood’s Lululemon coworker was found dead on March 12, 2011, police initially thought Brittany was a victim, too—of a store robbery gone wrong. When shoeprint and blood analysis results arrived, they realized: The killer had never left the store. 

Underneath her bubbly exterior, 28-year-old Brittany Norwood lived a secret life that involved thievery, deception, and sugar daddies. When she was caught shoplifting from the Lululemon store where she worked, she decided nothing would stop her from keeping the crime quiet.

In February 1986, Stephanie Lazarus’ strange visits to her ex-lover’s new wife turned to deadly assault. She covered her tracks and hid from suspicion for over twenty years—until the discovery of one piece of evidence unraveled everything. 

She spent the duration of her college years nurturing feelings for a man named John Ruetten. Years later, upon learning of his engagement to another woman, Stephanie Lazarus lashed out—turning her LAPD status into a violent threat on his new lover’s life. 

In the early 1990s, after her mentor, Madam Alex, was thrown in jail, 26-year-old Heidi Fleiss had a decision to make: stay loyal to her former boss, or steal Madam Alex's client list and mount a career of her own. 

After a disastrous break-up with a rich older man in 1989, 22-year-old Heidi Fleiss wasn’t ready to give up the luxuries she's grown accustomed to. Instead, she joined the underground world of high-class Los Angeles escorts.

After murdering her husband, 42-year-old Stella Nickell tried to cover her tracks by poisoning more Excedrin pills. This led to the death of a second victim, finally putting Stella smack dab on the police’s radar.

By 1986, 42-year-old Stella Nickell was over her marriage to Bruce. She saw her husband as a boring drunk who was bad in bed. But instead of divorcing Bruce, Stella opted for something much more sinister. She decided to slip a little something extra into his Excedrin pills...

After murdering Patrick O'Connor in 1849, Marie and Frederick Manning split up so they could more effectively evade the authorities. While Frederick fled to the Channel Islands, Marie ran to Scotland. However, though they initially tripped up the cops, the couple's luck would soon run out...

In the summer of 1849, 28-year-old Marie Manning invited her boyfriend, Patrick O'Connor, over for dinner. Unbeknownst to him, Marie was nursing a grudge. She believed that Patrick had cheated her out of money. So while Patrick expected food and merriment, the only thing on Marie's menu...was murder.

In October of 1994, Susan Smith, committed the unthinkable: she drove her car into a South Carolina lake, with her two young sons trapped inside. But rather than turn herself in for their murders, Susan invented the story of a carjacking that sent police and reporters on a wild goose chase for an unidentified man.

In October of 1994, Susan Smith drove her car into a South Carolina Lake as her boys slept in their carseats. Troubling signs point back to the 23-year old mother of two’s traumatic childhood, tumultuous relationships with men, and an infamous letter which would ultimately push her to commit the unthinkable.

When her daughter failed to make the cheerleading squad on her first try, Texas mother Wanda Holloway knew there was always next year. But by 1991, it seemed pretty clear—some things are worth killing for.

In the small, industrial town of Channelview, Texas, everyone was content with what they had—except Wanda Holloway. She had grown up with a strict religious father, and strove to be better than those around her by any means necessary. So in 1991, she hatched a plot to have the mother of her teenage daughter’s cheerleading rival killed.

In the early 1900s, Carry Nation decided to take her temperance fight national. She traveled from state to state smashing up saloons with her trusty hatchet. However, as Carry escalated her radical behavior, her critics began thinking up even more dire ways to stop her. 

We are thrilled to bring you a brand new episode of Female Criminals today and for the foreseeable future. We thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. In the mid-1800s, after her husband died from alcoholism, Kansas-native Carry Nation developed an interest in the temperance cause. By the end of the 19th century, Carry’s interest had transformed into radicalism, and an unstoppable rampage to destroy saloons and bars.

If you enjoy the true stories told in Female Criminals, check out this episode from our series Crimes of Passion: Although she initially seemed eager to help her boyfriend Conrad Roy move past his struggles with depression, in July of 2014 Michelle Carter’s reaction changed. After Conrad's death, text messages from his phone revealed a darker side to their relationship.

If you enjoy the true stories told in Female Criminals, check out this episode from our series Crimes of Passion: They began an online relationship in 2012. Over the course of the next two years, through thousands of texts and social media messages, Conrad Roy confided in Michelle Carter his struggles with depression and suicidal ideation. Their relationship would end in tragedy in 2014.

After her attempt in 1975 to assassinate President Gerald Ford failed, Sara Jane Moore was incarcerated. Her contempt for authority ultimately resulted in Moore mounting an audacious prison escape.

In the 1970s, Sara Jane Moore’s activism in San Francisco's radical movement led to her being chosen to work undercover for the FBI. However after being slighted by the bureau, Moore began to consider her most radical act yet—assassinating a U.S. President.

Due to the unfortunate spread of COVID-19, Parcast has decided to halt recording for the time-being. This is a precautionary measure taken to ensure the safety of our hosts and staff. In the meantime, we're excited to share one of our classic episodes that we know you'll enjoy! In 2002, after twenty years of marriage, 44-year-old Susan Polk of San Francisco, called it quits with her husband, 70-year-old Felix Polk. Susan's reasons for divorce were simple: she believed her husband was a spy working for the CIA.

By 2004, Lisa Nowak’s friendship with Bill Oefelein had heated up into an extramarital affair. Despite knowing she was risking her marriage and job, Lisa didn’t care. She loved Bill. But when he tried to leave her for a younger woman, Lisa’s love turned into a dangerous obsession.

All her life, Lisa Nowak dreamt of becoming an astronaut. She worked tirelessly in pursuit of this goal. And then in 2003, when space flight was just within her grasp, Lisa met fellow astronaut, Bill Oefelein. She had no idea that her relationship with Bill would soon make her risk everything.

Bobby ruined every single romantic moment Lisa Connelly had with Marty Puccio. He was always hanging around, saying cruel things and being physically abusive towards anyone that challenged him. So Lisa, Marty and Lisa's best friend, Ali Willis, recruited four more teenagers and together they all set about ridding the world of Bobby Kent for good.

Lisa Connelly and Alice Willis were two Florida teens whose friendship turned homicidal in 1992 as they bonded over their common enemy: Alice’s ex-boyfriend, Bobby Kent.

The Broderick’s bitter divorce unleashed an unpredictable, raging violence in Betty. She sought the ultimate revenge when she shot Dan and his new wife, Linda in cold blood. The story, the trial, and Betty’s lack of remorse would go on to captivate the country.

After discovering her husband’s affair in 1983, Betty Broderick’s perfect world came crashing down. During their protracted divorce, Betty’s behavior became increasingly short and violent—until she ultimately decided to take matters into her own hands.

In 1911, Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard took her cruel alternative medicine practices to a new level by opening her infamous sanitarium in Washington—which locals would dub "Starvation Heights.” There, Linda continued her abuse and fraud by financially exploiting and starving wealthy British heiresses, Dora and Claire Williamson. 

She was a turn-of-the-20th century medical practitioner who preached starvation as a method of curing disease. But it was Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard’s childhood exposure to fad remedies that shaped her interest in alternative medicine.

She never wanted to grow up. Treva Throneberry did everything she could to delay adulthood, even going as far as traveling from town to town throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s posing as a teenage runaway—pretending, lying, and stealing to cover her tracks.

By the winter of 1924, Celia Cooney had robbed 10 stores with her husband across Brooklyn. "The Bobbed-Haired Bandit" eventually ran out of luck, only to find that her capture and trial made her a nationwide star.

Also known as the “Bobbed-Haired Bandit,” Celia Cooney and her husband became a media sensation during the winter of 1924 when they pulled off ten robberies in just under three months.

Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: Stories of her exploits on Rum Row in the early 1920s made Gertrude Lythgoe a tabloid darling. As books and article series were published, America was captivated by the “Queen of the Bootleggers.” Unfortunately for her, so was the United States Government.

Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: During Prohibition, while most young women were focused on getting married and having a family, Gertrude Lythgoe was busy running her wholesale liquor empire in the Bahamas. She started as a quiet secretary, but found herself venturing into the dangerous waters of Rum Row.

Up until 2001, Ana Montes led a double life as a Cuban spy and a high-ranking analyst in the U.S. intelligence community. A nationally recognized expert, she was nicknamed the "Queen of Cuba," until top-secret information provided by her own sister led to her arrest.

Ana Belen Montes was a smart, ambitious Puerto-Rican American with a passion for defending the sovereignty of Latin American nations. In 1985, her drive for social justice found an outlet when she was recruited as a spy for Cuban Intelligence.

By the late 1960s, Valerie Solanas tried to start an underground feminist movement using Andy Warhol to publicize her vision for a new world. But she became consumed with paranoia and rage. She was convinced that Warhol planned to steal her ideas and pawn them off as his own.

A radical feminist writer who overcame a childhood of poverty and sexual abuse to put herself through college. Valerie Solanas became obsessed with overthrowing the patriarchy — by any means necessary. But an undiagnosed mental disorder inspired increasingly erratic behavior, which soon took a criminal turn.

In 1726, Mary Toft seemed to birth a series of strange creatures: rabbits, cats, and never-before-seen hybrid animals. She quickly became a national sensation. But how did an ordinary English wife and mother deceive the most accomplished doctors of the day?

By 1997, Mary Kay Letourneau's affair with her 13-year-old student seemed doomed to be exposed when she found herself pregnant with his baby. But even as she faced arrest and imprisonment, she continued to maintain that they were in love.

After a troubled childhood, Mary Kay Letourneau always thought she had to be perfect: the perfect daughter, the perfect wife, the perfect mother. But when she found herself falling for 13-year-old Vili Fualaau at her Washington elementary school, she was ready to throw everything away.

The trials continue: Tituba’s devilish confession sends chills through the town of Salem. And more men and women are tortured, imprisoned and executed as a result of the 1693 proceedings. 

Massachusetts 1692-1693: Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne—the three women at the center of the Salem Witch Trials. Discover the three key factors that combined to create their witch hunt, as well as the months of moral panic and finger-pointing that followed.

With a not-so-promising future in Victorian England, Mary Ann Cotton embarks on a journey of seducing, marrying, and killing her spouses and children to collect her insurance policies. Once she was caught in 1873, she learned just how unforgiving society could be to those who transgressed.

A career gold-digger with a penchant for arsenic, and a trail of murders that would make headlines.

In 1920's New York City, policy bank queen Stephanie St. Clair was sitting on the top of the world. She had become one of the most successful policy bankers in her adopted home of Harlem, and had the cash to prove it. But as the Prohibition came to a close, Stephanie would be faced with a formidable new enemy - white mobsters encroaching on her turf. Sponsors! Bombas - Save 20% on your first purchase when you shop at Bombas.com/CRIMINALS!

In 1911, 13-year-old Stephanie St. Clair left the Caribbean for America and never looked back. The scrappy teen lied about her age, and soon found herself on the streets of Harlem at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance and the Prohibition Era - two moments in history that helped launch her career as the queenpin of a highly lucrative gambling ring. And ultimately, as New York City's first black woman gangster Sponsors! Best Fiends - Download FREE the 5-star rated mobile puzzle game Best Fiends on the Apple App Store and Google Play.  Literati Books - Go to LITERATIBOOKS.COM and use promo code CRIMINALS for $20 OFF your FIRST BOX. Plus, kids THREE and up get a special blacklight pen!

On Easter Sunday, 1903, Marie Sukloff awoke in her Russian prison cell to the sounds of a massacre. She overheard one of the bloodiest pogroms in Russian history. The bloodshed ignited a fire that Marie would feel to her dying day. In the years to come, she would plan and carry out an assassination that would make her famous.

As the grip of Tsar Nicholas II loosened at the turn of the 20th century and the wave of Communism started to rise in Russia, a young girl named Marie Sukloff dutifully took her place in the revolution. After watching her peasant farming parents struggle to make ends meet, she learned to read from political bulletins, waiting for her day to strike. 

It was called “one of the most brutal and bizarre crimes Australia has ever seen.” In 1989, Tracey Wigginton not only murdered bar patron Edward Buldock – she and her fellow vampires drank his blood. As the investigation unfolded, her small coastal town was riveted by the story of Tracey’s small occultist following, all self-proclaimed lesbian vampires.

After heiress Marjorie Congdon was aquitted of her mother's 1977 murder, she remarried and began to build a new life. But mysterious deaths continued to plague Marjorie, who would become a suspect in numerous murders and arsons for decades. Sponsors! Best Fiends - Download the 5-star rated mobile game for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

When Marjorie Congdon was adopted at three months old, she became the doted up daughter of an heiress. She grew up wanting for nothing, showered in gifts and affection. But Marjorie still suffered, eventually diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Her mother, afraid of scandal, couldn't accept the diagnosis and Marjorie was never treated. Left unchecked, Marjorie would bring chaos and death to all those around her.  Sponsors! Literati - Go to LITERATIBOOKS.COM and use promo code CRIMINALS for $20 OFF your FIRST BOX.

Irma Grese quickly proved herself as one of the most vicious guards at Ravensbruck concentration camp. In 1943, she was promoted and sent to Auschwitz, where her reputation for cruelty only grew. Thousands of interned prisoners suffered under her reign until they were finally liberated by Allied forces.  Sponsors! Embrace Pet Insurance - Get your FREE quote at EmbracePetInsurance.com/CRIMINALS. Away - For $20 off a suitcase, visit AwayTravel.com/criminals and use promo code CRIMINALS during checkout! 

As Irma Grese grew up in rural Germany, she watched Adolf Hitler rise to power. Completely swept up in the nationalist views of the Nazi Party, Irma tried to find the best way to serve her country. Eventually, she found her purpose as a concentration camp guard. Parcasters - Is there any truth behind the rumored society that protects the secrets of the Holy Grail? Learn more about the Priory of Sion on this week’s episode of Conspiracy Theories!

As the Manson Family turned onto Cielo Drive, time slowed to a crawl. In a few minutes, they would commit five murders that became the most infamous slayings in American history. They intended to start a riot that would burn LA to the ground.  Sponsors! Best Fiends - Play the 5-star rated mobile game! Download FREE on the Apple App Store or Google Play. That’s FRIENDS without the R, Best Fiends!

By July, 1969, the "Manson Girls” saw Charlie as more than a leader, he was the second coming of Christ. Manson’s cult gospel called them to prepare for a fast approaching race war called Helter Skelter that would burn Southern California to the ground. And if the war didn’t start on its own, they would light the fuse. Parcasters - Don’t miss all of our special Summer of ‘69 episodes by subscribing to Parcast Presents: Summer of ‘69, on Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts! Sponsors! Embrace Pet Insurance - Get your FREE quote at EmbracePetInsurance.com/CRIMINALS right now! Zola - Build your free wedding website on Zola and get $50 toward your registry at ZOLA.com/CRIMINALS.

When 23-year-old Brittany Holberg found herself homeless in Texas, performing sex work, and addicted to cocaine, she didn't think her life would get any worse.  But then a botched robbery became a murder in 1996, and Brittany had to learn to build a new life for herself on Death Row. Sponsors! Gabi - Take 2 minutes and see if you can save up to $865 when you go to Gabi.com/CRIMINALS. Grove Collaborative - Go to Grove.co/CRIMINALS to get a FREE 5-piece Spring Cleaning Set from Mrs. Meyer’s and Grove—  a $30 value!

After an off-handed comment about a serial killer on the loose, Syracuse DA William Fitzpatrick was determined to find out who the "H" family was in Dr. Alfred Steinschnieder's SIDS research. He was convinced the grieving "Mrs. H." was actually a serial killer in disguise.  Sponsors! Pair of Thieves - Get 20% off your first order at PairOfThieves.com/CRIMINALS.

For two decades, Waneta Hoyt was seen as the unluckiest mother in the world. But when new evidence emerged, police wondered if she wasn't a grieving mother, but in fact a serial killer.  Parcasters - When conservation advocate Joy Adamson turned up dead, the authorities initially suspected one of her lions. Little did they know one of her disgruntled employees would be much more dangerous! Listen to her story on Assassinations, available now on Spotify or wherever you get your Parcast Originals!

In the early 1900s Ada and Minna Everleigh found their luxurious gentlemen's club in the midst of a moral war with Chicago's more rigid citizens. What these zealots didn't realize, is that the Everleigh Sisters had the government on their side.  Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/CRIMINALS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

When sisters Ada and Minna Everleigh opened a brothel in early 1900, citizens were shocked to find that countless potential clients were bluntly turned away at the door. They weren’t suitable, they were told. Not for what was soon to be the most notorious and exclusive gentlemen’s club of the early 20th century. Sponsors! Best Fiends - Best Fiends is a 5-star rated mobile game app available for download FREE on the Apple App Store and Google Play. That’s FRIENDS without the R, Best Fiends! Gabi - Take two minutes and see if you can save up to $865 a year on car insurance at Gabi.com/CRIMINALS. There are NO fees, NO forms, and NO spam. Grove Collaborative - Go to Grove.co/CRIMINALS to get a FREE FIVE PIECE Spring Cleaning Set from Mrs. Meyer’s and Grove! Pair of Thieves - Get 20% off your first order at PairOfThieves.com/CRIMINALS.

In 2005, Dr. Felix Polk of San Francisco, was found stabbed to death by his 15-year-old son, Gabriel. But he believed his mother, Susan, was responsible for the death, after years of threatening violence against her husband.   Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/CRIMINALS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit! Zola - To start your free wedding website and also get $50 off your registry on Zola, go to Zola.com/CRIMINALS.

In 2002, after twenty years of marriage, 44-year-old Susan Polk of San Francisco, called it quits with her husband, 70-year-old Felix Polk. Susan's reasons for divorce were simple: she believed her husband was a spy working for the CIA and he had brainwashed her and her children.  Parcasters - In Conspiracy Theories this week we explore the North American Union, a supposed superstate created through merging the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Was it in the plans, is it still? Find out today at parcast.com/conspiracy

Stories of her exploits on Rum Row in the early 1920s made Gertrude Lythgoe a tabloid darling. As books and article series were published, America was captivated by the Queen of the Bootleggers. Unfortunately, so was the United States Government. Sponsors! Best Fiends - Don’t miss out on the must-play game of the year! Download Best Fiends for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play. That’s FRIENDS without the R, Best Fiends! Pair of Thieves - Get 20% off your first order at PairOfThieves.com/CRIMINALS.  Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/CRIMINALS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

During the early days of Prohibition in the 1920s, while most young women were focused on getting married and having a family, Gertrude Lythgoe was busy running her wholesale liquor empire in the Bahamas. She started as a secretary in the quiet Midwest, but found herself venturing to the dangerous waters of Rum Row. Sponsors! Grove - Get a 3-piece cleaning set from Mrs. Meyer’s spring scents, a free 60-day VIP membership, and a surprise bonus gift when you sign up and place an order of $20 or more at Grove.co/CRIMINALS.

On Monday, January 29th, 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer shot 350 rounds at a San Diego Elementary School from her front window. Her family and neighbors were stunned by her violent actions. Brenda's response: "I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day." Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/CRIMINALS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

Before Parkland, before Sandy Hook, was the 1979 mass shooting at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego. At 8:30AM on Monday, January 29th, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer lined up her .22 rifle and started firing at the schoolyard across the street from her house. Why would the shy teenager go on such a horrific rampage? Sponsors! Best Fiends - Download the 5-star rated mobile game app for FREE on the Apple App Store or Google Play. That’s FRIENDS without the R, Best Fiends! The Bouqs - Send the Mom’s Day flowers your mom deserves from The Bouqs. Order today and get an extra 20% off when you enter code FEMALE. Pair of Thieves - Get 20% off your first order when you go to PairOfThieves.com/CRIMINALS.

After two months in captivity, Patricia Hearst sided with her kidnappers, the Symbionese Liberation Army. By the end of 1974, the newspaper heiress turned full-blown urban guerrilla. Sponsors! The Bouqs - Get an extra 20% off when you go to Bouqs.com and enter code FEMALE.   Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/CRIMINALS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit! That’s Upstart dot com slash CRIMINALS!

In February of 1974, 19-year-old Patricia Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Her captivity would become one of the most well-known cases of Stockholm Syndrome in history. Sponsors! Robinhood - Robinhood is giving listeners of Female Criminals a FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help you build your portfolio. Sign up at Criminals.Robinhood.com.

She climbed to the top of New York City’s real estate scene by bullying and blackmailing, earning her the moniker "The Queen of Mean." In the late 1980s, when Leona Helmsley was put on trial for fraud and tax evasion, all the little people she'd stepped on over the years lined up for their chance to take a swing at Leona.  Sponsors! Best Fiends - Download Best Fiends for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/CRIMINALS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes 2 minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

Born in 1920 to poor, Jewish immigrants, Leona Helsley spent the first 30 years of her life doing whatever it took to rise above her humble origins. She changed her name, bullied her competitors, and, if necessary, skirted the corners of the law, engaging in blackmail and fraud. Parcasters - One of the greatest true crime cases in ever told is also one of the most impactful events in our nation’s history! Can you guess which one it is? Find out now at parcast.com/assassinations 

She was out of options and desperately searching for a way back to her home to America. In 1945, Iva Toguri, stepped forward and claimed to be the infamous Japanese war broadcaster “Tokyo Rose”. Her bold decision landed her a trip back home, but it came with a steep price. Parcasters - If you haven’t checked out our new show, Crimes of Passion, you’re missing out! Listen to our newest episodes on the Jodi Arias trial at parcast.com/passion

A Japanese American found herself stranded in Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, unable to return to the United States. To make ends meet, she started working for Radio Tokyo in the early 1940s, broadcasting to American GIs. But did working for the Japanese turn her into a traitor? Sponsors! BetterHelp - Female Criminals listeners get 10% off your first month with discount code CRIMINALS. Go to BetterHelp.com/Criminals. Robinhood - Robinhood is giving listeners of Female Criminals a FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help you build your portfolio. Sign up at Criminals.Robinhood.com.

In 1983, she was accused of shooting her three children in a twisted attempt to prove her love to her boyfriend. The Oregon district attorney feared that Diane Downs would walk free, due to a lack of evidence. All his hopes rested on a star witness: 8-year-old Christie Downs, Diane's oldest daughter. Parcasters - To learn about an iconic event in American history, check out our our new episode on John McCain on HOSTAGE, wherever you get your shows. Listen now at parcast.com/hostage Sponsors! BetterHelp - Go to BetterHelp.com/Criminals to get 10% off your first month with discount code CRIMINALS.  Native - For 20% off your first purchase, visit NativeDeodorant.com and use promo code CRIMINALS during checkout! SugarBearHair - Go to SugarBearHair.com/CRIMINALS for amazing hair and a healthier you.

She was a mother from Oregon who felt like she never received the love she deserved. In 1983, when Diane Downs finally met a man who gave her the attention she craved, she was willing to sacrifice anything to keep them together. Including her own children. Sponsors!  SugarBearHair - Go to SugarBearHair.com/CRIMINALS for amazing hair and a healthier you! Swap.com - Get free shipping on your first purchase when you go to Swap.com/Criminals! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/CRIMINALS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is!

Known for stealing from the rich, and giving to the poor, newspapers called her "The Bandit Queen." But was Wild West anti-hero Belle Starr actually guilty of being a thief, or was she simply married to one? In 1889, her notorious reputation would result in a bloody ending only reserved for an American outlaw.  Parcasters - Love may have brought Belle Starr to her grave, but she isn’t alone! Learn about more criminal couples on our new podcast CRIMES OF PASSION. Listen today at parcast.com/passion Sponsors! Shudder - To try Shudder free for 30 days, go to Shudder.com and use promo code CRIMINALS. SugarBearHair - Go to SugarBearHair.com/CRIMINALS for amazing hair and a healthier you. Swap.com - Go to Swap.com/Criminals and sign up to get free shipping on your first purchase.

She grew up during the Civil War and supported the Confederacy. When Belle Starr married her first husband, a notorious horse thief, she was plunged into a world of outlaws in the postwar era of the 1870s and 80s. Was she a bystander to her husband's crimes? Or complicit in his reign of terror in the Wild West? Sponsors! BetterHelp - Female Criminals listeners get 10% off your first month with discount code CRIMINALS when you go to BetterHelp.com/Criminals. Proven Innocent - Proven Innocent Premieres Friday, February 15th at 9/8c, only on Fox. Torrid - Go to Torrid.com and use Promo Code CRIMINALS15 for $15 off every $50 you spend! That means you can get up to $150 off a $500 order!

After months of torment and abuse in the summer of 1965, Sylvia Likens stopped fighting back. No one would find out what was happening in Gertrude Baniszweski's house of horrors until it was far too late. By the time it’s over, Baniszweski wouldn’t be the only person convicted of manslaughter and murder.  Sponsors! BetterHelp - Female Criminals listeners get 10% off the first month with discount code CRIMINALS. Proven Innocent - Proven Innocent Premieres Friday, February 15th at 9/8c, only on Fox.

In the summer of 1965 in Indiana, teenagers Sylvia and Jenny Likens were invited to stay in the home of their friend's mother, Gertrude Baniszewski. Only one of them would leave the house alive. Parcasters - After this episode of Female Criminals, go check out our new show Extraterrestrial and learn about the abduction of Barney and Betty Hill. Listen at parcast.com/extraterrestrial

Mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was perhaps the only man Virginia Hill ever loved. He also brought her closer than ever to a bloody downfall at the hands of the Mafia. Shortly before Bugsy’s assassination in 1947, Hill fled to Paris, leading to questions about her knowledge of his impending death. Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/CRIMINALS to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is! Checking your rate only takes 2 minutes—and won’t affect your credit!

A trusted operative, she ascended to the highest ranks of the Chicago Outfit in the 1930s and made millions of the dollars for the mob, and herself. By the time Virginia Hill was 30, her cutthroat mentality would land her at the top of the FBI’s Most Wanted list.  Sponsors! Torrid - Go to Torrid.com and use Promo Code CRIMINALS15 for $15 off every $50 you spend! That means you can get up to $150 off a $500 order!

After one fateful day in 1976, the New York City Queenpin lost her faith in the mob and turned her back on them forever. Brickman was able to bring the mob to its knees and take down kingpins as a police informant from the inside. Sponsors! Candid - Head to CandidCo.com/CRIMINALS to save 25% on your modeling kit. Sun Basket - Go to SunBasket.com/CRIMINALS today to learn more and get $35 off your first order!

Associated with some of New York City’s most infamous criminals, Brickman was involved in the drug empire from the mid-1950s until the 1980s.  She served as a courier, sold drugs, and ran her own bookmaking operation. Brickman not only used her family's mob connections, but also climbed the mob hierarchy, searching for the next powerful man she could seduce.  Sponsors! Sun Basket - Go to SunBasket.com/CRIMINALS today to learn more and get $35 off your first order!

Today, Lizzie Borden's name is forever associated with the brutal axe murder of her parents. But when she stood trial in 1892, she was known only as a polite, educated society woman. Even with all the evidence pointing towards Lizzie, convincing a jury that a well-mannered woman was a murderer was going to be a difficult task. Sponsors! Caffé Monster - Available in Mocha, Vanilla, and Salted Caramel. Caffé Monster: Chill it down, Shake it up, Enjoy! Candid - Save 25% on your modeling kit when you go to CandidCo.com/CRIMINALS.

Andrew and Abby Borden were found gruesomely slaughtered with a hatchet in their Massachusetts home in 1892. The main suspect was Lizzie Borden, a reserved Sunday school teacher who had been nothing but a loving daughter. Which begs the question - was she capable of killing her father and stepmother?  Sponsors! Audible - Get 3 months of Audible for just $6.95 a month by going to Audible.com/CRIMINALS or text CRIMINALS to 500 500. Caffe Monster - Caffé Monster - Available in Mocha, Vanilla and Salted Caramel. Caffé Monster: Chill it down, Shake it up, Enjoy! Kopari - Go to KopariBeauty.com/CRIMINALS to save $5 off your first order when you subscribe!  Living Proof - Visit LivingProof.com/CRIMINALS and use promo code CRIMINALS to get a free sample of their award-winning dry shampoo with your purchase. 

Between 1960 and 1964, numerous children began disappearing across Manchester, England. The sadistic rapist and torture duo behind the murders? Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. After getting away with murdering four children they wanted to push the limit. They decided they wanted to murder their next victim in front of a live audience. The trial would prove Myra Hindley to be “the most evil woman in Britain.” Sponsors! StoryWorth - For $20 off, visit StoryWorth.com/CRIMINALS when you subscribe!

Myra Hindley would do anything for her boyfriend, Ian Brady. She would even go as far as to murder someone for him. Both from troubled homes in Manchester, England, Hindley and Brady had abusive alcoholic parents. Their relationship would eventually cause Hindley to brutally murder five children between July 1963 and October 1965.  Sponsors! Candid - Go to CandidCo.com/CRIMINALS to save 25% on your modeling kit. 

After her husband’s murder in the late 1980’s, she became head of a drug operation transporting cocaine and heroin from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. Known for her extravagant fur coats, Thelma Wright used her drug money to keep up with appearances.  Sponsors! Caffé Monster - Now available in Mocha, Vanilla, and Salted Caramel. Caffé Monster: Chill it down, Shake it up, Enjoy! Kopari - Go to KopariBeauty.com/CRIMINALS to save $5 off your first order when you subscribe! Living Proof - Visit LivingProof.com/CRIMINALS and use promo code CRIMINALS to get a free sample of their award-winning dry shampoo with your purchase!

The leader of the Barker-Karpis Gang is responsible for increasingly violent bank robberies and kidnappings in the 1930s. In an attempt to take down the gang, the FBI engages in a shootout that lasts more than four hours. Does Ma Barker make it out unscathed? Sponsors! Caffé Monster - Available in Mocha, Vanilla, and Salted Caramel. Chill it down, Shake it up, Enjoy!

She frequently traveled with her gang of sons during the Public Enemy Era. But did the “mother of criminals” actually commit any crimes? Sponsors! Candid Co - Go to CandidCo.com/CRIMINALS to save 25% on your modeling kit. Kopari - Go to KopariBeauty.com/CRIMINALS to save $5 off your first order when you subscribe!

The first woman executed by the US federal government. Her crime? Engaging in a conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.  Subscribe now to our new podcast HOSTAGE, featuring the riveting story of Patty Hearst's abduction by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Sponsors!  Kopari -  Go to KopariBeauty.com/CRIMINALS to save $5 off your first order when you subscribe! Living Proof - Visit LivingProof.com/CRIMINALS and use promo code CRIMINALS to get a free sample of their award-winning dry shampoo with your purchase!

Could you kill a president on your own? John Wilkes Booth used a network of conspirators to execute his plan of assassinating President Abraham Lincoln. The Surratt tavern was a well known hideaway from Confederate spies, was Mary involved in their ultimate act of vengeance? Subscribe to our new show - Hostage - today! Sponsors! Parcast - Sign up for the Parcast Monthly Newsletter at Parcast.com!

After getting caught by authorities her partner dies and Kim expects to be tortured, but ends up surprised at what happens next. Sponsors! Caffé Monster - Available in Vanilla, Mocha, and Salted Caramel.

Would you blow up a plane to be a hero? In November, 1987, twenty-five-year-old Kim Hyon-hui was given what would be her last mission as a North Korean spy. She and her partner were told that if they completed it, it would unify South Korea with North Korea. All they had to do was get on an airplane and plant a bomb. Sponsors! Caffé Monster - Available in Vanilla, Mocha, and Salted Caramel. Kopari - Go to KopariBeauty.com/CRIMINALS to make the safe switch today, and save $5 off your first order when you subscribe!

After committing more than 30 kidnappings, murdering 22 high-caste men in the 1981 Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, and being placed on India’s Ten Most Wanted list—  Phoolan Devi was wanted dead or alive. How did she manage to re-brand herself as a local hero? Sponsors! Go to TakeCareOf.com and enter CRIMINALS for 25% off your first month of personalized Care/of vitamins.

Phoolan Devi was born and raised in poverty but nevertheless was a precocious and resilient child. At ten years old, she learned her uncle's family had stolen her father's land, and fought back. It would be her first step to becoming Bandit Queen, a warrior for the lower classes.

Samantha Lewthwaite was just like any other housewife in the world. But while she was carrying on a life as a doting wife and mother, she was also a terrorist accused of planning attacks that have killed over 400 people. Her current whereabouts are unknown and international law enforcement agencies are still looking for The White Widow.

Originally known for being the wife of 2005 London bomber Germaine Lindsay, international authorities have suspected her of running a bomb factory, funding terrorist cells, and being responsible for the 2013 shopping mall attack in Kenya. Discover how she started on a path to radicalism.

Charlotte Corday set out on her journey to kill Jean-Paul Marat believing it was the only way to save France. So what made a young woman with no known political connections and no history of violence turn to murder?

Charlotte Corday grew up poor in French family clinging to its noble status. When the French Revolution started, she strongly believed in peaceful change and liberation, in contrast to the Jacobin party who led the revolution on a platform of violence and executions. What happened to the mild-mannered Corday that led her to murder a leader of the Jacobin party?

Dorothea Puente ran a boarding house in Sacramento, California. She had perfected a technique of taking in tenants who were on government assistance, murdering them, and then fraudulently cash the checks. All the while, neighbors had no idea that dead bodies were being buried in her backyard. 

We have a special guest. Greg from Serial Killers is to joining us to help provide some insight into the madness of Dorothea Puente. Dorothea Puente didn’t set out to become Sacramento, California’s most notorious female serial killer. But she did have a criminal streak that grew more sinister, culminating in the deaths of almost a dozen residents of the boarding house she ran. How was she able to evade detection from family members and social workers? And how did she get away with her first murder? 

Despite payouts from her exotic dance performances and the gifts from her many generous lovers, Mata Hari struggled to finance her lavish lifestyle. So when offers of spywork came from both French and German government officials during World War II, Mata Hari couldn’t say no to the money. It led her down a path of spying, lying, and ultimately, execution. Was Mata Hari World War II’s biggest fall guy, or its biggest counter-espionage triumph? 

Mata Hari built her fame on the novel and erotic dances she performed, claiming to have learned them as part of a secretive religious ritual. She’s remembered in part for her pornographic postcard series, as well as a string of wealthy lovers left in her wake. But she’s best known for the way she died: executed as a foreign spy. 

After numerous “close-calls” and many deaths, it became hard to ignore the number of emergencies that happened while Nurse Genene Jones was on duty in the pediatric ICU. Even after switching to work in a private practice, a dark cloud of tragedy followed her. Would forensic drug testing technology ever catch up with this Angel of Mercy? 

Genene Jones, a pediatric nurse from Texas, is believed to have killed between eleven and forty-six infants and toddlers between 1977 and 1982. Pediatric nurses give care to children, many of whom aren’t able to speak yet. Which is why they perfect targets. Find out what happened in Jones’ childhood that would drive her to murder innocent children. 

In an act of filial piety (respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors) and revenge over the murder of her father, Shi Jianqiao executed warlord Sun Chuanfang in a crowded Buddhist hall. The media circus that ensued unleashed a fierce debate over her fate, which would play out in the courts of both law and public opinion. Would she actually get away with murder? 

Shi Jianqiao was a notorious Chinese assassin who avenged her father’s death by executing the warlord responsible. Was she a devoted daughter fulfilling her duty after her father’s unjust murder? Or was she an outlaw vigilante who deserved to be punished for her crime? 

Ulrike Meinhof was a West German journalist, screenwriter, and mother of two. But the non-violent activist would turn to a life of terrorist bombings and bank robberies. Find out why and what ultimately lead to her capture. 

Ulrike Meinhof was a known journalist, pacifist, and anti-war activist in Germany. After complaining of severe headaches for months, she had a brain procedure. After her recovery, her perspective changed. She became a political militant responsible for murders, attempted murders, bank robberies and bombings. 

Aileen Wuornos was convicted of killing Johns while working as a sex worker in Florida. During her trial, Wuornos would take the stand in her own defense in an effort to save her life. But it would only take a jury a couple hours to decide her fate. 

Aileen Wuornos lived a difficult life as a sex worker along the highways to support herself. She killed seven men but she claims they were all in self-defense. Was Wuornos born a cold-blooded killer or did a difficult childhood mold her into one?  

Kristen Gilbert was a nurse at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center when patients began to suddenly die of cardiac arrest during her shifts. With very little hard evidence to go on, find out how investigators built a case against her and how her behavior leading up to the trial made her a danger to herself and others.

By all accounts, Kristen Gilbert was a competent nurse, suburban wife, and soccer mom. But she also had a sinister side. Working at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, she was convicted of killing four patients and suspected of killing dozens more. But what turned this mild-mannered mother of two into a serial killer?

Pirate Anne Bonny had seemingly met her match with Calico Jack, but the relationship didn't last forever. After leaving their child with a family in Cuba, Anne returned to the seas with Calico but found a new spark - this time with a most unexpected partner. 

As a child, Anne Bonny pretended to be a boy to cover for the fact that she was an illegitimate child. When she dressed as a woman later on, she realized she preferred the freedom of being treated like a man. Dissatisfied with traditional life as a wife to her husband, she found a true partnership with "Calico Jack," a pirate who treated her with more autonomy and respect than any woman on land would ever get.

As police became more suspicious of Stacey Castor for the deaths of two husbands, she was quick to blame her daughter Ashley. When Ashley was discovered unresponsive with a suicide note next to her, the case got more difficult for detectives. Did Ashley try to commit suicide, or was she Castor’s next intended victim?

Over the course of her adulthood, Stacey Castor went from a loving mother and wife to a meticulous murderer. Her choice of weapon was poison, and her careful planning allowed her to get away with murder for many years. We investigate how one woman could take such a dark turn and murder those closest to her. SPONSORS! After Anna - Listen now at Macmillanaudio.com/AfterAnna

When Seema Parihar was just 13 years old, she was kidnapped from her home in Northern India by bandits. Parihar faced unimaginable mental and physical abuse at the hands of her captors, but persevered to become one of the most feared bandits in the region for nearly 20 years. We investigate her path towards banditry and unlikely second act as a politician. 

Bonnie Parker dreamed of being famous, but she became infamous. When she wasn’t robbing banks, Bonnie struggled to maintain relationships with her family, and maintain a “ladylike” image. However, Bonnie’s crimes kept her on less-than-ladylike wanted posters and led her to a violent death. 

Since she was a little girl, Bonnie Parker dreamed of fame and fortune. And while she imagined life as a movie star, or a singer, she found an alternative way to make her dreams come true when she met Clyde Barrow. From stealing cars to robbing banks, Bonnie quickly became the most wanted woman in America for her role as half of the infamous criminal duo: Bonnie & Clyde. 

Formerly a Lucha Libra wrestler in Mexico City, Juana Barraza became a deceitful serial killer. Between 1998 and 2006, she won the trust of elderly women, who she then killed and robbed. Because police believed the murderer to be a man, Juana continued her deadly crimes without fear. By the time she was caught, she was suspected of claiming up to 48 victims. 

From 1999 to 2006, as many as 48 elderly women were murdered in Mexico City. We dive deep into Juana Barraza’s transition from Lucha Libre wrestler, “The Silent Lady”, to one of Mexico’s most infamous serial killers, “The Little Old Lady Killer”. 

Griselda Blanco was a Colombian drug lord who supplied cocaine to the United States in the 1970s and 80s. By the mid 1980s, she was moving roughly 2000 pounds of cocaine each month, and undergoing an intense rivalry with her former protege, Pablo Escobar. We dive into the life of the ruthless Cocaine Godmother and her reign as one of the bloodiest drug lords of her time. 

Griselda Blanco was born in Colombia on February 15, 1943. By age 11, Griselda committed her first of many murders. We follow her rise to becoming one of the first infamous leaders of the 1970’s drug trade. Between cold-blooded killing and drug overdoses, many died at the hands of the Cocaine Godmother. 

In espionage terms, honeytraps are the stuff of legend: a beautiful temptress so seductive that she can convince even the most cunning of men to reveal state secrets. But in the case of Shi Pei Pu and the affair known as M. Butterfly, seduction would turn to love, and a decades-long deception which would ultimately expose a very different kind of secret. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The beautiful Soviet seductress is a well-known figure of femme fatale lore. She's patriotic, irresistible, and deadly. But how much of that is true? Did the KGB really train women to seduce and kill men? Or were the "sparrows" just women desperate for a better life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A cunning puppetmaster, Catherine de Medici is most vividly remembered as a one-time queen of France who dispatched beautiful women in her court to manipulate the men of France. Except… that’s not really the case. But hidden in the spectacular legends lie kernels of truth about Catherine and her Flying Squadron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The term "femme fatale" conjures up noir vixens whose sole purpose is to bring the story's male hero to his knees. But sometimes, women behaving badly are just getting things done the only way society will allow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dracula wasn’t the only frightful fiction conjured by Irish author Bram Stoker… In this retelling of “The Judge’s House,” a Cambridge student is overcome with curiosity — then dread — as he faces an evil man’s terrifying legacy. Listen to Part 1 right here, then search “Haunted Places: Ghost Stories” to hear Part 2, when the Judge himself comes calling…  Haunted Places: Ghost Stories is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Every Thursday, find a new tale of terror from some of history’s greatest authors. Listen free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the aftermath of her elaborate bank-robbery-gone-wrong, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong had to resort to every tactic up her sleeve to avoid going to jail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intelligent and unstable, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong always had a way with men. But they never seemed to live for long. Nobody connected her to their deaths — until she roped an innocent hostage into an elaborate bank heist, and forced him to wear a collar bomb.  

In 1936, Abe Sada was so in love — and lust — she committed a gruesome crime. The case scandalized all of Japan. When she was finally caught, Abe was resolved to meet her fate. But then she was thrown a twist nobody saw coming.

As a young woman in 1920s Tokyo, Abe Sada dreamed of becoming a geisha… but settled for sex work. She began a heated affair with a married man. When his wife threatened their happiness, Abe decided she wouldn’t let him go. Even if it meant losing him forever.

The unceasing stream of deaths in Castle Cachtice did not go unnoticed, but priests and concerned parents alike were powerless to intervene. When the Countess set a new trap to lure more girls, she unwittingly began the end of her torturous reign. 

Real-life vampire or expert sadist? Elizabeth Báthory was allegedly responsible for killing hundreds of young women in 16th century Hungary. Her story is steeped in the kind of hearsay and legend befitting a cruel, untouchable noblewoman.

Called one of the most dangerous anarchists in the country, Emma Goldman was deported back to Soviet Russia in 1919. Ostracized from her peers and the movement she helped progress, Goldman found new ways to advance anarchist causes until her death at 70. 

At the turn of the 20th century, a Russian immigrant spent decades supporting the anarchist cause in America — plotting an assassination, publishing a magazine, and lecturing on everything from freedom of speech to prison reform to birth control. 

In the aftermath of 17-year-old Missy Avila’s murder, a killer moved into the Avila family home, a witness stepped forward after three years, and Missy’s Law was passed in California. 

A revenge plot turned deadly in 1985 after two teenage girls unleashed their jealous rage on their former friend, Missy Avila.

After luring their friend Payton Leutner into the woods in May 2014, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser stabbed her 19 times — all in the name of Slender Man, a horror character that had materialized on the Internet.

A made-up bogeyman went viral in 2009, inspiring low-budget web series, video games and fanfiction. The Slender Man was pure invention, but he seemed all too real to two Wisconsin girls. And in 2014, they set out to prove their devotion to him. 

Today we’re bringing you a special two-part episode from another Spotify Original from Parcast. If you enjoy these episodes, check out Medical Murders on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!  She became the most sought after nurse in eastern Massachusetts. But “Jolly Jane” Toppan preyed on the sickly and poisoned unsuspecting patients. And when pressed for a sizable debt, she embarked on a killing spree that decimated a family. 

Today we’re bringing you a special two-part episode from another Spotify Original from Parcast. If you enjoy these episodes, check out Medical Murders on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!  She became the most sought after nurse in eastern Massachusetts. But “Jolly Jane” Toppan preyed on the sickly and poisoned unsuspecting patients. And when pressed for a sizable debt, she embarked on a killing spree that decimated a family.

Every Wednesday, meet us at the intersection of chaos and fate… We’re unveiling the backstories and hidden lessons inside superstitions from around the world, and telling the stories of those who dare to defy them. Are these eerie codes of conduct simply about exerting control in an unpredictable world? Or can we truly sway supernatural forces to work in our favor? Enjoy this exclusive clip from our episode on black cats. Then search Superstitions to find more episodes, free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode!  Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Belle Gunness, who murdered husbands, suitors, and even children for financial gain...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune in every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’ll meet Blanche Taylor Moore, the middle-aged churchgoer convicted of poisoning her boyfriend in 1986...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Uloma Curry-Walker, a woman from Cleveland, Ohio who hired hitmen to kill her firefighter husband.

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Lynn Turner. She lost both her husbands to a mysterious, debilitating sickness...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Martha Needle, who discovered early on in life that an arsenic product called “Rough on Rats!” also had a deadly effect on people...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Susan Lee Russo. This wife and mother of two manipulated two men into shooting her husband so she could collect a sizable payout...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Tillie Klimek. In addition to murdering three husbands, Tillie is also believed to have killed acquaintances, a couple relatives, and one or two puppies...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune in every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’ll meet Margaret Rudin, the antiques dealer accused of shooting and killing her husband in December 1994...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Sharon Nelson, a former pastor’s wife who raked in $400,000 in life insurance payments after the deaths of her second and third husbands...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Louisa Collins. In 1888, Collins was found guilty of murdering her second husband with rat poison. She’d previously stood trial for murder three times...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Betty Neumar. While she was never officially convicted of any murders, the marital mayhem that followed her for fifty years has led some to call her the Black Widow Granny...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’ll meet the “Black Widows of Liverpool,” a pair of sisters who poisoned lodgers and family members to collect insurance money...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’ll meet Denise Williams—a Florida wife turned murder conspirator. On December 6th, 2000, she colluded with her secret lover to bump off her husband during a fishing trip...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune in every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Nannie Doss. Dubbed the “Giggling Granny” or the “Lonely Hearts Killer,” Nannie was a jovial Southern grandmother who’d been widowed four times over. But after her fifth groom dropped dead, the real cause would be discovered...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Griselda Blanco, the “Black Widow of Columbia.” Though you might know her under a different moniker: The Cocaine Godmother...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Patricia Dagorn. Known as the “Black Widow of the Riviera,” Dagorn targeted older men through manipulation and sexual favors, creeping her way into their lives, and often, their wills...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Lyda Southard, also known as Lyda Trueblood, a serial widow who used illness to disguise her crimes...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Stacey Castor. She appeared to be a resilient single mother, grieving the death of not one but two husbands. But when one detective suspected foul play in the death of David Castor, her poisonous true nature finally came to light...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Elfriede Blauensteiner. Dubbed “Austria’s Black Widow,” Blauensteiner is believed to have killed over ten people with poison...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune in every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Mary Ann Cotton, who repeatedly married and then killed her family, collecting their insurance money...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Betty Lou Beets. Betty was dubbed a “Black Widow” when police uncovered her fourth and fifth husbands’ dead bodies buried side by side...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Melissa Ann Shepard, otherwise known as the “Internet Black Widow.” Using an online dating profile, she lured multiple men into her web. Once they were trapped, Melissa made sure they couldn’t escape...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Judy Buenoano. She earned the nickname the “Black Widow” after murdering a number of boyfriends and close family members to cash in on their life insurance...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Chisako Kakehi, also known as “The Poison Lady.” For at least 10 years, Kakehi targeted wealthy older men. After winning their affection, she poisoned them and collected their life insurance...

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune every day this month for a new episode! Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Narcy Novack. In 2009, her marriage to Florida millionaire Ben Novack Jr. ended in what most people would label a tragedy…

This episode is part of our “Black Widows” series, where we detail how these female criminals lured their prey, and why they chose to kill. Tune in every day this month for a new episode!  Regular Female Criminals episodes will continue to run every Wednesday. Today, we’re discussing Mary Elizabeth Wilson. Dubbed the “Merry Widow of Windy Nook,” Mary’s lovers had a strange habit of suddenly dropping dead...

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we’re discussing cases in which a criminal tortured their victim. What would compel someone to torture another person, and what are the lasting effects on a victim who was tortured? Clips featured: Female Criminals: Gertrude Banisewski Pt. 1, Serial Killers: David Parker Ray Pt. 2, Hostage: Colleen Stan Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we’ll focus on wealthy criminals. We’ll discuss what leads high-status individuals to commit crimes, as well as the consequences they face once captured. Clips featured: Kingpins: Pablo Escobar Pt. 1, Con Artists: Bernie Madoff Pt. 1, Female Criminals: Leona Helmsley Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. What makes someone so vengeful, they’re willing to take a human life? Using clips from across the Parcast Network, we’ll search for clues by taking a closer look at some of history’s most infamous revenge killings. Clips featured: Crimes of Passion: Marty and Michelle Theer Pt. 1, Female Criminals: Valerie Solanas Pt. 2, Assassinations: Phoolan Devi Pt. 1

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we’re discussing the deaths of American political figures. Whether their demise came at the hands of an assassin, or a political rival, the loss of each of these leaders left an indelible impact on U.S. history. Clips featured: Political Scandals: Election of 1800, Assassinations: Lincoln Pt. 2, Conspiracy Theories: JFK Assassination Pt. 1

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we’re discussing serial killers’ first murders. What did the murders look like and how does a killer’s modus operandi change after their first slaying? We'll hear clips from our shows across the Parcast Network, and dive deeper into their minds and methods. Clips featured: Clips featured: Today in True Crime: December 5, 2019: Boston Belfry’s First, Female Criminals: Mary Ann Cotton Pt. 1, Serial Killers: Elizabeth Wettlaufer Pt. 1

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we’re discussing the clues that criminals left behind and the ways in which the police used them to hunt down their suspect. These clues could be biological, such as DNA or fingerprints; or physical, such as a piece of clothing fiber left at the scene. Some were merely overlooked by the criminal—and some were intentionally left behind. Clips featured: Serial Killers: BTK Pt. 2, Unexplained Mysteries: Zodiac Killer Pt. 1, Espionage: Aldrich Ames Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we're discussing "M.O.s", or the "modus operandi" of murderers. We'll talk about the tactics killers use on their victims, and what those methods say about their psyches. Clips featured: Female Criminals: Marie Sukloff Pt. 2, Unsolved Murders/Kingpins: St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Pt. 1, Unexplained Mysteries: Jack the Ripper Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we’re exploring cases of indoctrination. We’ll discuss how cult leaders, secret societies, and kidnappers gain control of their victims and what makes individuals vulnerable to malicious manipulation. Clips featured: Cults: Alamo Christian Foundation Pt. 2, Secret Societies: The Triads Pt. 1, Hostage: Colleen Stand Pt. 1

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today, we're looking at some of the most fascinating criminal trials in history. We'll see how certain tactics used by attorneys influenced juries, changed outcomes, and provided some of the most unexpected legal twists and turns in recent memory. Clips featured: Crimes of Passion: Lorena Bobbitt Pt. 2, Female Criminals: Salem Witches Pt. 2, Not Guilty: Central Park Five Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we’re discussing cases of abduction, and examining some of the most infamous kidnappings throughout true crime history. We'll hear clips from our shows across the Parcast Network, and look at the different reasons why a criminal would carry out such a heinous act. Clips featured: Serial Killers: Ted Bundy Pt. 1, Female Criminals: Phoolan Devi Pt. 1, Hostage: Frank Sinatra Jr. Pt. 1

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we’re discussing cannibals and vampires. We’ll examine strange cases of predators who drink blood and feast on flesh, and delve into their unique psychology. Clips featured: Unsolved Murders: Atlas Vampire, Female Criminals: Tracey Wigginton, Serial Killers: Albert Fish Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we're looking into the crimes that affect wealthy victims. While we may assume the wealthy are most often the victims of crimes like robbery, in reality, the wealthy are less likely to be victimized than the poor. Why is this the case, and why do we find it so fascinating when the wealthy become the victims of illegal activities? Clips featured: Gone: Michael Rockefeller, Hostage: John Paul Getty III Pt. 2, Unexplained Mysteries: Alfred Lowenstein Pt. 2, Con Artists: Jeanne de la Motte Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. What motivates someone to assassinate a President, or their musical hero? Today we’re highlighting three notorious assassinations and the perpetrators behind them. Using clips from shows across the Parcast Network, we’ll see what motivated them to kill some of the most prominent figures in history, and explore the lasting impact of their crimes. Clips featured: Conspiracy Theories: Lincoln Assassination Pt. 1, Assassinations: John Lennon, Female Criminals: Phoolan Devi Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Stars—they’re just like us. So why are we so intrigued by celebrity death, and why is the intrigue amplified when the death is unexpected? Today we’re discussing those high-profile cases. We'll dive into clips from shows across the Parcast Network, including Conspiracy Theories, Unsolved Murders, and Not Guilty.  Clips featured: Conspiracy Theories: Marilyn Monroe Pt. 2, Unsolved Murders: Natalie Wood Pt. 1, Not Guilty: Robert Blake Pt. 1

On the last Sunday of every month, Parcast Rewind replays a classic episode of Female Criminals that you might have missed!  Dorothea Puente didn’t set out to become Sacramento’s most notorious female serial killer. But she did have a criminal streak that grew more sinister, culminating in the deaths of almost a dozen residents of the boarding house she ran. How was she able to evade detection from family members and social workers? And how did she get away with her first murder?

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we're exploring cases of unhealthy relationships and examining some of true crime's most notorious couples. We'll dive into clips from shows across the Parcast Network, and look at how the twisted—often abusive—dynamic between two criminals shapes the crimes they commit. Clips featured: Crimes of Passion: Bonnie and Clyde Pt. 1, Female Criminals: Phoolan Devi Pt. 1, Con Artists: Jeanne de la Motte Pt. 1, Cults: Eastern Lightning Pt. 1, Serial Killers: Carol M. Bundy Pt. 1

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we're taking a look at what some of the most infamous criminals in history have in common: a brutal childhood. As we dive into clips from shows across the Parcast Network, we'll explore how their early years of abuse, neglect, and trauma all shaped these individuals into notorious offenders.  Clips featured: Female Criminals: La Mataviejitas Pt. 1, Cults: Charles Manson Pt. 1, Serial Killers: Andrei Chikatilo Pt. 1

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we explore the unique and shocking cases when elders we expect to respect defy society and commit crimes in their old age. We'll dive into clips from shows across the Parcast Network, and discuss all the reasons a senior citizen may defy the norm and break the law. Clips featured: Con Artists: Bernie Madoff Pt. 2, Female Criminals & Serial Killers: Dorothea Puente Pt. 2, Kingpins: Griselda Blanco Pt. 3, Cults: The Brethren Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we're exploring those rare and hopeful instances where victims managed to break out of their captors' clutches and flee to freedom. We'll dive into clips from shows across the Parcast Network, and discuss all the ways in which a victim might escape and the psychological effects their traumatic experiences might have had on them. Clips featured: Female Criminals: Valerie Solanas Pt. 2, Crimes of Passion: Ming Sen Shiue Pt. 2, Cults: Worker’s Institute Pt. 2, Hostage: James Riley Pt. 2, Serial Killers: David Parker Ray Pt. 2

On the last Sunday of every month, Parcast Rewind replays a classic episode of Female Criminals that you might have missed!  Anne Bonny and her lover Calico Jack Rackham tore through the Caribbean together from 1718 to 1720, plundering loot from smaller ships.

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we're taking a closer look at women who subverted their maternal expectations to lead a life of crime. We'll analyze these instances with clips from shows across the Parcast Network, and discuss the different ways these mothers misbehaved.  Clips featured: The Dark Side Of: Stage Mother, Con Artists: Sante Kimes Pt. 2, Serial Killers: The Giggling Granny Pt. 1, Female Criminals: Torture Mother Pt. 2

In addition to new episodes of Female Criminals each week, you’ll now also hear Crime Bites every Friday. Each Crime Bites episode gives you a deeper, yet brief look into true-crime topics covered at Parcast. Today we explore the idea of Psychological Manipulation—the tactics criminals use to deceive, coerce, and exert control over their victims. We'll dive into clips from shows across the Parcast Network, and discuss how these methods work, and most importantly, their dangerous consequences.

From the team behind hit podcasts Serial Killers and Cults, Female Criminals gets into the minds of women who live outside the law. Every Wednesday, we examine the psychology, motivations, and atrocities of female felons. Female Criminals premieres March 21st and new episodes will release every Wednesday.