Our True Crime Podcast

Today, Cam and Jen are excited to share a special episode from our friends at Fresh Hell, a historical true-crime podcast hosted by Annie in the United States and Johanna in Austria. The two are close friends who, despite years of collaboration, have never met in real life! We think you will really enjoy Fresh Hell, especially since its thoughtful storytelling is compelling. Annie and Johanna take time to explore the historical context behind each case, looking at the social, cultural, and psychological factors that shaped the events and the people involved. Their episodes are deeply researched and engaging, often focusing on lesser-known stories you might not hear elsewhere. Every Friday, Fresh Hell releases a new episode diving into stories of murder, mystery, and the macabre from throughout history. The episode you're about to hear is Part One of their series on Lizzie Halliday. Lizzie Halliday was a 19th-century American serial killer, sometimes referred to as America’s first female serial killer. Her crimes stunned people at the time, in part because she challenged many of the assumptions society held about women and violence. Her story brings up complex topics like mental illness, domestic abuse, and how institutions responded to dangerous individuals in the late 1800s. In this episode, Annie and Johanna introduce Lizzie’s background and the events that led up to the crimes that would make her infamous. It’s a fascinating and unsettling case, and a great example of the careful, human-centered storytelling Fresh Hell is known for. Be sure to go to your favorite podcast app and listen to Part 2 of Lizzie Halliday, and while you're there, make sure to subscribe to Fresh Hell Podcast. Jen and Cam will be back soon with more brand-new episodes for 2026! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It all began in November 1961, when Arthur Duperrault, a 40-year-old optometrist from Green Bay, Wisconsin, finally set out to give his family the adventure he had been dreaming of for years. Arthur had built a thriving practice specializing in contact lenses, a career that afforded him comfort and stability. But he wanted more than the routines of Midwestern life. What he craved was experience, something unforgettable for himself, for his wife Jean, and for their children: 14-year-old Brian,  11-year-old Terry Jo, and little René, just 7 years old. For years, Arthur had talked about escaping the bitter Wisconsin winters, of trading frost for sunlight and snow for turquoise waters. The Bahamas, in particular, held a special place in his memory. He had promised himself then that he would one day return with the family he dreamed of building. That promise became a plan, and over time, a quiet obsession. He saved steadily until, at last, the moment arrived. What was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime would end in murder, and more than a few questions, and only one person would be left to tell the tale.  Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Bluebell Betrayal: Terri Jo Duperrault.’ Listener discretion by Edward OctoberpodVHS @octoberpodVHS Music by our EP @theinkypawprint Sources:  https://www.vintag.es/2017/05/orphaned-on-ocean-unbelievable-story-of.html https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/219816524/ https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrhcaQGuk5pbccmIH1XNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzYEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1767976710/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.nydailynews.com%2f2021%2f08%2f01%2fjustice-story-mystery-of-little-girl-lost-at-sea-after-family-is-slaughtered-aboard-their-boat%2f/RK=2/RS=E4PyQI3FuG_cpl5FxHI0.P_8n1E- https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/219816524/ https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrihfPLuU5p7w0KH9NXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzQEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1767976652/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.msn.com%2fen-us%2ftv%2frecaps%2fsole-survivor-of-family-yacht-massacre-dubbed-the-sea-orphan-recounts-harrowing-ordeal%2far-AA1QqPv5/RK=2/RS=pp5.5u.YB3ABBwpQCMX2Lg.MDII- https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrhcaQGuk5pbccmHn1XNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzQEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1767976710/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.cbsnews.com%2fnews%2fbook-em-alone-orphaned-on-the-ocean%2f/RK=2/RS=LFc_O5uAZEGfVOOliG.CGWmsRqY- https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=AwrFNFbuuU5p8xgCGAX7w8QF;_ylu=c2VjA3NyBHNsawN2aWQEZ3BvcwMz?p=terry+jo+duperrault&vid=ccc8147ec2dfb63a8b497d5dae1dfc31&turl=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%2Fid%2FOVP.RS5vx3w7LkZG1V61MjIygwHgFo%3Fpid%3DApi%26h%3D360%26w%3D480%26c%3D7%26rs%3D1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dwm6_aQLN2C4&tit=Surviving+Alone+at+Sea%3A+%3Cb%3ETerry%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3EJo%3C%2Fb%3E+Dupperrault%26%2339%3Bs+Incredible+Story&c=2&sigr=HiVjSq0fRPdv&sigt=hK2aKYEUebpS&sigi=sp4TVRMIJpZQ&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av&h=360&w=480&l=892&age=1722152718&fr=mcafee&tt=b https://www.twincities.com/2010/05/30/alone-book-recounts-green-bay-girls-1961-ordeal-at-sea-and-life-after/ https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrihfPLuU5p7w0KGdNXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzMEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1767976652/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.mirror.co.uk%2fnews%2fworld-news%2fman-who-killed-family-left-36410942/RK=2/RS=t_eXudIGd.DitWnU0wDNGvShofA- Logan, Richard; Duperrault Fassbender, Tere Jo (2010). Alone: Orphaned on the Ocean. Wisconsin: Titletown Publishing. ISBN 978-0-982-72063-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40365158/jodailynews23-11-61/ https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/219816524/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 12th Nightmare Before Christmas… The Genesee River flows peacefully through Rochester today, but it still holds a dark memory from the late 1980s. Back then, it became the hunting ground of Arthur Shawcross. He had already served time for murder but was let out early, even though experts warned he was still dangerous. Soon after he arrived, a terrifying pattern emerged: people disappeared near the waterfront, only to be found later along the riverbanks, each death showing the work of a disturbed mind.  Join Cam and Jen as they discuss “Dark Waters: Arthur Shawcross.” Well, folks, we've finally made it to the end of our 8th Annual 12 Nightmares Before Christmas and the end of 2025. We're exhausted and definitely need therapy, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for spending another year with us. We’ve talked about more murders than any “normal” human should, and you’re still here, clicking play like champions. We appreciate every one of you who listens week after week. You are what keeps us going. We'll be back on January 14th, 2026, with more true crime cases. Until then, lock your doors, and keep passing those open windows! Have a safe and spectacular New Year. Love ya! Cam & Jen Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers/Music by @theinkypawprint Sources are available on ourtruecrimepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 11th Nightmare Before Christmas... On a sunny November morning in 1971, best friends Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson, both just 15, set out for a day of surfing near Galveston, Texas. The two girls were inseparable—bonded by their shared love of the beach, the waves, and the promise of youth. Maria, a newcomer to Galveston, had already endured a turbulent childhood. After her parents split, she bounced between homes and schools before settling into Ball High School. Shy but friendly, she quickly found her place. She loved water skiing, dated a local ski jumper, and spent her weekends at the beach. Debbie, by contrast, was a lifelong islander, what locals called a BOI (“born on the island”). With one brown eye and one blue-green eye, she stood out immediately. She was bold, competitive, and passionate about water sports, often making the local news for her water skiing competitions. Surfing was her favorite pastime, and her friends remembered her as fun, magnetic, and endlessly outgoing. That Sunday, November 14, they planned a short trip to Houston, just over an hour’s drive away, to spend the day exploring. Since neither girl had a car, they decided to hitchhike, a common and almost carefree practice in the early 1970s. Witnesses later reported seeing them outside a Baskin-Robbins near Stewart Beach, laughing and chatting as they bought ice cream. A white van pulled up to the curb. The driver asked where they were headed. “Houston,” one of the girls said. It was his route, he told them. They climbed in. They were never seen alive again. Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled: The Eleven Who Went To Heaven: Edward Bell." Thank you to our incredible team: Listener discretion by Edward October @octoberpodVHS. Executive Producer/Music by @theinkypawprint. Sources:  https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/tenth-court-of-appeals/1994/1036.html https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-1979-tx-edward-ha/37438275/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37438275/1979-tx-edward-harold-bell-convicted-of/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80125091/edward-bell/ https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/tv/2023/10/03/how-a-shirtless-matthew-mcconaughey-got-his-first-credit-on-unsolved-mysteries-in-1992/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5511750/the-waco-citizen/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82998028/ed-bell-69-exposure-to-13-year-old/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0737501/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80125009/edward-bell/ https://archive.today/20211228093122/https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2017/10/18/243184/investigators-think-they-know-who-killed-eleven-girls-around-galveston-in-the-1970s-2/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Harold_Bellhttps://archive.ph/20131014191511/http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Confessions-of-a-cold-blooded-killer-2187501.php#selection-4701.0-5149.1https://archive.ph/20190823045333/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-killer-s-death-leaves-unanswered-13783107.php Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 10th Nightmare Before Christmas… Palm Sunday is usually a day of hope and reflection, but in 1984,  East New York faced a horror it would never forget. Families were at home, children played, and neighbors went about their day, but inside 1080 Liberty Avenue, everything changed. Ten lives were lost in a single, shocking act of violence. The house was ordinary, the people inside were ordinary, yet by the end of the day, the community would never be the same. Join Cam and Jen as they discuss “Brookly Wept: The Palm Sunday Massacre.” Thank you to our incredible team: Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers/Music by @theinkypawprint   Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyf59N6MXpQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPyQkGsb4W4 https://archives.law.virginia.edu/dengrove/writeup/palm-sunday-massacre https://www.newspapers.com/image/488278617/?match=1&terms=Enrique%20Bermudez https://www.newspapers.com/image/488453267/?match=1&terms=Palm%20Sunday%20massacre   https://www.newspapers.com/image/704164853/?match=1&terms=Palm%20Sunday%20massacre  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices