Female Criminals

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... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices