logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
37m 5s

S1 Ep29: John Arthur Pender: The Pardone...

Amber Hunt and Audioboom
About this episode
The book The Man from the Train describes dozens of axe slayings in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many of which authors Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James believe were committed by what would be the nation's most prolific serial killer. But a 1911 double homicide near Scappoose, Oregon, doesn't fit the mold.

On Sept. 3, 1911, someone entered a cabin and fatally shot Daisy Wehrman and her 4-year-old son Harold. Authorities quickly zeroed in on John Arthur Pender, who was eventually convicted and sentenced to death. Doubts would swirl about his guilt, however, leading some to lobby for Pender's pardon.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from the Obsessed Network exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:
Up next
Oct 5
S5 Ep29: The Prophet of Kirtland, Part 1: The Birth of a Cult
In 1980s Ohio, Jeffrey Lundgren wasn’t just studying scripture — he was twisting it into something dangerous. To outsiders, he was a soft-spoken tour guide at a historic church site. But behind closed doors, Lundgren was preaching a radical new theology, gathering followers and s ... Show More
54m 42s
Sep 22
S5 Ep27: The Real Goodfellas Job
It was the score of all scores: a $6 million haul in cash and jewels lifted from JFK Airport in 1978. The headlines called it the Lufthansa heist; Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas turned it into legend. But the real story was messier: dozens of suspects, no recovered loot, and a trai ... Show More
52m 30s
Sep 15
S5 Ep26: The Massacre Texas Tried to Erase
In the piney woods of East Texas in 1910, a mob of white men stormed through the Black community of Slocum, murdering dozens — possibly hundreds — of unarmed residents. The killers faced almost no consequences, and the survivors were silenced by fear. Over a century later, even b ... Show More
49m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2022
199: Ted Kaczynski (The Unabomber) Part 2
On April 3rd, 1996, three men approached a secluded cabin in Lincoln, Montana. The owner, 53-year-old Ted Kaczynski opened the door and was quickly apprehended by the FBI. The agents celebrated the fact they’d finally caught him. They’d finally caught the Unabomber, the subject o ... Show More
48m 5s
Oct 2021
Episode 268: The Railroad Killer
As promised, we are talking today about the serial killer from Episode 266. In that episode, we focused on the only survivor of his crimes, Holly Dunn. Today, we take a walk through all of his crimes.  Throughout the 80's and 90's, Angel Maturino Resendiz was one of the most brut ... Show More
1h 13m
Jun 2021
81: Jeffrey MacDonald Part 1 -- White Rabbit
On a rainy night in 1970, Captain Jeffrey MacDonald, a surgeon and a Green Beret, made a frantic call for help. His wife and children had been brutally murdered. But was it an attack by crazed, drugged out hippies? Or did MacDonald kill his entire family? Case Art by Hannah Hill ... Show More
57m 25s
Apr 2022
Episode 311: Matthew Hoffman AKA The Leaf Killer
Matthew John Hoffman was a strange guy. He was in a constant flux of being a quiet, yet unassuming guy to then having bouts of strange and off-putting behavior. It was his love of trees that gave him comfort and seemed to keep him settled at times, but on November 9, 2010 he brok ... Show More
1h 20m
Mar 2022
Episode 310: The Wonderland Murders Part 2
Part two of the Wonderland murders has arrived! We open up with one of the most gruesome crime scenes in Hollywood's history and then go down a rabbit hole trying to figure out who exactly was involved and how each event led to the next. By the time we’re done two men will have b ... Show More
1h 4m
Apr 2024
Serial Killer Gerard Schaefer
Serving as a sheriff's deputy in Martin County, Florida, Gerard Schaefer led a double life, portraying himself as a dedicated officer while secretly engaging in gruesome acts. Schaefer was convicted of the first degree murders of two young women, Susan Place and Georgia Jessup. I ... Show More
1h 29m
Oct 2021
Episode 271: The Villisca Axe Murders Part 1
If you know true crime then you know The Villisca Axe Murders. In 1912 an entire family and two house guests were brutally killed in their sleep by a cold blooded beast. There have been a couple suspects over the years, but somehow this case remains officially unsolved. The detai ... Show More
1h 26m
Aug 2021
EP. 30 LOUISIANA - The Baton Rouge Serial Killer: Sean Vincent Gillis (WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC)
In the late 1990's and early 2000's, a brutal serial killer terrorized the community of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, murdering women at random and carving up their bodies for fun. The killer himself was a Star Trek nerd, an unassuming man with a girlfriend and a clean criminal record. ... Show More
1h 4m
Nov 2021
Episode 278: William Bonin "The Freeway Killer" Part 1
William Bonin, who was also known as the Freeway Killer, raped and killed potentially over 36 young boys throughout his reign of terror. William had a deplorable childhood: his mother was neglectful and abusive, his father was a raging alcoholic who gambled all the families money ... Show More
50m 29s