logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2020
1h 18m

Steven Ray Thacker

Emash Digital / Wondery
About this episode

Steven Ray Thacker had a fear of rejection and abandonment. He suffered quite a bit of it during his childhood. He turned to drugs and alcohol and racked up a long rap sheet by the time he was in his twenties. After one stint in prison, he met and fell in love with a woman who had two children. Thacker now had a ready made family and he craved their attention and approval. But, when he lost his job, and couldn't provide for them, he made a fateful decision that would lead him to commit three murders in three different states.

Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the life and crimes of Steven Ray Thacker. Thacker's killing spree began just before Christmas 1999 when he feared that he wouldn't be able to provide the Christmas that his family deserved. Was it the fear of rejection and abandonment of his new family that drove him to rob and commit murder? What part did his diagnosed mental illness, for which he refused to take his prescribed medication, play into his decision making?

You can help support the show at patreon.com/truecrimeallthetime

Visit the show's website at truecrimeallthetime.com for contact, merchandise, and donation information


An Emash Digital production

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Jul 7
Edward Cairney and Avril Jones
In the late ‘90s, Margaret Fleming was living under the care of Edward Cairney and Avril Jones, friends of her deceased father. In October 2016, the police launched an investigation when concerns were raised about a benefits claim made by Avril on Margaret’s behalf. Join Mike and ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 30
Nancy Brophy
Nancy Brophy is a former author who wrote romantic suspense novels. She once wrote an essay on how to get away with murder. When her husband was found murdered, Nancy quickly became the prime suspect.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss Nancy Brophy. Prosecutors believed she spent ... Show More
1h 9m
Jun 23
Stephen Marshall
In March and April 2009, a man’s dismembered remains were scattered across two counties in England. The “jigsaw man,” as the media called the victim, was identified as 49-year-old Jeffrey Howe. The main suspect was his roommate and “best friend,” Stephen Marshall. Join Mike and G ... Show More
58m 56s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
Murder on his Mind
In April 2005, Stephen Stanko murdered his girlfriend Laura Ling, and then raped and stabbed her daughter. Shortly afterwards, he killed a friend, Henry Turner. At his trial for Laura's murder, Stephen's lawyer called on medical experts who claimed that PET scan images of his bra ... Show More
48m 52s
Jan 2022
Fugitive who faked death nearly killed by Covid / Boy reported dead by mom found alone in motel
In this week's True Crime Daily Podcast: An American man accused of sex crimes in multiple states reportedly died from cancer in 2020. Now authorities say he faked his death and became an international fugitive, after he's caught in a Scottish hospital with a near-fatal case of C ... Show More
46m 53s
Dec 2023
104: Texas Missing Pregnant Teen and Boyfriend Found Dead - Capital Murder Investigation Underway
18-year-old Savanah Soto, a pregnant woman from Leon Valley, Texas, disappeared one day before she was scheduled to be induced. She was reported missing by her family on December 23rd, and was last seen on December 22. Her family said she is a week past her due date and police ha ... Show More
28m 59s
May 2024
Introducing: My Friend, the Serial Killer
What would you do if someone you knew turned out to be a serial killer? In the 1970s, Steve Fishman was an intern at his local newspaper, when one day he hitched a ride back from Boston with Robert Carr III, better known as “Red.” Red seemed trustworthy enough, but he was hiding ... Show More
2m 55s
May 2023
14: Bryan Kohberger & Chad Daybell Feat. Hidden True Crime
Reviewing the hidden motives behind Idaho’s unimaginable crimes with special guests John and Lauren Matthias. Dr. John is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist with twenty-five years of experience in both clinical and forensic work, and Lauren is a former investigative jo ... Show More
1h 39m
Jun 2024
TikTok killer convicted; Mom sentenced after daughter dies on Mountain Dew diet — TCD Sidebar
In this episode of True Crime Daily The Sidebar Podcast: Joshua Ritter breaks down the biggest cases making headlines across the nation. He discusses a husband on trial for murder more than a decade after the disappearance of his wife, the conviction of a former TikTok star for t ... Show More
24m 43s
Apr 2024
#485 - Adopting Murder - Cape St Claire, Maryland
This week, in Cape St Claire, Maryland, a couple tries to build a family, by adopting children, who come from rough beginnings, but when they are brutally killed, in their own home, the suspicion falls on the adopted teenage sons. Was it the one who they kicked out of the house, ... Show More
2h 48m
May 2022
#283 - STM Express - Frying The Gambler - Hammond, Indiana
This week, in Hammond, Indiana, a whole family agrees that Dad is a problem,, and they need to do something about it. With the help of the felon son in law, they hatch several plans, and even attempt to carry them out, with each being more ridiculous, and prone to failure. Finall ... Show More
1h 3m