Orphaned as a six-year-old in the late 1920s, Jean-Bédel Bokassa eventually found stability and prestige in the French Army. When he finally returned home to the newly established Central African Republic, he used his military career and family connections to secure power. Government officials grew to fear him—but unfortunately for them, Bokassa struck first ... Show More
Nov 2022
Thanksgiving Special: Just Add Arsenic
Over the ages, arsenic has had many lives — beauty fad, household product, medical prescription… and weapon of choice wielded by killers everywhere from Alabama to ancient Rome. Brine your turkey, knead your dough, and listen to our Thanksgiving Special on the regime-changing, as ... Show More
42m 41s
Nov 2022
Famous Revolutionaries: Maximilien Robespierre Pt. 2
In 1791, France adopted a new constitution, placing power in the hands of the people. Robespierre’s job was done... or so he thought. War was coming, and with it, the growing threat of enemies both internal and external. In his quest to squash the counter-revolution, Robespierre ... Show More
46m 37s
Apr 2019
“Terminator” Pt. 2 - Anatoly Onoprienko
By 1996, he settled down in a small village in Ukraine with his girlfriend, and was a loving father-in-law to her children. But the voices in Anatoly Onoprienko’s head would not let him rest. His ruthless, random violence launched the largest manhunt in Ukranian history--and even ... Show More
45m 23s
Mar 2021
“The Lipstick Killer” William George Heirens Pt. 1
Growing up in a family that didn’t have a lot of money, William Heirens turned to burglary to ease his economic anxiety. It became a compulsion he couldn’t control, and got him into trouble with the law in the early 1940s. Then, one day, it changed his life forever. Learn more ab ... Show More
43m 13s
Dec 2022
Causes of WW1 – Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
We did it folks. We’re finally here.
On today’s episode, we discuss the build up to the “shot heard round the world”.
We take a look at the political situation in Bosnia, how it connected to secret Serbian nationalist societies, and dive into the back stories of both Franz Ferdin ... Show More
2h 2m
Sep 2020
“Lord High Executioner” Pt. 2: Albert Anastasia
During the 1930s, Albert Anastasia was the leader of Murder Inc., the mafia’s crew of contract killers. But after World War II, he shot his way to the top to become the boss of one of New York’s Five Families. Unfortunately for him, the Feds were more determined than ever to keep ... Show More
45m 4s
Aug 2020
“Prince Prosperous” Pt. 1: Khun Sa
By the early 1950s, the teenaged Khun Sa was already a militia leader in war-torn northeast Burma (present-day Myanmar). Over the next decade, his power as a warlord only increased. When the Burmese government came to him with an offer of allyship, he set himself up to become the ... Show More
39m 45s