“Granny Evil” Pt. 1: Kath Pettingill

By the 1850s, Los Angeles was one of the most dangerous places to live in the West. Extrajudicial killings, unchecked racial violence, and vigilante groups like the Los Angeles Rangers prevailed. This “Wild West” culture seeped into and was propagated by the Sheriff’s Department ... Show More

The community of Lennox in Los Angeles is just one square mile, but it has an enormous problem. Alongside violent gang activity, there’s a secret organization adding terror to the neighborhood. Their symbol? The Grim Reaper. Their ranks? Los Angeles sheriff's deputies. Learn more ... Show More

Deputy gangs have been embedded in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department since 1971. In the first of our five-part collaboration with Parcast series Secret Societies, we delve into the earliest of these violent gangs that shaped the current culture within the LASD. Learn more abou ... Show More

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 mo ... Show More

After a botched burglary led to the murder of 64-year-old Mabel Monahan in Burbank, California, an anonymous tipster gave police their first big break in the case. But was 29-year-old Barbara Graham pinned for a crime she never committed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p ... Show More

In 1990, after a decade of abuse at her father’s hands—and a devastating incident involving her younger sister—18-year-old Stacey Lannert reached a tipping point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

In the summer of 1980, Carol Bundy helped Douglas Clark sexually assault a young girl and murder over a half-dozen women. Her extreme desire to please Clark evolved into a murderous partnership, and finally a killer in her own right.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca ... Show More

In 1982, Sharon Nelson's brazen sexuality scandalized her tiny Colorado community. But soon, she wasn't just driving the local men wild—she was driving them to kill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

A revenge plot turned deadly in 1985 after two teenage girls unleashed their jealous rage on their former friend, Missy Avila. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

After a disastrous break-up with a rich older man in 1989, 22-year-old Heidi Fleiss wasn’t ready to give up the luxuries she's grown accustomed to. Instead, she joined the underground world of high-class Los Angeles escorts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices. ... Show More

In 1955, a wealthy race car driver was gunned down outside a bar in London. Passersby were shocked to see a petite, picturesque woman standing over his corpse with the smoking gun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

When one of the most famous entertainers in America couldn’t find another good role, she wrote one for herself. The result was a play titled “Sex,” and it became a Broadway smash in 1926 — but moral reformers couldn’t handle its heat, and took drastic action. Learn more about you ... Show More