Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows... you may be our next guest. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)
Welp, here we go again. The girls and the ginger return, and in the most Killing Time fashion ever, proceed to go on about 100 tangents before we get to our favorite new segment, Today I Learned! Our listener submission today is a fun fact about strawberries! Then! Angler fish reproduction, Five Guys fries, and bird flu! What a time to be alive!
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
On December 11th, 1978, a 15-year-old boy disappeared after finishing work at a drugstore in Des Plaines, Illinois. Law enforcement was soon on the case and two days later, a search warrant was executed at a family home in the suburbs. But what investigators uncover in the coming weeks and months is beyond their wildest and most grotesque nightmares, as the public is left aghast when one of the country’s most infamous and prolific serial killers is exposed. Someone who killed not just Robert Jerome Piest, but at least 32 other boys and young men. Including 18-year-old Matthew Bowman, the uncle of Megan, one of two First Degree sources interviewed for these episodes. In part 2, a new voice joins the conversation in the form of attorney and author Karen Conti, who represented Gacy in his final death penalty appeal and wrote a book about her experience.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
Here we go again! The girls and the ginger return for another week of who honestly knows anymore. This tangent-filled episode takes so many twists and turns it’s hard to remember where we started. But one thing remains: this week, you will LEARN! With us! Today I Learned is back, and we’re taking another listener submission about snails! Then! The rejection hotline, horseshoe crabs, and Bill Nye! Let’s go!
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
In the spring of 1977, 18-year-old Matthew Bowman mysteriously disappeared from a suburban Chicago neighborhood. Matthew’s family immediately knew something horrible had happened, yet he was dismissed as a runaway by local police. Soon the arrest of serial killer John Wayne Gacy and the horrors found in the crawlspace under his house made the news. It was only then that Matthew’s family learned what happened to him. In speaking with members of Matthew’s family, this episode demonstrates how the loss of Matthew at the hands of John Wayne Gacy still reverberates today.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
Welcome back for another thrilling episode of Killing Time! This week the girls and the ginger are opening up the phone lines for another installment of Today I Learned! Our caller brings another Roald Dahl fact that will definitely surprise you. Then! Nostrils, doorstoppers, and IOS flight tracking. Lots to learn! Plus! Another update on the LISK investigation from who else but our very own Alexis Linkletter!
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
On February 10, 2002, authorities announce that they have finally determined the manner of Andrew Wieman’s death, and it comes as a surprise to everyone. Instead of bringing much needed answers, the determination only raises more questions for Andrew’s family and friends. Even after 20 plus years, these questions linger without answers, and the concerns continue to weigh heavily on their hearts. In episode 297, Jac and Alexis detail how authorities arrived at their determination, as well as the emotional impact it had on the family.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
Welcome back for another episode of Killing Time! This week the girls and the ginger are reaching into some current topics including an update on the LISK case, Gypsy Rose, and more! Today on Today I Learned: A bizarre autopsy, schizophrenia in blind people, the origin of the Guinness Book of World Records, and a listener submitted famous last words!
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
On January 4, 2001, a 20-year-old college student is found dead in his fraternity dorm room on the UC Davis campus. He has suffered 29 stab wounds, two of which are fatal. When authorities look around the room, they find evidence of a possible struggle. But there’s also a piece of paper that appears to be a suicide note. Right away, the campus police rule his death as a suicide. However, the coroner’s office finds the circumstances suspicious and orders a full investigation. Over the following months, authorities struggle to reach a consensus on the circumstances surrounding the student's death. In episode 296, Jac and Alexis break down the investigation into the death of Andrew Wieman, and his family’s fight for answers along the way.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
This week the girls and the ginger are back for another half-fact-filled episode of Killing Time! In what might be our most intelligent sounding episode, we’re talking about deep ocean aliens, Einstein, space, and so much more that we know nothing about! Then! Today I Learned! We’re talking OJ, Tongues, Eclipses, and a Firstie calls in with another Roald Dahl fact!
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
On November 2, 2001, a 40-year-old woman is viciously bludgeoned and strangled to death inside her apartment in San Diego, California. Family, friends, and neighbors of the mother of one and passionate advocate for those living with Alagille Syndrome, are stunned and heartbroken, especially her teen daughter. While the killer is quickly apprehended, this doesn’t lessen the pain when his identity is revealed. If anything, it highlights the tragedy of the victim’s loss and only leads to more questions about the disturbing details of her death, with those left behind mourning the passing of someone who still had so much to give. In episode 295, Jac and Alexis detail the sickening murder of Julie Kelin at the hands of Gabriel John Bradway, the dangers of obsession, and why the safest place for perpetrators of such crimes who fail to respect other’s boundaries in such a malicious way is behind bars.
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
This week the girls and the ginger return and we’re killing time in epic fashion! Jac has some spelling struggles, Lex has safety tips, and Jer has frog facts! Today I learned returns! Then! We’re revisiting our new favorite segment “Chat in the Hat” for some topical tangents! Join us!
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:
❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889
💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889
🤝 Advice: [email protected]
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