If there was any one thing that motivated Hymie Weiss it was revenge. 

Since the murder of his friend Dean O’Banion, he’d been the de facto boss of the North Side gang that Dean had founded, mostly because none of the rest of the guys had wanted to be in charge. They were content to have Hymie make the decisions and if they weren’t sure what to do, they voted on it.

And their lack of initiative probably came from the fact that they seemed less interested in making money and more interested in sabotaging the operations of Capone and his allies – and, if possible, wiping them out. Hymie and his men had wounded John Torrio and chased him out of Chicago. They’d attacked Capone twice, killed Angelo Genna, and wounded and murdered dozens of enemy gunmen. 

But Capone retaliated next. He marked Hymie and Vincent Drucci for death -- and then he tried again. And then Weiss nearly got Capone, and back and forth it went, until the streets of Chicago ran red with blood and one of the men ended up in the grave.

In 1997, 13-year-old John Ushman was found dead inside Room Five of the Southern View Motel in Springfield, Illinois. Authorities ruled that he died while playing Russian roulette with a stolen revolver.

But newly obtained police records reveal changing statements, hidden guns, a motel room reportedly wiped for fingerprints, and days of silence before John was finally found.

In this episode, American Dread reconstructs John’s final days and the troubling questions that still surround Room Five.

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This episode was written and produced by Adam White.

On August 5, 1994, Decatur Realtor Sherry Lewis left to show a home. She never came home. More than three decades later, her murder remains unsolved. In this special anniversary episode, American Dread revisits one of Central Illinois' most haunting cold cases and the ongoing search for justice. 

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This episode was written and produced by Adam White.

On the same day that the corpses of the last of the men who tried to revive the “Terrible Genna’s” operation was found, the Vice President of the United States, Charles Dawes, demanded that the U.S. Congress begin a federal investigation into the lawlessness that was occurring in the streets of Chicago...

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This episode was written by Troy Taylor

Produced and edited by Cody B

When it comes to music curses – and the Devil’s Music itself – there is no musician more closely linked to the supernatural than Robert Johnson, the legendary bluesman who allegedly sold his soul to the Devil at a crossroads in the Mississippi Delta for magical playing skills and a handful of tunes. Robert would go on to become the founding member of the sinister “27 Club” but that’s not the only curse that’s been linked to the young guitar player.

There’s also the so-called CROSSROADS’ BLUES CURSE.

The legend of the curse states that Robert, with his deal with the Devil, became the first victim of the song that he wrote and made famous. He died a horrible death after being murdered by a jealous husband – stabbed, shot, or poisoned, depending on the version of the story you hear – and was buried in an unmarked grave for decades.

But Robert Johnson was only the first victim of his own curse – he wouldn’t be the last.

On April 27, 1968, five children from the Cox family were murdered near their rural home outside Mattoon, Illinois. The killer was someone they knew and trusted: 18-year-old Thomas Charles Fuller II, who was dating their older sister. This is Five Little Birds: The Cox Family Murders. 

In May 1925, Angelo and Lucille found a home they liked in suburban Oak Park and began planning to move. On the morning of May 25, Angelo set out in his Roadster coupe to pay for the new house in cash. He drove south from Belmont Harbor on Sheridan Road and then turned southwest onto Ogden Avenue, which at that time extended to Lincoln Park. 

As he approached Hudson Avenue, a large black touring car carrying four unknown assailants sped up next to Genna's car. The passengers in the other car opened fire with shotguns, spraying Angelo’s car with pellets. Angelo swerved wildly and lost control. He slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. The auto screeched sideways and crashed into a light pole. The attackers gunned their engine and sped away, leaving Angelo battered and bleeding and slipping into unconsciousness. 

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This episode was written by Troy Taylor

Produced and edited by Cody Beck

In July of 1977, G. Ray Timmons left his Bloomington, Illinois home for a walk and never returned. Hours later, he was found murdered in a downtown alley off East Market Street, a cinder block had been placed on his neck and head. Nearly fifty years later, the most important hours of that night remain missing.

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This episode was written and produced by Adam White.

The murder of Dean O’Banion – followed by the near-miss on John Torrio – became the opening battles in what would become the longest and bloodiest gang war in Chicago history. This wasn’t just gangland maneuvering, Hymie Weiss’ thirst for revenge – it went beyond all that. The control of the entire Chicago underworld was at stake. 

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This episode was written by Troy Taylor

Produced and edited by Cody Beck

Two days before Halloween in 1987, 13-year-old Billie Lee Boyce was found behind a garage in Springfield, Illinois.

She had left home two nights earlier and said she would be back in about an hour. She never returned. Her body was discovered near East Melrose Avenue, and her clothing was later recovered under a bridge along Fox Road.

Police investigated. A suspect was arrested and charged. DNA testing was expected to help move the case forward. But the charges were dropped before trial, no one was ever convicted, and Billie’s murder remains unsolved.

In this episode of American Dread, Adam White takes a closer look at Billie’s last known walk, the evidence left behind, the case that nearly reached trial, and the family that spent decades waiting for answers.

This is The Last Walk: The Billie Lee Boyce Story.

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This episode was written and produced by Adam White.

Ghost stories recorded from friends and vendors at the 2026 Haunted America Conference.

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Produced and edited by Cody Beck