When you're in prison, there's not much to do. Some people read; some learn a trade; and one guy made tens of thousands of dollars!

Then, we revisit the Cecil and a case we mentioned previously. It's tragic, and it's unsolved. But it's also full of fascinating details!

Bonus: Diana *might* end up on next week's episode, and we chat about the cutest animal you've never heard of!

Close your eyes and picture the craziest crime story?

Do you picture the "Crime for Dummies" version? Everything cliche and sterotypical? Like someone sat down and asked themselves "what would a criminal do" and then did just that? (no one would do that. That's Crazy).

Or is it more like a crime story that might have been made up by a couple of high-as-balls 12-year-olds asked to write a crime story for their creative writing class?

No, we didn't reuse last week's episode. It's just that we actually found ANOTHER couple stories with things like Australia, eggplant, pigeons...

Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to save your loved one some turkey!

Undeclared eggplant, vitamin bottles of eggs, tortoises in pants and cockatiels in bottles, impossible murders, and all kinds of sh***y facts! This is a weird one!

Smuggling Case:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/4445669/Man-caught-smuggling-pigeons-in-his-trousers.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/feb/03/pigeon-trousers-customs-australia-dubai

Tortoises:

https://nypost.com/2016/04/12/man-who-tried-smuggling-51-turtles-in-his-pants-gets-5-years-in-prison/

A wife goes missing - for decades. Who is the most obvious suspect? Could it be the man who never really reported her missing? (CALL. YOUR. PEOPLE!)

A husband is murdered, and his body desecrated in a terribly upsetting way. Who should be questioned first?

This month we're replaying some favorites and where better to start than with the first time we ever met Diana!?

"I swear I haven't murdered Jordan and taken her body to the middle of the ocean and chopped her into small, edible pieces for all manner of sea li- You know what? That's a lot of detail. 

No, this week, I have replaced Jordan (who wanted a massage instead of a snowstorm) with your special thank-you-for-being-patient-with-a-late-episode surprise: DIANA (who is apparently cool with snow, and scheduled her massage for later in the week)!

Diana puts Jordan and me to shame with a thesis, a library book, and typed, color-coded notes, as well as an awesome story of murder, kidnapping, bank robbery, and surprisingly-good music!

Then we learn about ectrodactyly, the circus, and a murderous family!"

Our last Crime Cozy of the season features a stranger abduction, which you’ll be relieved to know hardly EVER happens. We end the month with some great cozy and a really adorable fact of the week. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kelsey_Smith

Kidnapped children make headlines, but abduction is rare in U.S.

And don’t forget! If you want to help other victims of sexual assault, please consider a donation to End the Backlog (www.endthebacklog.org).  This organizations goal is to eliminate the existing backlog of untested rape kits across the United States and prevent a backlog from ever happening again through several major initiatives, including legislative campaigns, federal advocacy, accountability and transparency, training and technical assistance, education and awareness, and research.   

Sexual assault is FAR to common and underreported, although it is true that you’re much less likely to be assaulted by a stranger, which may bring you a little cozy. This week, we explore the case of a serial rapist who got himself caught in the most ridiculous way and talk about resources for victims.

https://thehollywoodunlocked.com/serial-rapist-caught-after-joining-police-department/

https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/serial-rape-suspect-kenneth-thomas-bowen-iii-was-police-recruit-in-clayton-county

https://www.news-daily.com/news/clayton-serial-rape-suspect-denied-bond-back-in-court-sept/article_1ea4fc9e-ce5b-11e9-86e0-e3465c5ef2a1.html

https://www.livescience.com/63092-butterflies-drink-turtle-tears.html

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

https://www.rainn.org/safety-prevention

If you want to help other victims of sexual assault, please consider a donation to End the Backlog (www.endthebacklog.org).  This organizations goal is to eliminate the existing backlog of untested rape kits across the United States and prevent a backlog from ever happening again through several major initiatives, including legislative campaigns, federal advocacy, accountability and transparency, training and technical assistance, education and awareness, and research.   

If you’re walking at night, especially if you’re a woman, I bet you carry your keys a specific way. I bet your phone is near your hand. I bet you’re extra alert when rounding corners or turning down dark streets. After all, there’s almost certainly a mugger right around that bend!

Or is there?

This week we talk about muggings, how common they are, and what you can do to protect yourself. 

Resources:

https://nypost.com/2019/07/22/baltimores-new-deputy-police-commissioner-gets-mugged-at-gunpoint/

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-robbery-arrest-20190726-bccgfwcepbgrph5tky7bghp4v4-story.html

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-deputy-commissioner-robbery-arrest-20190802-sfeajv4txjc3dktmb2e5ddivs4-story.html

https://www.today.com/news/how-avoid-getting-mugged-veteran-thief-tells-all-t108927

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/03/5-facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/robbery

It’s time for sweaters, pumpkin spice candles, and a crackling fire. It’s Crime Cozy!

Our first episode focuses on stalking, because who isn’t worried that an angry ex or obsessed superfan is secretly watching your every move, waiting for the right moment to strike?! 

But don’t worry. Crime Cozy means we’ll also be (trying to) comfort you with some stats and helpful tips to protect yourself. 

Resources:

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-newly-discovered-species-of-electric-eel-packs-a-record-breaking-shock

https://www.newsweek.com/police-fined-19-year-old-wasting-their-time-stalking-complaints-then-she-was-1392114

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shana_Grice#Stalking

Wikipedia: Stalking

Bureau of Justice Statistics:  Stalking 

VictimsofCrime.org:  Stalking Statistics and Data  (One pager here)

In our last pre-Crime Cozy episode of the season, we continue the thread of DNA evidence found at crime scenes, but like the Colonial Parkway Murders, DNA evidence is only useful if you actually test it…

 Resources:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/a-reasonable-doubt/480747/

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/a-dna-company-wants-your-dna-to-catch-criminals/586120/

https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/suspect-identified-1981-cold-case-jeannie-moore/73-50e08b29-a417-456d-aeb4-e434bdfe6189

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/who-killed-jeannie-moore-authorities-solve-38-year-old-jefferson-county-cold-case-murder-of-teen