The First Degree

Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek
  • 4.7 (188)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The First Degree

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!)

  1. 1 HR AGO

    DEEP DIVE: MEGAN FOX & THE BLACK GOO

    Another day, another deep dive! This week Jac & Lex dive into the latest Diddy updates, including a bombshell story about Diddy sacrificing a dove in the middle of Central Park just minutes before his acquittal of the 1999 nightclub shooing??? WTF? We also chat through the latest bizarre celeb news of the week: Megan Fox’s black goo pregnancy announcement, an Ariana Grande only fans impersonator, and Jay Leno “falling down a cliff”. It was quite the week.

    41 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Episode 326: Lonene "Lonnie" Rogers

    In the early hours of January 7, 1981, a 29-year-old vibrant young mother of two vanishes from her home in Hayfield Township, Pennsylvania, during a blizzard. All of her belongings—including her wallet, car, glasses, and hearing aids—are left behind in a home that is disturbingly spotless. When questioned, the woman’s husband claims she left in the middle of the night after an argument. Yet despite these claims, the mother is never found, leaving her children with haunting questions about what truly happened that fateful night. In episode 326, Jac and Alexis dive into the tragic disappearance of Lonene “Lonnie” Rogers and her daughter Alison's decades-long quest for the truth.

    1 hr

  3. 14 NOV

    DEEP DIVE: SATANIC FASHION

    Today we’ve got so much more than tinfoil hats for you. All hats are encouraged on this special DIDDY DEEP DIVE x FASHION crossover episode. With such strong ties between the worlds of music and fashion, we had to investigate. We’re talking all about Hollywood’s high priestess and her husband, Rick Owens AKA the “Lord of Darkness.” We’re talking the satanic Balenciaga scandal and the celebrities who support them anyway. And you may notice that some of these same celebrities with elusive ties to the dark world of fashion are the same ones with ties to Diddy. BUCKLE UP.

    50 min

  4. 13 NOV

    Episode 325: Lana Clarkson & Phil Spector, Part 2

    In part 2 of our coverage of the Lana Turner case, Jac and Alexis conclude with a deep dive into the frenzied trial. Phil Spector finally went to court for the murder of Lana Clarkson in 2007, almost 4 years after her senseless death. Under the pervasive glare of the media, it would take six years and two jury trials, both lasting for months at a time, for the case to be adjudicated. Yet questions still linger for Lana’s best friend, Pie McLaughlin.

    37 min

  5. 7 NOV

    DEEP DIVE: DIDDY, PART 7

    We’re drowning in the deep end for week 7 of our Diddy deep dive! We bring you the latest updates including who the hell is Courtney Burgess and why is HE the one with all of the freak off tapes, what was on diddys NDA agreements, and did Kanye sacrifice his mother to the devil? Plus we rage about Peanut the squirrels murder

    45 min

  6. 6 NOV

    Episode 324: Lana Clarkson & Phil Spector, Part 1

    In the early morning hours of February 3, 2003, actress Lana Clarkson left the Los Angeles venue, the House of Blues, with famed music producer, Phil Spector. Within hours, she would be dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. Under the cloud of “celebrity justice” and the perception that celebrities in Los Angeles were not held to the same law and standards as the general public, the LA County District Attorney’s office was determined to get a conviction. With endless funds available and access to the best experts and attorneys in the world, Spector fought back. In part 1 of this 2 parter, Jac and Alexis delve into the sad circumstances of Lana Clarkson’s death, and bizarre lead up to the high profile trial.

    52 min

  7. 31 OCT

    DEEP DIVE: DIDDY, PART 6

    The dives just keep getting deeper. This week we bring you the latest updates for everything Diddy: Jamie Foxx’s claims that Diddy poisoned him last year, Diddy’s sons trying to fight Ray J at a Halloween party over the weekend, and Suge Knight’s bombshell claims from his jailhouse podcast. Plus put your tin foil hats on for the wildest blind item involving Tom Cruise and a…fish????

    50 min

  8. 30 OCT

    Episode 323: TFD Investigates: Ashley Ellerin Updates

    23 years after fashion student Ashley Ellerin's life was senselessly taken, new questions emerge that call into question whether the suspect could have been stopped before more lives were lost. Was a lie told by actor Ashton Kutcher the reason Michael Garguilo remained free to kill again? Was incompetence at the hands of Cook County Illinois law enforcement to blame? Or were there TWO missed opportunities to stop this monster? In today's special investigative episode, Jac and Alexis pour over all the details, and most importantly, punctuate the real issue at the heart of the matter, a society apathetic to violence against women.

    47 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
188 Ratings

About

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!)

Information

  • Creator
    Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    525
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alexis Linkletter and Jac Vanek
  • Show Website
    The First Degree

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