On a January night in 1995, 18-year-old Christa Pike and two other teenagers lured 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer to a secluded area near the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. They taunted, beat, and slashed Colleen, carving a pentagram into her chest, before Christa picked up a piece of concrete and smashed Colleen’s skull, killing her. Those salacious details stood out during a national Satanic Panic over ritual abuse and suburban cults. The Knoxville News Sentinel later accused Christa of killing “for love and Satan.” She was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death by electrocution—one of the youngest women ever to be sentenced to death in the United States. Thirty years later, Christa is still alive, incarcerated at a Nashville prison and the only woman on death row in Tennessee. She has spent much of her adult life in solitary confinement. In the decades since the murder, evolving understanding about brain science and trauma have cast Christa’s wildly violent act—and death sentence—in a new light. We now know that the brain of an 18-year-old remains underdeveloped and impulsive. Christa has a horrific history of abuse, violence, and family neglect; the first time she attempted suicide, she was 9 years old. That kind of trauma can arrest healthy development, leading some young adults down a disastrous path. As Christa approaches her final appeals, a team of state and federal defenders are urgently trying to save Christa’s life. Her date of execution could be set any time. If executed, she will be the first woman killed by Tennessee in almost 200 years. Should a woman who committed a violent crime as a damaged teenager be granted a chance at rehabilitation? And is justice best served through retribution or mercy?
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CRÍMENES REALES
The Turning: River Road (Season 3) is about Lindsay Tornambe who at 13 years old, was chosen by the leader of her family’s cult for a special role. She became one of the youngest Maidens of River Road Fellowship in rural Minnesota. After a ritualistic ceremony that married her and other girls to their leader, she endured more than a decade of mental and physical abuse, hidden from outsiders. But Lindsay and a friend decided to escape. They became the whistleblowers who prompted an international manhunt in 2014. It would bring the entire cult crumbling to the ground. A ten-part series from Rococo Punch and iHeartPodcasts. The Turning: River Road is part of the iHeart True Crime+ Apple Podcasts Channel—and this summer, we’re offering a 30-day free trial! Get early access, 100% ad-free listening, and exclusive bonus content. Available for a limited time. Open Apple Podcasts, search “iHeart True Crime+,” and subscribe today.
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DOCUMENTALES
What Happened to Sandy Beal investigates the violent death of a young woman who dreamed of a career in law enforcement. The search for answers leads to accusations of conspiracy and cover up that have haunted her family for more than 40 years. Investigative journalist Melissa Jeltsen untangles the mystery at the heart of the case — and reveals a troubling pattern of behavior by local police.
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CRÍMENES REALES
Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
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CRÍMENES REALES
Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders takes you back to 1983, when two teenagers were found murdered, execution-style, on a quiet Texas hill. What followed was decades of rumors, false leads, and a case that law enforcement could never seem to close. Now, veteran investigative journalist M. William Phelps reopens the file — uncovering new witnesses, hidden evidence, and a shocking web of deaths that may all be connected. Over nine gripping episodes, Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders unravels a story 42 years in the making… and asks the question: who’s really been hiding the truth?
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CRÍMENES REALES
In a small Tennessee town, a local serial killer was caught by the most unlikely investigators: A group of high school students, led by their teacher, Alex Campbell. Throughout the course of one school semester, the class pieced together a 30-year-old mystery and identified the killer behind at least six brutal murders. Shockingly, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations publicly agrees with their theory, no charges have been filed against the murderer. While some sleuthing students already have graduated, they, along with a fresh crop of current high schoolers, still want to finish the assignment, once and for all.
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CRÍMENES REALES
Suscripción
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