Bad Acts: A True Crime Podcast

Danielle Blinka
  • 4.2 (99)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Twisted true crime tales of dark deeds and despicable people. New episodes every Thursday. Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod

  1. 20h ago

    Ep. 286 — The Murder of Scott MacFarland

    Send us Fan Mail In October 2023, Richard “Scott” MacFarland invited a friend of his to live with him. Meghan Macklin had fallen on hard times, and she needed a place to crash. Scott was a widower who liked to help people, but he should never have trusted Meghan Macklin.  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod PodMoth: https://podmoth.network/ Ad: Brutal, Bizarre, and Boozy https://open.spotify.com/show/44Z9VDxjEVGpbPBkYzQorh?si=0556a1a9b65048bd&nd=1&dlsi=7e42cb75c47e4fc4  Episode Source List: https://www.buckscounty.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1560  The Criminal Complaint: https://crimewatch.net/sites/default/files/29567/post/2024/03/meghan_macklin_criminal_complaint.pdf  https://crimewatch.net/us/pa/bucks/da/29567/post/woman-ordered-stand-trial-murder-wrightstown-man  https://crimewatch.net/us/pa/bucks/da/29567/post/woman-charged-killing-wrightstown-township-man-october  https://crimewatch.net/us/pa/bucks/da/29567/post/district-attorney-jennifer-schorn-concludes-26-years-service-will-lead-statewide-cold  https://www.buckscountyherald.com/news/police/woman-gets-up-to-50-years-for-2023-murder-of-wrightstown-man/article_26c8dc94-b49c-4c69-bef7-81eaaaa39e84.html  https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/06/24/richard-macfarland-meghan-macklin-wrightstown-murder-bucks-county-sentencing-stabbing/89749560007/  https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/woman-charged-in-slaying-bucks-man/3795475/

    1h 1m

  2. Jul 2

    Ep. 285 — Apt 19A: The Murder of Nadia Vitels

    Send us Fan Mail In 2024, Nadia Vitels was finally getting a chance to focus on herself after years of caregiving. She planned to move into a luxury NYC apartment she inherited from her mother. Unbeknownst to her, two squatters were already living in the apartment, and they had no intention of leaving peacefully.  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod  PodMoth: https://podmoth.network/  Ad: Getting Down & Wordy Podcast — https://linktr.ee/gettingdownandwordy    Episode Source List: https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-sentencings-in-the-murder-of-nadia-vitels/ https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-indictments-in-the-murder-of-nadia-vitels/  https://www.usmarshals.gov/news/press-release/us-marshals-service-fugitive-task-force-arrests-manhattan-murder-suspects-york  https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/man-convicted-murder-stuffing-body-duffel-bag-nyc-apartment-sentencing/  https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/murder-stuffing-body-duffel-bag-nyc-apartment-sentencing/  https://local21news.com/news/local/squatters-halley-tejada-kensly-alston-nadia-vitels-new-york-city-apartment-spain-duffel-bag-murder-lawsuit-broken-elevator-cameras-floor-key-manhattan-york-city-county-pennsylvania  https://abc7ny.com/post/womans-body-found-manhattan-apartment-in-duffel-bag-nyc-crime/14530334/  https://people.com/squatter-who-murdered-robbed-woman-sentenced-20-to-life-11950086  https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/06/26/second-squatter-killed-woman-stuffed-duffel-bag-sentenced/  https://nypost.com/2026/04/14/us-news/devastated-son-blasts-animal-squatter-who-stomped-nyc-mom-to-death-as-she-planned-fresh-start/  https://people.com/motorcycle-killed-kite-string-glue-12011318

    47 min

  3. Jun 25

    Ep. 284 — The First Fetal Abduction by Caesarian: The Murder of Margaret Sweeney

    Send us Fan Mail In 1974, 26-year-old Margaret Sweeney was expecting her fourth baby. When she met Winifred Ransom, she thought she’d made a new friend. But Ransom was a devil in disguise, whose unbelievable crime shocked everyone.  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod PodMoth: https://podmoth.network/ Ad: Thick Thighs and Creepy Vibes — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thick-thighs-and-creepy-vibes/id1736179086  Episode Source List: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34739916/  https://journals.healio.com/doi/10.3928/02793695-20161024-07  https://dl.astm.org/jofs/article-abstract/47/4/1/24030/Newborn-Kidnapping-by-Cesarean-Section?redirectedFrom=fulltext  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shadow-boxing/202101/the-fetal-snatcher-desperate-to-be-a-mom  https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-winifred-ransommargaret/128923114/?locale=en-US  https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-winifred-ranso/166304936/  https://www.newspapers.com/article/public-opinion-winifred-ransommargaret/166293614/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-danville-news-winifred-ransommargar/166292580/?locale=en-US  https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-winifred-ranso/166304753/  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191307822/margaret_a-sweeney#view-photo=319920047  https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/fetal-abduction-maternal-instinct-1235580383/

    44 min

  4. Jun 18

    Ep. 283 – The Bolduc Family Murders

    Send us Fan Mail In 2008, firefighters responded to a fire at the Bolduc home to find three family members murdered, including parents, Carol and Christopher Bolduc, and son, Josh Bolduc. When police tracked down elder son Matthew Cushing, investigators immediately noticed a bunch of red flags.  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod PodMoth: https://podmoth.network/ Ad: The ODDentity Podcast – https://linktr.ee/oddentitypod  Episode Source List: https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/state/2008/02/26/man-makes-court-appearance-on/52596065007/  https://lcnme.com/currentnews/cushing-pleads-guilty-to-murder-and-arson/ https://lcnme.com/currentnews/breaking-news-cushing-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/  https://lcnme.com/currentnews/family-members-gather-to-dedicate-monument-to-murder-victims /   https://www.fosters.com/story/news/local/2009/03/26/maine-man-who-killed-family/52051108007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116130e002900v116130d--61--b--61--&gca-ft=160&gca-ds=sophi  https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/york-star/2009/03/26/maine-man-who-killed-family/52051006007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116813e002300v116813d--76--b--76--&gca-ft=278&gca-ds=sophi  “Urge to Kill.” Mind of a Murderer. Season 2, Episode 1. 17 October 2016. https://www.pomc.org/murder-wall/christopher-scott-bolduc-42-years-old/  https://www.pomc.org/murder-wall/joshua-richard-bolduc-joshie-15-years-old/  https://www.fosters.com/story/news/local/2008/11/05/suspect-in-old-orchard-beach/52206790007/  https://murderpedia.org/male.C/c/cushing-matthew.htm

    58 min

  5. Jun 11

    Ep. 282 — The Murder of Mel Kernena Cotton

    Send us Fan Mail 31-year-old Mel Cotton helped her friend escape a violent relationship. About two weeks later, her sister arrived to babysit Mel’s son to find the boy injured and Mel dead. Her murder was an escalation that anyone could see coming, and her attacker shouldn’t have been free to kill her.    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod PodMoth: https://podmoth.network/ Ad: Brutal, Bizarre, and Boozy — https://open.spotify.com/show/44Z9VDxjEVGpbPBkYzQorh?si=0556a1a9b65048bd&nd=1&dlsi=7e42cb75c47e4fc4  Episode Source List: https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2011/ap-76-345.html  https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/23-6139.html  https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/tx-court-of-appeals/1104863.html  https://tcadp.org/2010/03/12/travis-county-sentences-man-to-death/ https://www.txcourts.gov/All_Archived_Documents/JudicialInformation/oca/pdf/jchgs/Travis031010JChg.pdf  https://abc7chicago.com/archive/7341178/ https://archive.gosanangelo.com/news/one-final-outburst-former-abilenian-to-die-for-murder-ep-440943875-357343071.html  https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/dr_info/gobertmilton.html  https://www.owensandbrumley.com/obituary/5042637  https://www.safeaustin.org/the-violent-reality-of-strangulation/  “Blind Rage.” The Mind of a Murderer. Season Two, Episode 3. 24 October 2016.

    1h 18m

  6. Jun 4

    Ep. 281 – The Red Riding Hood Murders: Female Serial Killer Piroska Jancsó-Ladányi

    Send us Fan Mail Unlike most female serial killers, 20-year-old Piroska Jancsó-Ladányi was a lust killer who targeted young girls. She committed five murders before anyone suspected her because no one thinks the bogey man is going to be a small young woman with a Mona Lisa smile.  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod PodMoth: https://podmoth.network/ Ad:  Rowan & Pine — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rowan-pine-a-feminist-folklore-mythology-podcast/id1632401774  Episode Source List: https://ujkor.hu/content/anyam-mondta-hogy-oljelek-meg-jancso-ladanyi-piroska-gyilkossagsorozata https://www.kolisrael.hu/horror-es-vervad-torokszentmikloson/ https://egyperceskrimi.blog.hu/2015/11/14/ot_holttest_a_kutban_jancso_ladanyi_piroska_remtortenete https://www.szoljon.hu/bulvar-jasz-nagykun-szolnok/2015/01/hatvan-eve-akasztottak-fel-jancso-piroskat  https://www.szoljon.hu/kozelet-jasz-nagykun-szolnok/2015/01/hatvan-eve-akasztottak-fel-jancso-piroskat-4-resz  https://www.szoljon.hu/bulvar-jasz-nagykun-szolnok/2015/01/rettenetes-es-megbotrankoztato-titkok-derultek-ki  https://www.szoljon.hu/bulvar-jasz-nagykun-szolnok/2015/01/egy-kislany-eltunesevel-indult-a-verfurdo

    1h 29m

  7. May 28

    Ep. 280 - Live From Comicpalooza! Killer Chatbot?: A.I. & The Murder of Margaux Whittemore

    Send us Fan Mail (Audio is pretty good!) In February 2025, 32-year-old Margaux Whittemore traveled to Maine with her husband, Samuel, to visit her mother-in-law. She wouldn’t make it back home. Investigators soon learned that Samuel Whittemore was having a strange conversation with an AI chatbot, which led him to attack his wife and mother.  Episode Source List: https://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/taxonomy/term/1549 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12805049/ https://nam.edu/news-and-insights/what-is-ai-psychosis/ https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.10.10.5 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2602.09339  https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/ https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/17/central-maine/central-maine-police-courts/readfield-maine-giles-road-homicide-samuel-whittemore-not-criminally-responsible-chat-gpt-delusions/  https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/02/21/central-maine/belfast-man-led-globe-trotting-life-with-wife-he-allegedly-killed/  https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-man-accused-of-using-fire-poker-in-fatal-attack-on-wife-maine-giles-road-family-parents-mother-samuel-whittemore  https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/public-safety/family-mourns-margaux-whittemore-plans-bring-her-home-france/97-91cf1f40-102d-4f4d-baf5-7a06ddd5ed3c  https://abc13.com/post/margaux-whittemore-death-french-woman-houston-ties-allegedly-murdered-husband-belfast-maine/15961607/  https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-man-not-criminally-responsible-killing-wife-trying-kill-mother/69071795  https://www.thinkbrg.com/insights/publications/nervous-system-eliza-effect/  https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260505-how-to-use-ai-without-turning-your-brain-to-mush  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/09/would-you-entrust-a-childs-life-to-a-chatbot-thats-what-happens-every-day-that-we-fail-to-regulate-ai  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4ml2xwyMko  https://www.instagram.com/margauxn/

    34 min

  8. May 21

    Ep. 279 — “I Love You to Death:” The Worst (But Funniest) Murder Conspiracy Ever

    Send us Fan Mail This week, we talk about the true story of Tony & Frances Toto, whose story hit the big screen in 1990 after Frances tried to murder Tony 5 times with the help of a few hitmen, all of whom were very bad at murder. The dark comedy based on their “rough patch” is called I Love You to Death.  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod PodMoth: https://podmoth.network/ Ad: Brutal, Bizarre, and Boozy — https://open.spotify.com/show/44Z9VDxjEVGpbPBkYzQorh?si=0556a1a9b65048bd&nd=1&dlsi=7e42cb75c47e4fc4  Episode Source List: https://time.com/archive/6697647/family-man/  https://www.mcall.com/1984/01/17/wife-bruno-plead-guilty-in-toto-case/  https://www.mcall.com/1984/03/07/totos-wife-bruno-sentenced-in-murder-try/  https://www.mcall.com/1984/04/07/2-toto-children-meet-different-fates-at-hearing/  https://www.mcall.com/1991/10/25/barlip-out-of-prison-back-in-jail-same-day/  https://www.mcall.com/1986/11/03/a-tangled-web-behind-the-headlines-of-the-tony-toto-murder-attempt-lies-a-complex-tale-of-conspiracy-and-innuendo-a-story-of-jumbled-lives-bound-by-fate-and-tragedy/  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-05-ca-1192-story.html  https://www.mcall.com/1986/11/03/a-tangled-web-behind-the-headlines-of-the-tony-toto-murder-attempt-lies-a-complex-tale-of-conspiracy-and-innuendo-a-story-of-jumbled-lives-bound-by-fate-and-tragedy/  https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1990/04/24/the-people-who-lived-i-love-you-to-death/  https://local12.com/news/offbeat/couple-together-57-years-survives-infidelity-murder-plot-prison-sentence-tony-frances-toto-i-love-you-to-death-movie-hollywood-film-tristar-pictures-homicide-kill-attempts-teenage-hit-men-affair-jail-relationship-allentown-pennsylvania  https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/lehigh-county/allentown-area/love-conquers-all-how-5-murder-attempts-4-years-in-prison-led-to-60-years/article_ad10d32a-aa56-4574-9b4a-5defeb91c22d.html  https://www.wsaz.com/2023/02/17/couple-celebrates-57-years-married-despite-multiple-murder-attempts/  https://www.deseret.com/1990/4/8/18855377/i-don-t-love-it-at-all-says-hitman-portrayed-in-film/

    51 min
See All (294)

Trailer

4.2
out of 5
99 Ratings

About

Twisted true crime tales of dark deeds and despicable people. New episodes every Thursday. Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/badactspod

Information

  • Creator
    Danielle Blinka
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    294
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bad Acts: A True Crime Podcast
  • Show Website
    Bad Acts: A True Crime Podcast

You Might Also Like