Almost Fiction

11:59 Media

Crimes that are so diabolical that they seem like almost fiction. Based on real events, Almost Fiction is a Podcast where we try to imagine what it was like when some of the worst crimes occurred. Using facts, reports, and evidence, we attempt to reconstruct what the crime scenes might have looked like as the crimes were happening. So, join us each week as we peek behind the curtain at some of the worst scenes from some of the worst crimes ever committed. I’m Chase Ellerman, and welcome to… Almost Fiction.

  1. 12/18/2025

    Peter Britton Tobin (Read Description)

    Hello everyone, I fully expected to have the season finale of Almost Fiction ready to go, but sadly that won't be the case. The holidays can be a hectic time of the year and sometimes things happen outside of our control. So, in lieu of releasing a full episode, I will instead make the last episode of Almost Fiction Plus public, so you at least have something. A family event has taken place lately, one that is very serious, so I am putting things aside for a few weeks in order to help out as much as I can. I will try to get the season finale up as fast as I can, but for now family must come first. Thank you so much for your understanding. Description: A restless predator with 60+ addresses, 40+ aliases, and 150+ vehicles. Peter Britton Tobin's decades-long trail of violence across Scotland and England reveals the chilling reality of a serial killer who never stopped moving. From his brutal attacks on wives to the murders of three young women, this episode traces the methodical police investigation that finally caught a monster.

    20 min

  2. 12/09/2025

    Joel Michael Guy Jr.

    When 28-year-old Joel Michael Guy Jr. learned his parents were cutting off his financial support after nearly a decade of funding his lifestyle, he devised a horrifying plan. This deep-dive true crime investigation uncovers how an entitled college dropout meticulously plotted to murder his own parents for a $500,000 insurance payout, only to be caught by his own incompetence and the security cameras he most likely never knew existed. Sources: STATE OF TENNESSEE v. JOEL MICHAEL GUY, JR. Appeal from the Criminal Court for Knox County. No. 110145 Steve Sword, Judge. No. E2021-00560-CCA-R3-CD. November 15, 2022 Session.  https://www.wvlt.tv/2020/11/19/live-joel-guy-jr-appears-in-court-for-final-sentencing/ Joel Guy Jr. has a court hearing Thursday morning in Knox County. By John North For WBIR.com. November 18, 2020. Updated November 19, 2020.  https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/neworleans/news/press-releases/knoxville-fugitive-arrested-by-fbi-for-the-alleged-murder-of-his-parents Joel Guy Jr. loses his longshot appeal after he was convicted in his parents' murders. By Liz Kellar For Knoxville News Sentinel. May 10, 2023.  Joel Guy Jr. asks to be put to death in his parents' murders, but state won't pursue it By Jamie Satterfield. For The Knoxville News Sentinel.  “I think about you all the time:” Joel Guy Jr. contacts best friend from jail Joel Guy Jr.'s best friend and roommate reveals details about Guy’s personality. By Megan Sadler. Published: Sep. 30, 2020 at 5:17 PM PDT.  Who is Joel Guy Jr.? What do we know about the man accused of killing and dismembering his parents at a Knox County home? By Megan Sadler. Published: Sep. 29, 2020 at 1:51 PM PDT.  STATE OF TENNESSEE v. JOEL MICHAEL GUY. No. E2021-00560-CCA-R3-CD. October 2022.

    36 min

  3. 12/02/2025

    Robert Yale Shulman

    Between 1991 and 1995, a seemingly ordinary postal worker living in suburban New York concealed a horrifying secret. Robert Yale Shulman targeted vulnerable sex workers, brutally murdering at least five women before dismembering their bodies and disposing of them in dumpsters across the region. This is the chilling true story of how a shy, introverted mail handler became one of New York's most brutal serial killers, and how dogged detective work finally brought him to justice. This episode examines not just the crimes, but the systemic failures that allowed Shulman to prey on society's most vulnerable for years. From the tragic stories of his victims, including Lori Vasquez, Lisa Ann Warner, and Kelly Sue Bunting, to the controversial sentencing of his brother Barry, who helped cover up the murders. Sources: People v Robert Shulman. Argued September 6, 2005; decided October 25, 2005. Updated March 8, 2006. https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/court-of-appeals/2005/2005-07827.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Shulman_%28serial_killer%29 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13954331/robert-yale-shulman Robert Shulman's Brookhaven Burial: Long Island Killer's Prison Death Marks End of Notorious Case. https://www.factualamerica.com/serial-cuts/robert-shulmans-brookhaven-burial-long-island-killers-prison-death-marks-end-of-notorious-case Brookhaven Butcher: Robert Shulman's Long Island Killing Spree Terrorized Community for Years. https://www.factualamerica.com/serial-cuts/brookhaven-butcher-robert-shulmans-long-island-killing-spree-terrorized-community-for-years

    31 min

  4. 11/25/2025

    Robert Zarinksy Part 2

    When Officer Charles Bernoskie was gunned down during a routine patrol in 1958, his murder went unsolved for decades, protected by a family's deadly silence. This is the conclusion to the story of Robert Zarinsky, a serial killer who terrorized New Jersey communities throughout the 1960s and 70s, leaving behind a trail of young women who simply seemed to just vanish without a trace. This gripping tale reveals how one mother's obsession with appearances and family loyalty created a monster, how DNA evidence finally connected decades-old cold cases, and why some victims' families waited over 40 year Sources: https://murderpedia.org/male.Z/z/zarinsky-robert-deadly-secrets.htm Suspected serial killer Robert Zarinsky dies in prison. By Laura Craven. For The Star Ledger. November 30, 2008. https://www.nj.com/news/ledger/topstories/2008/11/tony_kurdzukthe_starledgerhand.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Zarinsky 50-year-old cold case solved. By Andrew Ford for app.com. February 17, 2016. https://www.app.com/story/news/crime/jersey-mayhem/2016/02/17/serial-killer-accused-another-murder/80513376/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150209235300/http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/robert_zarinsky/index.html

    41 min

  5. 11/17/2025

    Robert Zarinsky Part 1

    When Officer Charles Bernoskie was gunned down during a routine patrol in 1958, his murder went unsolved for decades, protected by a family's deadly silence. This is the chilling true story of Robert Zarinsky, a serial killer who terrorized New Jersey communities throughout the 1960s and 70s, leaving behind a trail of young women who simply vanished. From the disappearance of 17-year-old Rosemary Calandriello in 1969 to the brutal murders of Jane Durrua, Linda Balabanow, and others, Zarinsky's reign of terror was enabled by a family willing to cover up his darkest crimes.  This gripping tale reveals how one mother's obsession with appearances and family loyalty created a monster, how DNA evidence finally connected decades-old cold cases, and why some victims' families waited over 40 years for answers. Sources: https://murderpedia.org/male.Z/z/zarinsky-robert-deadly-secrets.htm Suspected serial killer Robert Zarinsky dies in prison. By Laura Craven. For The Star Ledger. November 30, 2008. https://www.nj.com/news/ledger/topstories/2008/11/tony_kurdzukthe_starledgerhand.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Zarinsky 50-year-old cold case solved. By Andrew Ford for app.com. February 17, 2016. https://www.app.com/story/news/crime/jersey-mayhem/2016/02/17/serial-killer-accused-another-murder/80513376/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150209235300/http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/robert_zarinsky/index.html

    39 min

  6. 11/11/2025

    The Murder of Peter Aston

    In May 1982, two thirteen-year-old boys skipped school in Queensland, Australia, a decision that led one to his brutal death and the other to a nightmare of survival. When Peter Aston and Terry Ryan accepted a ride from two men, they had no idea they were entering a world of sadistic violence, a world of unimaginable pain. What followed became one of Australia's most disturbing crimes: hours of torture, sexual abuse, and murder that would leave one boy dead and another forever traumatized. This episode explores the shocking details of Peter Aston's murder, the twisted relationship between his killers, the impossible choices Terry Ryan faced to survive, and the aftermath that destroyed lives across decades. A harrowing true crime story about evil, coercion, and trauma that still haunts Australia 40 years later. Sources: Paul Luckman & Robin Reid: Australian Child Killers. by Paul B. Kidd For CrimeLibrary.com. https://murderpedia.org/male.R/r/reid-robin.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Peter_Aston Australia's most sadistic child killer applies for parole, sparking warning from original cop. By Staff. For news.com.au. February 25, 2021. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/australias-most-sadistic-child-killer-applies-for-parole-sparking-warning-from-original-cop/MJAMOW6ZTZXC3LGSRLVIVTNLWY/ Soldiers get life sentences for torture murder of boy. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130833614 https://alchetron.com/Nicole-Louise-Pearce-(Paul-Luckman) https://alchetron.com/Robin-Reid-(criminal) https://alchetron.com/Murder-of-Peter-Aston

    36 min
  7. Robert R. Reldan

    11/04/2025

    Robert R. Reldan

    Robert R. Reldan had everything. Looks, charm, and money from a wealthy aunt who adored him. But in October 1975, two women named Susan disappeared from Bergen County only eight days apart. What followed exposed a decades-long pattern: assaults dismissed, paroles granted, a system that kept giving second chances to someone who shouldn't have gotten them in the first place. It's a story about privilege, the cost of looking the other way, and two families who refused to let their Susans ever be forgotten.

    38 min

  8. 10/28/2025

    Herb Baumeister

    A successful businessman. A perfect suburban address. And a trail of vanished men that led investigators to more than 10,000 human remains. In this episode, we trace Herb Baumeister’s double life—from teenage transgressions to “Brian Smart,” his nights cruising Indianapolis’s gay bars, the discoveries at Fox Hollow Farm, and the investigators who wouldn’t let the case go. We examine what’s known, what’s still conjecture, and why so many families still wait for answers. If you value deep-dive, responsibly told true crime, follow the show on Spotify. For ad-free episodes and bonus content, subscribe to Almost Fiction Plus.

    41 min
See All (113)

4.7
out of 5
144 Ratings

About

Crimes that are so diabolical that they seem like almost fiction. Based on real events, Almost Fiction is a Podcast where we try to imagine what it was like when some of the worst crimes occurred. Using facts, reports, and evidence, we attempt to reconstruct what the crime scenes might have looked like as the crimes were happening. So, join us each week as we peek behind the curtain at some of the worst scenes from some of the worst crimes ever committed. I’m Chase Ellerman, and welcome to… Almost Fiction.

Information

  • Creator
    11:59 Media
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    113
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 11:59 Media
  • Show Website
    Almost Fiction

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