Crime Bistro Anna DiNino

Most horror movies begin with a black screen reading "Based on a True Story," and while many of them are, it isn't often that the story behind the plot is even more horrifying than the film itself. This, however, is one of those cases. The movie, "The Strangers," is a nightmare-inducing project that follows a young couple as they fight for their lives in a remote home that is being stalked by masked murderers. It's inspiration, the famous Keddie Cabin murders, is a story that is somehow even more spine-chilling. On Saturday, April 11th, 1981, a mother and three children were attacked in their home in the Keddie Resort in California. Three of them were found murdered, while one of the children would remain a missing person until years after that horrific night. The identity of their killer is still unknown to this day, though the investigation is ongoing, and police have expressed that they are more confident than ever that this case will finally have an answer. If you are interested in learning more about this case, all of the sources are listed at crimebistro.com. If you have an opinion or a theory of your own to share, feel free to visit the podcast on YouTube or on Instagram @crimebistropodcast to leave a comment and see some behind-the-scenes updates on the exciting cases to come!

High school relationships can be a complete whirlwind - they are new, exciting, and often uncomplicated by the stresses of adult life. In a devastating number of cases, however, these relationships can turn out to be toxic, dangerous, violent, and even deadly. Such was the case for Emma Walker, a beautiful 16 year old from Knoxville, Tennessee with big dreams and a bright future. Emma was found shot to death in her own bed by her mother Jill on November 21st of 2016, and the investigation quickly turned up a name - Riley Gaul. Riley was Emma's recent ex-boyfriend, a possessive and controlling presence in her life, and the evidence against him was so overwhelming that an arrest was made in mere days. Emma's story is horrible, but unfortunately, is one of many, so it is important that not only her name continue to be heard, but that we continue to make ourselves aware of potentially dangerous situations, because it really could happen to anyone. If you are interested in learning more about this case, all of the sources are listed at crimebistro.com, as well as a list of resources pertaining to teen dating violence. If you have an opinon of your own to share, visit the podcast on YouTube or on Instagram @crimebistropodcast to leave a comment and see some behind-the-scenes updates on the exciting cases to come!

This episode covers the gripping details of the case of Kendrick Johnson, which has been a fight to discover the truth since 2013. On January 10th of that year, high school student Kendrick Johnson didn't return from school, immediately scaring his family into a search that would end the next morning when his body was discovered, horrifyingly, rolled up in a wrestling mat in the gym at Lowndes High School. Police immediately announced the death to be a tragic accident, however, the details of this case go much deeper, and upon some investigation, the theory of an accident starts to fall apart at the seams. But, if not an accident, then what really happened to Kendrick Johnson? That is the question that his family has been trying to answer for years, and recent coverage of this case is bringing their desperate search for the truth the attention that it deserves. If you are interested in learning more about this fascinating case, all of the sources are listed at crimebistro.com. If you have an opinion or a theory of your own to share, feel free to visit the podcast on YouTube or on Instagram @crimebistropodcast to leave a comment and see some behind-the-scenes updates on the exciting cases to come!

So far on this podcast, we have covered a variety of missing persons cases, however, for any true crime enthusiast, it can be nearly impossible to even scratch the surface. The Namus.gov website estimates that about 600,000 people disappear each year, and while obviously not all of these cases involve a crime or any sort of foul play, the number is entirely overwhelming. In this vastly long list of missing persons, however, there are some cases that will always stick out as especially disturbing, and the case of Cynthia Anderson is absolutely one such example. Cynthia vanished from her job in Toledo Ohio on the morning of August 4, 1981, leaving behind barely a trace or a clue. In the year leading up to her disappearance, Cynthia had been receiving terrifying messages from an anonymous individual who had never been identified, and who many believe holds the key to solving this 40 year old investigation. No leads have been identified so far, but there are theories to explore, each one nearly as plausible as the next. If you are interested in learning more about this fascinating case, all of the sources are listed below. If you have an opinion or a theory of your own to share, feel free to visit the podcast on YouTube or on Instagram @crimebistropodcast to leave a comment and see some behind the scenes looks at the exciting cases to come!

Referred to as Australia's greatest mystery, the unknown, nameless Somerton man washed up on the shore of Adelaide in December of 1948, and has to this day never been identified. This death baffles law enforcement to this day, and the case is so opaque that not only do we not know the identity of the Somerton man, we don't know what killed him, and it can't even be said for sure if foul play was involved. The only real clue is a small slip of paper that was found in a secret pocket in the man's clothing, a piece of an ancient Persian poetry book called the Rubaiyat, printed with the words that roughly translate to "The End." Over the years, many theories have arisen about this bizarre death, including spy activity, a loving relationship gone wrong, or suidcide, but no one assumption answers every question. All that can be said for this case, even after so many decades, is that it is one of the world's most perplexing cold cases to date, and one of the most mysterious in history. If you are interested in learning more about this case, all of the sources are listed at crimebistro.com. If you have an opinion or a theory of your own to share, feel free to visit the podcast on YouTube or on Instagram @crimebistropodcast, to leave a comment and see some behind the scenes looks at the exciting cases to come!

On the morning of January 15th, 1947, just before 11 am, Betty Bersinger was taking her child for a walk in a Las Angeles neighborhood when her eyes fell on something that she first assumed to be a mannequin. Another look revealed that the sight was much more sinister, and she was instead looking at the posed body of 22 year old Elizabeth Short, later dubbed the "Black Dahlia." Panicked, she grabbed her daughter and ran for the nearest phone to call the police. First responders arrived at the horrible scene quickly, and were able to identify Elizabeth using her fingerprints on record, allowing the media to start quickly reporting on the grisly murder. Elizabeth's striking beauty and her iconic Black Dahlia nickname have kept this case in the public eye for decades, and though her killer has yet to be identified, this case is arguably one of the most famous and enduring unsolved murder cases across the world. If you are interested in learning more about this case, all of the sources are listed at crimebistro.com, and if you have a theory or an opinion of your own to share, feel free to visit the podcast on YouTube or on Instagram @crimebistropodcast to leave a comment and see some behind-the-scenes updates on the exciting cases to come!