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Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Blue Ewe Media
  • 4.7 (2.7K)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Serial killers. Gangsters. Gunslingers. Victorian-era murderers. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each week, the Most Notorious podcast features true-life tales of crime, criminals, tragedies and disasters throughout history. Host Erik Rivenes interviews authors and historians who have studied their subjects for years. Their stories are offered with unique insight, detail, and historical accuracy.

  1. 3D AGO

    425: Henry Scott Mausell: Michigan's First Serial Killer? w/ Allie Seibert

    On a beautiful fall day in September 1916, 68-year-old Hannah Spielman went on a picnic with her new husband, 71-year-old James Allen, in the woods outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. She had met him through a newspaper advertisement, and the two were married just two days earlier - only hours after stepping off a train and meeting him face-to-face for the first time. But James Allen was not the man he claimed to be. His real name was Henry Scott Mausell, and his intentions were anything but honorable. Eleven days later, Hannah’s decomposed body was discovered and the murder investigation began. So who was Henry Scott Mausell? A man with a deeply troubled past—and Hannah was likely not his first victim, but the last in a long line of murdered women. In "Bloodstained: Exploring Michigan’s Darkest Murders Forgotten by Time", author Allie Seibert sheds light on this largely forgotten, and very likely, serial killer. The author's Household History website: https://www.householdhistory.com/ Allie in the Archives Podcast links: ⁠https://www.pod.link/1819388236 On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allie.in.the.archives/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 7m

  2. FEB 4

    424: The Black Dahlia: Another Suspect w/ William J Mann

    My guest, William J. Mann, has spent years writing about Hollywood, and in his new book "Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood", he takes a fresh look at Los Angeles's most notorious crime - the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short. Mann shares his impressions of Elizabeth herself, unpacks the sprawling investigation, revisits some of the most infamous suspects, and explains who he believes most likely killed her. His new book was recently released on January 27th. The author's website: https://williamjmann.com/ The author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/williamjmann/ Our previous interview about William Desmond Taylor's murder: https://www.mostnotorious.com/2023/02/07/the-murder-of-william-desmond-taylor-w-william-j-mann/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 7m

  3. JAN 31 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    MoNo Plus: The Strange Case of Mary Vickery w/ Kimberly Tilley

    On this exclusive episode of Most Notorious Plus, I chat with return guest Kimberly Tilley about an odd case in 1925 Kentucky. A woman named Marie Jackson accused taxi driver Condy Dabney of the brutal assault and murder of fourteen-year-old Mary Vickery. But - all was not what it appeared to be... Kimberly's Old Spirituals website: https://oldspirituals.com Link to register for the Burchfield Penney event on 2/5/26 at 6:30 pm EST: https://burchfieldpenney.org/events/event:02-05-2026-6-30pm-book-club/

    29 min

  4. JAN 28

    423: The Nazi & the Psychiatrist w/ Jack El-Hai

    On this episode of Most Notorious, I speak with author Jack El-Hai about his book "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Hermann Göring, Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, and a Fatal Meeting of Minds at the End of WWII". He talks about the fascinating relationship between Dr. Douglas Kelly, who was assigned to evaluate senior Nazi leaders awaiting trial at Nuremberg, and Herman Göring, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. His book was adapted into the film Nuremberg, which came out in November of 2025. The author's website: https://www.el-hai.com/ My 2019 interview with the author about the 1951 disappearance of the Klein brothers: https://www.mostnotorious.com/2023/02/01/the-mysterious-1951-minneapolis-disappearance-of-the-klein-brothers-w-jack-el-hai/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 3m

  5. JAN 24

    MoNo Encore: The East River Ripper Murder of Old Shakespeare w/ George R. Dekle Sr.

    (Orig. Pub. Date 9/6/2021) On April 24th, 1891, a Bowery prostitute named Carrie Brown (known locally as "Old Shakespeare") was found murdered and mutilated in the seedy East River Hotel. With the Jack the Ripper murders unsolved and still news, many believed that the notorious killer had traveled across the Atlantic to continue his bloody work in the United States - and this was his first victim. My guest is George R. Dekle Sr., former Florida prosecutor and author of the new book "The East River Ripper: The Mysterious 1891 Murder of Old Shakespeare". He talks about this sensational case, including the arrest and trial of the enigmatic Ameer Ben Ali, better known as "Frenchy", and offers his thoughts on who really murdered Carrie Brown. More about the author and his work can be found here: https://www.bobdeklebooks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 25m

  6. JAN 23

    422: The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar w/ Jane Parks Gardner

    On October 21, 1836, crowds lined the docks of Saint John, New Brunswick, to watch the steamship Royal Tar depart for Portland, Maine - this time carrying an entire circus. Cages filled with exotic birds, snakes, lions and a tiger rolled on board, along with horses, camels and the star attraction: Mogul, a massive Asian elephant, who took his place on the upper deck. Four days later, after battling fierce storms, the ship caught fire, killing many on board. In desperation, some animals were forced into the icy waters of Penobscot Bay, while others perished in their cages. My guest is Jane Parks Gardner, author of The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar: Tragedy in Penobscot Bay. She shares details on the disaster, and its impact on Maine’s maritime history. The author's website: https://janepgardner.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    49 min

  7. JAN 17

    421: The Killer of Little Shepherds w/ Douglas Starr

    At the close of the nineteenth century, serial killer Joseph Vacher terrorized the French countryside for years, eluding capture while murdering more victims than Jack the Ripper. His sprawling crime wave ultimately drew in prosecutor Emile Fourquet and pioneering criminologist Alexandre Lacassagne, whose pursuit of Vacher helped push criminal investigations toward the modern era. My guest is Douglas Starr, author of "The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science". He shares details with us about Vacher’s reign of terror and the groundbreaking investigation that led to his conviction. The author's website: https://douglasstarr.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 3m

  8. JAN 7

    420: The 1788 Doctors' Riot w/ Andy McPhee

    On April 13, 1788, outrage erupted in New York City when word spread that students from the local medical school were stealing corpses from nearby graveyards, at the direction of their instructors, for classroom dissection and study. A large mob attacked an anatomy lab and then set out in search of the students and doctors believed to be responsible for defiling the bodies of their loved ones. City leaders John Jay and Alexander Hamilton were among those who tried (and failed) to calm the crowd. The unrest ultimately led to a violent confrontation between civilians and the local militia, resulting in serious injuries and loss of life. My guest is Andy McPhee, author of the new book Doctors’ Riot of 1788: Body Snatching, Bloodletting, and Anatomy in America (out June 6). We discuss the riot itself, the history of body snatching, and the moral question at its core: could stealing bodies for medical training be justified in the name of public health? The author's website: https://andymcphee.com/ The publisher's author page: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Doctors-Riot-of-1788/Andy-McPhee/9781493088058 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 10m
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4.7
out of 5
2,696 Ratings

About

Serial killers. Gangsters. Gunslingers. Victorian-era murderers. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each week, the Most Notorious podcast features true-life tales of crime, criminals, tragedies and disasters throughout history. Host Erik Rivenes interviews authors and historians who have studied their subjects for years. Their stories are offered with unique insight, detail, and historical accuracy.

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