Hard Times and True Crimes

Darlene Hildreth and Melody Gwyn
  • 4.7 (66)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Listen to two Southern, Christian women tell each other historical true crime stories. 

  1. 1d ago

    134. Purgatory Mountain: NC’s Civil War Ghost Story

    There’s a mountain in the Uwharries just outside Asheboro, North Carolina, that went without a name until the last winter of the Civil War. Today the North Carolina Zoo sits on it, and families walk the Purgatory Trail without thinking much about what happened there. This week we go back to 1864, when Randolph County was divided over the Civil War. Darlene tells the history behind the legend of the “The Hunter.” Melody picks up with the real man behind the story, Peter Garner Jr., what really happend, and why some people still won’t walk that mountain trail before the fog lifts. Sources Auman, William T. Civil War in the North Carolina Quaker Belt (McFarland, 2014). Civilian Casualties of War, 1863 – Mac Whatley (Alson Allred, Alfred Pike, conscription rules, Garner's dates)From Galvanized Yankee to Race Car Driver – Mac Whatley (Frank Toomes, volunteer and desertion numbers)The Gollihorn Spring – Mac Whatley (McAlister, Gollihorn, Walters)Confederate Christmas in Randolph County – Nannie Steed Winningham's memoir (food, homespun, wartime life)The Hunter of Purgatory Mountain – North Carolina Ghosts (the legend)NCPI record 9382 – ECU (the legend: 22 boys, ages 13–14)NCPI record 21435 – ECU (Randolph's inner war, religious groups, William Owens)Keyauwee Indians – NCpediaEarly Settlements of Guilford County – Ethel Arnett via NCGenWeb (Lawson's mustache detail)Asheboro – Britannica (founding, 1796)Resistance: Heroes of America – Indy Week (Red Strings, slaveholding share)Deserters and Outliers – Our State (300–400 deserters)North Carolina's Conscientious Objectors – HistoryNet (caves, underground railroad)Benjamin Hoover letter, August 1864 – Spared & Shared (Home Guard ambush, election day)NC Zoo hiking trail – Heart of NC (moonshine theory, oldest mountains)Purgatory Mountain summit – TopoQuest/USGS (935 feet)The Long Shadow of the Civil War – blog post quoting Victoria Bynum's book (the torture of Bill Owens's wife)Civil War in the North Carolina Quaker Belt – William T. Auman (Owens as "Colonel," Settle's letter, Pike's boast, Owens's revenge order)Music: “Oh Hills Bear Witness,” created with Suno AI. Send us Fan Mail Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com                    buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

  2. Sep 23

    133. The Job Corps Murder: Remembering Colleen Slemmer

    The murder of Colleen Slemmer by fellow Job Corps student Christa Pike is a story that hits painfully close to home for me, bringing back memories of my own years at Job Corps in the 1990s.  January 12, 1995, 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer walked away from the Knoxville Job Corps Center with three other students and never came back. The next morning, a groundskeeper found her body near the greenhouses on the University of Tennessee's agricultural campus.  Music "90's Oldskool – Retro Instrumental Background Music" by FeelTheAmbiences SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/feeltheambiencesPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/FeelTheAmbiencesWithin Sources Court records State v. Pike, 978 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1998), Tennessee Supreme Court: https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/supreme-court/1998/pike.htmlState of Tennessee v. Chrysta Gail Pike, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1060820/state-of-tennessee-v-chrysta-gail-pike/Pike v. State (Tennessee Supreme Court ruling on withdrawing and reinstating her appeals): https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/591474ebadd7b049343a7e72State v. Shipp, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals (1998): https://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/OPINIONS/tcca/PDF/983/shippt.pdfPike v. Gross, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/4655013/christa-pike-v-gloria-gross/Pike federal habeas ruling, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-tned-1_12-cv-00035/pdf/USCOURTS-tned-1_12-cv-00035-1.pdfThe 2012 escape plot Tennessee Department of Correction / TBI press release, "TDOC and TBI Foil Escape Attempt" (March 21, 2012): https://www.tn.gov/news/2012/3/21/tdoc-and-tbi-foil-escape-attempt.htmlABC News, "Tennessee Death Row Woman's Escape Plot Foiled": https://abcnews.com/US/tennessee-female-death-row-womans-prison-escape-plot/story?id=15974377CBS News / AP, "Two men arrested in alleged attempt to break out Tenn. death row inmate Christa Gail Pike": https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-men-arrested-in-alleged-attempt-to-break-out-tenn-death-row-inmate-christa-gail-pikeTadaryl Shipp's parole WBIR, "Killer in 1995 Knoxville Job Corps case denied parole": https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/killer-in-1995-knoxville-job-corps-case-denied-parole/51-c0686e53-5870-432c-b875-d81a4f5532f9WVLT, "Board denies parole for man convicted in 1995 'Job Corps Murder'": https://www.wvlt.tv/2025/10/21/board-denies-parole-man-convicted-1995-job-corps-murder/Colleen's mother, May Martinez WBIR, "'I'm her voice': Mother prepares for the execution of her daughter's convicted murderer": https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/colleen-slemmers-mom-prepares-for-t-execution-of-christa-gail-pike/51-6ad9d0b7-f98e-4e83-9753-24501170ec6bWBIR, "Final days: Time running out for Christa Pike ahead of Sept. 30 execution": https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/final-days-time-running-out-for-christa-pike-ahead-of-sept-30-execution/51-33b11e29-f6b1-4776-86fb-4a2b45a6fc7fThe execution and clemency request Death Penalty Information Center, "Christa Pike Requests Clemency Ahead of September 30 Execution Date": https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/christa-pike-requests-clemency-ahead-of-september-30-execution-date-experts-amicus-brief-points-to-substantial-risk-of-re-traumatizationCornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide, case page: https://dpw.lawschool.cornell.edu/advocacy/christa-pike/Amnesty International USA, Urgent Action: https://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent-actions/usa-woman-facing-execution-for-crime-at-age-18/WATE, "Could Christa Pike be executed by hanging? What Tennessee law allows": https://www.wate.com/news/knox-county-news/could-christa-pike-be-executed-by-hanging-what-tennessee-law-allows/Further viewing "Dead Woman Walking: Pike v. Tennessee," Sinclair's Criminally Obsessed (2026): https://newschannel9.com/news/local/christa-pike-execution-dead-woman-walking-documentary-examines-tennessee-death-row-case Send us Fan Mail Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com                    buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

  3. Sep 9

    132. Jonestown Massacre: Jim Jones, Peoples Temple & the 1978 Tragedy

    In November 1978, more than 900 people died in Jonestown, Guyana, in one of the darkest tragedies in modern history. At the center of it all was Jim Jones, the charismatic and deeply manipulative leader of the Peoples Temple.  In this episode of Hard Times & True Crimes, we take a look at Jim Jones, the rise of the People's Temple, the move to Jonestown, and the disturbing events that unfolded on November 18, 1978.  We'll explore how Jones gained power over his followers, the warning signs that were missed, the visit from Congressman Leo Ryan, and how a community that had once been presented as a utopian experiment became the scene of a mass death that shocked the world.  Intro and Outro Music: Isaiah Hildreth Sources: Book: Fleming, Candace. Death In The Jungle. https://www.magellantv.com/articles/jim-jones-the-twisted-story-of-the-man-behind-the-jonestown-massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones Send us Fan Mail Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com                    buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

  4. Aug 26

    131. The Horrors of 10 Rillington Place: John Christie & Timothy Evans

    At 10 Rillington Place in Notting Hill, Timothy and Beryl Evans lived upstairs with their baby daughter, Geraldine. Downstairs lived their quiet, helpful neighbors—John and Ethel Christie. When Beryl and Geraldine were found strangled, Timothy Evans was arrested, tried, convicted of his daughter’s murder, and sentenced to death. On March 9, 1950, 25-year-old Timothy Evans was hanged. But three years later, another tenant at 10 Rillington Place  found the bodies of three women hidden in the walls. As police began tearing apart the house and searching the garden, they found more. Among the dead was Ethel Christie—the wife of the man who had been one of the prosecution’s most important witnesses against Timothy Evans. Sources & Further Reading Thorley, Peter. Inside 10 Rillington Place: The Untold Horror of My Life with a Serial Killer. Mirror Books, 2020.• Ten Rillington Place — Ludovic Kennedy, 1961 • Trials of Timothy John Evans and John Reginald Halliday Christie — edited by F. Tennyson Jesse, 1957 • John Christie of Rillington Place: Biography of a Serial Killer — Jonathan Oates • The Two Killers of Rillington Place — John Eddowes • The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place — Kate Summerscale • The Brabin Inquiry / Report of the Inquiry into the Case of Timothy John Evans • UK Parliamentary records and historical documents relating to the Timothy Evans case and his 1966 posthumous pardon • British newspaper coverage of the Evans and Christie investigations, trials, executions, and subsequent inquiries • Newspapers.com historical newspaper archive • Find a Grave memorial records • Contemporary newspaper reports from 1949–1953 • Archival photographs, court reporting, and historical materials relating to 10 Rillington Place and postwar London Hard Times & True Crimes Hosted by Darlene Hildreth & Melody Gwyn Narration by Curtis Hildreth Music by Isaiah Hildreth Some aspects of the Timothy Evans case remain disputed. Where historical sources, testimony, confessions, or later investigations conflict, we have attempted to distinguish established facts from allegations and competing interpretations. Send us Fan Mail Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com                    buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

  5. Aug 12

    130. Andrea Yates: Postpartum Psychosis, Depression & the Deaths of Her Five Children

    Andrea Yates became one of the most infamous mothers in American true crime history when she drowned her five children in her Houston bathtub in 2001. But the story of Andrea Yates is far more complicated than the headlines suggest.  In this episode of Hard Times and True Crimes, we examine Andrea Yates, the deaths of her five children, her history of severe mental illness and postpartum psychosis, and the circumstances surrounding this devastating tragedy.  We also take a closer look at some of the questions that continue to surround the case. Was religion or having multiple children responsible for what happened? What role did Andrea's husband, Rusty Yates, play? How much responsibility should be placed on a mother suffering from severe mental illness? And how do we distinguish contributing circumstances from actual causes?  Following the Lindsay Clancy trial? The ongoing Lindsay Clancy trial has brought renewed attention to postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, maternal mental illness, and the difficult question of responsibility when a mother kills her children. The Andrea Yates case provides important context for understanding these difficult and often misunderstood issues.  This episode is not a comparison of the two women or their cases. Rather, the Lindsay Clancy trial provides a timely reason to revisit Andrea Yates and have a deeper conversation about postpartum mental illness, motherhood, family responsibility, and the complicated circumstances surrounding these tragedies.  If you or someone you love is struggling, these resources are available to help. Postpartum Support International (PSI) 1-800-944-4773 call or text and for Spanish 971-203-7773National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-852-6262 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - 988 You do not have to be suicidal to contact 988. It is free and confidential. Narrator: Curtis Hildreth Intro & Outro Music: Isaiah Hildreth Sources:  https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/andrea-yates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Yates https://www.newspapers.com/image/1214877958/?match=1&terms=yates%20andrea&search-id=ede4dca4-924e-4217-9f74-15c43f916ea7&search-rank=8 Michael Woroniecki Response: https://michaelworoniecki.com/regarding-andrea-yates/ https://web.archive.org/web/20130522051607/http://crime.about.com/od/current/p/andreayates.htm newspapers.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com                    buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

  6. Jul 29

    129. The Monster and the Martyr: Irma Grese & Sophie Scholl

    For listeners of history, WWII, and true crime podcasts. In this episode, we examine the lives of Irma Grese, an SS Aufseherin (guard) at Ravensbrück and Auschwitz-Birkenau known for extraordinary cruelty toward prisoners, and Sophie Scholl, a member of the White Rose resistance group executed for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets at the University of Munich. Both women came of age under the Third Reich. Both were tried and executed by the same system. Their choices — and their legacies — could not be more different. ⚠️ This episode contains graphic historical content related to the Holocaust, including descriptions of violence and death. Listener discretion advised. Credits: Music by Isaiah Hildreth Narrated by Curtis Hildreth Sources: Newspapers.com (historical trial coverage and contemporary reporting)A Noble Treason: The Story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Revolt by Richard HanserIrma Grese and Auschwitz by Jerry Larson and Erik ClarkIf this episode moved you, please leave a rating and review — it helps more listeners find the show. Historical content presented for educational purposes. Send us Fan Mail Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com                    buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

  7. Jul 15

    128: Who Killed Tupac and Biggie? The Murders That Changed Hip-Hop Forever

    The murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. remain two of the most infamous unsolved cases in music history. Decades later, questions still linger: Were the murders connected? Was it really East Coast vs. West Coast? And what evidence has emerged over the years?  In this episode, we take a deep dive into the lives of Tupac and Biggie, the legendary rivalry that captivated the hip-hop world, the events leading up to their deaths, and the investigations that followed. We separate fact from fiction, explore the conspiracy theories that refuse to die, and examine what we actually know today.  Whether you're a longtime hip-hop fan or simply fascinated by unsolved true crime, this episode uncovers the twists, suspects, and unanswered questions behind two of the most shocking murders in entertainment history.  Narrator: Jay (Jericho Stone) Robinson - Darlene's Brother You can find his music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6K5x7XzQuGQdmmrEWPgdzC?si=DZ0zZpx-RdCxy9XPrEvY4A&utm_source=copy-link Intro and Outro Music: Isaiah Hildreth Sources: Roku Doc: 2002 Documentary - Biggie and Tupac - Nick Broomfield Podcast: Stuff You Should Know Podcast, The Ballad of Biggie and Tupac, Jan 22, 2026 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notorious_B.I.G. https://www.google.com/search?q=when+did+tupac+get+his+thug+life+tattoo&sca_esv=f39b2fa0409e051b&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1055US1057&sxsrf=APpeQnvDa6VOt8Sh_xVOZEOf3Calk-rSCQ%3A1783376046420&ei=rihMapiZGcfn5NoPpYmyqAE&biw=1366&bih=599&ved=0ahUKEwiYqP29ib-VAxXHM1kFHaWEDBUQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=when+did+tupac+get+his+thug+life+tattoo&gs_lp=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_C6BgYIARABGAGSBwYxLjM3LjGgB53jAbIHBjAuMzcuMbgHoCvCBwkyLTE2LjIyLjHIB_0CgAgB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:d8649a34,vid:sBoKzkTiKIc,st:0 Send us Fan Mail Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com                    buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

  8. Jul 1

    127. Remember Sally Horner

    In 1948, eleven-year-old Sally Horner was kidnapped by Frank La Salle after he pretended to be an FBI agent and threatened to send her to reform school. For twenty-one months, he took her across the country, convincing others she was his daughter while she endured manipulation, isolation, and abuse. Although Sally was eventually rescued, her story was largely forgotten—even as another name became famous. Sources Books Sarah Weinman, The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the WorldVladimir Nabokov, LolitaPrimary & Historical Sources Contemporary newspaper coverage (1948–1952), including The Camden Courier-Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, Associated Press, and other regional newspapers.Court records and legal proceedings involving Frank La Salle.FBI historical records and publicly available case information.Online Resources Find a Grave – Florence “Sally” Horner MemorialWikipedia – Kidnapping of Sally HornerNewspapers.com (archival newspaper research) Photo: Sally Horner on a swing, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Narration: Curtis Hildreth Original Music, Mixing & Mastering: Isaiah Hildreth Skip the grocery store and support local North Carolina farmers. Shop the Randolph County Food Hub, operated by the local nonprofit NC Rooted Community Agriculture.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com                    buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

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4.7
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About

Listen to two Southern, Christian women tell each other historical true crime stories. 

Information

  • Creator
    Darlene Hildreth and Melody Gwyn
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    136
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hard Times and True Crimes
  • Show Website
    Hard Times and True Crimes

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