Bloody Angola: A Podcast by Jim Chapman

Standing barely over five feet tall and weighing around 130 pounds, Donald Henry “Pee Wee” Gaskins looked nothing like the monster he was. Nicknamed for his small stature, the South Carolina native became one of the state’s most prolific and sadistic serial killers—known in some circles as the “Meanest Man in America” or the “Redneck Charles Manson.” From the late 1960s into the mid-1970s, Gaskins distinguished between what he called his “coastal kills” (random hitchhikers and strangers he tortured for pleasure) and his “serious murders” (people he knew: friends, associates, and even family). Among the confirmed victims were his own 15-year-old niece, Janice Kirby, and her 17-year-old friend Patricia Ann Alsbrook, whom he beat to death. He also murdered pregnant Doreen Dempsey and her two-year-old daughter, among others whose bodies were later found buried in shallow graves near his property in Prospect, South Carolina. Timestamps: 01:38 South Carolina’s Pee Wee Gaskins 05:36 Prison, Parole, and Early Killings 09:37 The Confirmed Victims Begin 19:05 Murders for Money and Silence 21:56 Kim Lyons and the Killings That Followed 26:13 The Graveyard and Gaskins’ Capture 28:28 Prison Murder Plot 33:59 Execution and Final Words

In this Halloween episode, Jim revisits haunted prisons and jails, discussing their histories and reports of unexplained voices, footsteps, apparitions, and other activity. We then recount several murders and deaths associated with Halloween, including both solved cases and unsolved killings. Timestamps: 02:37 Yuma Territorial Prison’s Dark Cell 07:45 Charleston’s Infamous Old City Jail 13:09 Missouri’s Haunted Prison Walls 15:45 Butch Cassidy’s Wyoming Prison 18:00 West Virginia Penitentiary Hauntings 20:44 Dillinger’s Escape from Lake County Jail 29:32 Murders Committed on Halloween Night 29:48 A Halloween Night Killing in Napa 37:37 The Halloween Murders of the Griffin Family 38:38 An Unsolved Manhattan Halloween Killing Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

Gary Mark Gilmore committed two cold-blooded murders by robbing Max Jensen, a young gas-station attendant and BYU student in Orem, ordered him to the floor, and shot him twice in the head—reportedly saying one bullet was “for me” and the other “for Nicole.” The next evening he did it again, killing motel manager Bennie Bushnell in Provo under nearly identical circumstances. Timestamps: 04:58 A Family Built on Lies and Violence 11:12 Prison Becomes Gary’s Home 18:40 Two Young Fathers, Two Brutal Robberies 24:30 Conviction—and a Death Sentence 29:06 A Mother, the ACLU, and the Battle 31:26 A Failed Suicide Pact and a Hunger Strike 33:11 Gilmore’s Final Night and Firing Squad Execution Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

At Louisiana State Penitentary at Angola, 48 incarcerated fathers spent time with their sons through fishing, games, boat rides and conversation as part of an outreach program focusing on building stronger relationships between incarcerated fathers and sons, how did they do it, and what is the impact of an event like this? Jim Chapman brings you behind the wire and onto a 400 acre lake in this episode. Timestamps: 01:41 Angola’s Father-Son Fishing Day 03:25 Lake Killarney’s Storied Past 04:49 Reuniting Fathers and Sons 08:28 First Meetings and Family Stories 1 1:27 Incarceration’s Generational Impact 15:05 Fishing, Games, and New Memories 25:47 Rehabilitation Through Family Connection 31:46 Angola Cowboys Take the National Stage 34:23 Rodeo, Redemption, and Recognition 36:46 Camp 57 Repair Update Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: CLICK HERE:

Thomas Randolph called 911 on the night of May 8, 2008, from his Las Vegas home with a chilling story: he and his sixth wife, Sharon Causse , had just returned from a date when a masked intruder shot her in the head. Randolph claimed he then killed the intruder in self-defense. The dead man turned out to be Michael Miller, a handyman Randolph knew. Investigators quickly saw problems with the scene and the story. Prosecutors later argued Randolph had hired Miller to kill Sharon so he could collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in life insurance, then shot Miller to eliminate the only witness and stage the whole thing as a heroic act of self-defense. It was a calculated double murder dressed up as a random home invasion. What made the case even darker was Randolph’s history. He had been married six times, and four of his wives were dead by the time he was arrested. One earlier wife in Utah, Becky Gault, had also died from a gunshot wound in circumstances that raised suspicions; Randolph was tried and acquitted in that case years earlier. The pattern—marriages, insurance policies, and untimely deaths—earned him the nickname “the Black Widower.” The road to conviction was long and complicated. Randolph was found guilty in 2017 and sentenced to death, but the Nevada Supreme Court overturned the verdict because jurors had heard evidence from the earlier Utah case. At his 2023 retrial, with that prior-act evidence barred, a second jury still convicted him of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of first-degree murder. In 2024 he was sentenced to 60 years to life. He continues to maintain his innocence. Timestamps: 02:06 Vegas Home Invasion 05:28 Early Marriages 09:50 Becky’s Death 14:05 Jailhouse Plot 14:43 Leona’s Marriage 15:44 Gayna’s Escape 19:03 Frances’s Mysterious Death 26:13 Sharon’s Murder 29:42 Conviction Overturned #bloodyangolapodcast #podcast #ThomasRandolph #podcast #truecrime #Nevada

In this episode Jim Chapman examines the crime, conviction, and eventual failed execution of death row inmate Christa Pike in Tennessee after being convicted in the murder of Colleen Slemmer. Timestamps 01:45 Failed Execution Shock 02:58 Job Corps Background 10:33 Krista Pike Emerges 20:11 Clues on Campus 26:31 Pike Confesses 30:05 Death Sentence Handed Down 32:11 New Execution Date Set 34:15 Medical Issues Raised 36:21 Execution Goes Wrong Patreon Link https://www.patron.com/bloodyangolapodcast

In this episode Jim Chapman brings you to Alaska and tells you the story of Israel Keyes . Jim covers the disappearance of Samantha Koenig in Anchorage in 2012 and the investigation that followed, including the ransom scheme and the evidence later linked to him. Jim also dives deep into Keyes background, military service, and adult life, along with the violent behavior and confessions that shaped the case. Timestamps 05:12 Wilderness to Extremism 10:38 Soldiers See the Rage 20:05 Samantha Koenig’s Last Night 26:43 Ransom Scheme Unravels 30:13 Murder and Body Disposal 39:14 Confession and Charges 41:08 Failed Escape Attempt 43:19 Victims Revealed Patreon Link https://www.patron.com/bloodyangolapodcast

On the afternoon of November 21, 2021, downtown Waukesha, Wisconsin, was packed for the city’s annual Christmas parade. Kids in baseball uniforms. Bank employees handing out candy. The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies in sequins and pompoms. Then a red Ford Escape came down the route and did not stop. In the span of a few blocks, Darrell Edward Brooks Jr. struck dozens of people. Six were killed. More than sixty were injured. The dead ranged from 8-year-old Jackson Sparks, marching with his brother and the Waukesha Blazers, to 81-year-old Wilhelm Hospel, walking with the dance group his wife belonged to. Three members of the Dancing Grannies — Virginia Sorenson, 79; LeAnna Owen, 71; and Tamara Durand, 52, in her first parade with the troupe — never made it home. Jane Kulich, 52, was walking with a Citizens Bank float. This episode reconstructs that Sunday: the domestic fight earlier that day, the low cash bail that had put Brooks back on the street, the barricades he ignored, and the five-block path of the SUV. It also traces the two decades that came before it — battery, domestic violence, prior incidents involving vehicles, and open Milwaukee felony cases that never kept him locked up.

In 2008, a young man from Chillicothe, Ohio, slit his girlfriend’s mother’s throat, sat on the couch, and watched her die—then set the apartment on fire. He called himself “Box Cutter.” Prosecutors wanted death. A psychologist’s finding about his IQ took it off the table. He went to prison for life. That should have been the end of the story. It wasn’t. In February 2016, Casey Pigge carved a cinder block out of his cell wall at Lebanon Correctional Institution, talked his cellmate into a “card trick,” and beat Luther Wade to death. He later said he wanted a cell to himself. Officials still put him on a prison bus. Two days after he pleaded guilty to that killing, he sat in the back of a transport vehicle with no cameras and no line of sight to the officers up front. Using a restraint chain, he strangled and smothered 61-year-old inmate David Johnson while other prisoners watched. When it was over, Pigge boasted: “I guess you never seen that on a bus before.” A year later, in another February, he and another lifer used homemade shanks to stab a Lucasville correction officer 32 times. The officer lived. Pigge did not stop talking about killing again.

On November 15, 2017, 24-year-old Sydney Loofe left her Lincoln apartment excited for a second Tinder date. She posted a Snapchat: “Ready for my date.” She never came home.The woman she matched with was Bailey Boswell . Sydney didn’t know Boswell lived with older boyfriend Aubrey Trail — a career criminal prosecutors said was already looking for someone to kill. Boswell lured Sydney to a basement apartment in Wilber. There she was strangled with an extension cord, cut into 14 pieces, stuffed into trash bags, and dumped along rural roads. For three weeks her family and the FBI searched. Then the bags were found. Store video showed Trail and Boswell buying saws and bleach while Sydney was still alive. Trail was sentenced to death. Boswell got life. In 2024 her conviction was upheld. Sydney just wanted a second date. What she walked into was a trap set before they ever matched. Timestamps: 03:51 Sidney Loof 14:26 Aubrey Trail’s Criminal Past 18:27 Bailey Boswell’s Fall 25:21 The Wilbur Basement 29:00 Tinder Trap Set 38:07 Trials and Verdicts 41:37 Justice After Loss

In January 1958, a 19-year-old high school dropout from Lincoln, Nebraska named Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate went on a murder spree that left eleven people dead across Nebraska and Wyoming. Starkweather, who idolized James Dean and styled himself as a rebellious outsider, and Fugate, who claimed she was a hostage, left a trail of bodies that included a teenage couple, a wealthy industrialist and his wife, a traveling salesman, and a young couple in Wyoming. The killings were brutal, impulsive, and seemingly without clear motive beyond rage, alienation, and a twisted desire for notoriety. Timestamps 03:20 Starkweather's Early Years 06:59 Rebel Without Rules 11:22 First Killings Begin 13:20 The Bartlett Murders 16:36 Help Turns Deadly 19:38 Final Chase Ends 26:28 Execution Day Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

Part 2 of a 2 Part Series For more than three decades, Wichita, Kansas lived under the shadow of a killer who named himself. He called himself BTK—Bind, Torture, Kill —and he made sure the police and the public never forgot it. Between 1974 and 1991, Dennis Rader murdered at least ten people, often in their own homes, binding them, torturing them, and strangling or suffocating them while living a completely ordinary suburban life. This episode traces the full arc of the BTK case: the brutal first murders of the Otero family in 1974, the years of taunting letters and packages, the long silences that turned the case into one of America’s most infamous cold cases, and the arrogant return to communication in 2004 that finally undid him. We’ll examine how a single floppy disk and a digital metadata trail led investigators straight to a church computer… and how familial DNA sealed the identification. It’s the story of a man who believed he could control everything—his victims, the police, the narrative—until one careless slip proved him wrong. A deep dive into the double life, the psychology of control, and the painstaking investigation that finally stopped BTK. Timestamps 05:59 Maureen Hedge 12:02 Floppy Disk Mistake 14:27 Rader’s Arrest 57:03 Dolores Davis’s Final Known Murder 1:02:25 Sentencing and Aftermath Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

Part 1 of a 2 Part Series For more than three decades, Wichita, Kansas lived under the shadow of a killer who named himself. He called himself BTK—Bind, Torture, Kill —and he made sure the police and the public never forgot it. Between 1974 and 1991, Dennis Rader murdered at least ten people, often in their own homes, binding them, torturing them, and strangling or suffocating them while living a completely ordinary suburban life. This episode traces the full arc of the BTK case: the brutal first murders of the Otero family in 1974, the years of taunting letters and packages, the long silences that turned the case into one of America’s most infamous cold cases, and the arrogant return to communication in 2004 that finally undid him. We’ll examine how a single floppy disk and a digital metadata trail led investigators straight to a church computer… and how familial DNA sealed the identification. It’s the story of a man who believed he could control everything—his victims, the police, the narrative—until one careless slip proved him wrong. A deep dive into the double life, the psychology of control, and the painstaking investigation that finally stopped BTK. Timestamps 00:38 BTK’s Hidden Childhood 02:45 The Otero Murders 06:06 Early Signs of Obsession 12:10 The Double Life Deepens 18:19 First Kill Revealed 19:42 The Otero Home Attack 26:07 Catherine Bright’s Fight 32:29 Shirley Vian’s Final Hours 35:40 Nancy Fox and BTK 42:35 The Next Victim Awaits Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

“The Craigslist Killer” In October 2007, 24-year-old Katherine Ann Olson , a bright theater and Hispanic studies graduate from St. Olaf College, responded to what seemed like a straightforward babysitting job posting on Craigslist. She arrived at a home in Savage, Minnesota, expecting to care for a child. Instead, she walked into a nightmare. This episode dives deep into the chilling case of Michael John Anderson , the 19-year-old who posed as "Amy" online to lure his victim. What started as a seemingly random ad quickly unraveled into a premeditated murder driven by a disturbing desire to know what it felt like to kill. Anderson shot Katherine in his parents' home, leaving behind a trail of evidence that would lead to his swift arrest and conviction. Jim explores Anderson's background, the investigation that exposed the deception, the dramatic trial where he was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder (among other charges), and his life sentence without parole. This case marked one of the earliest high-profile "Craigslist Killer" stories, highlighting the hidden dangers of early online classifieds in an era before widespread awareness of internet safety. Timestamps 03:18 Catherine Olson’s Childhood 06:56 Michael Anderson’s Early Years 10:09 College Dreams and Warning Signs 13:45 The Fake Babysitting Ad 17:45 Missing Person Leads Police 23:53 Detective Closes In 25:56 The Car and Body Found 28:39 Anderson’s Interview Unravels 30:41 Trial and Verdict 34:05 Sentencing and Aftermath Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

Mollie Tibbetts , a 20-year-old University of Iowa student was home for the summer, working, running regularly, and spending time with family and her boyfriend when she disappeared on the evening of July 18, 2018, triggering a large search by family, volunteers, and law enforcement. The evidence led investigators to Cristhian Bahena Rivera , including surveillance video of his vehicle following Molly and his eventual statements to police. He led investigators to her body in a cornfield, and the autopsy ruled her death a homicide caused by multiple sharp force injuries. Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast Cozy Earth: Get 30% off on Bamboo sheet sets, pajama sets, pillows, comforters and so much more! Use the code EXPOSED at checkout. www.CozyEarth.com

In the quiet rural community of Appomattox, Virginia, a horrifying family dispute erupted into one of the deadliest mass shootings in the state's history. On January 19, 2010, 40-year-old Christopher Bryan Speight went on a brutal rampage, methodically gunning down eight people—including his own sister, her husband, their two young children, and several neighbors—before fleeing into the surrounding woods. What started as a conflict over the family home quickly spiraled into unthinkable violence. Speight not only slaughtered his relatives but also shot at a Virginia State Police helicopter during a massive manhunt, forcing it to make an emergency landing. After an overnight standoff, he eventually surrendered to authorities. In this gripping solo episode, Jim dives deep into the timeline of the Appomattox massacre, the chilling details of Speight's confession, his claims that an Egyptian goddess named Jennifer ordered him to kill because his family was "possessed by demons," and the mental health evaluations that ultimately spared him from the death penalty. Chapters 03:04 Rural Virginia Beginnings 08:16 Loss and Fracture 11:12 House Dispute Turns Deadly 18:04 Delusions and Arrest 22:40 Guilty Plea and Sentencing 29:35 No Closure, Only Memory Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

In the early morning hours of January 7, 2012, beloved Sidney High School math teacher Sherry Arnold laced up her running shoes for a routine jog through her quiet Montana neighborhood. She never came home. What began as a desperate search for a missing wife, mother, and pillar of the community quickly spiraled into one of the most shocking crimes in northeast Montana’s history. Two men from Colorado — Lester Waters and a young Michael Spell — had driven to the region chasing oilfield work during the height of the Bakken boom. High on crack cocaine and looking for trouble, they spotted Arnold running alone in the dark and made a split-second, horrific decision. In this episode of 50 Shades of Evil , Jim Chapman breaks down the full story of Michael Spell’s Montana crimes: the random abduction, the violent struggle inside their Ford Explorer that ended Sherry Arnold’s life, the desperate attempt to hide her body across the state line in North Dakota, and the intense investigation that followed. We explore Spell’s troubling background, his significant intellectual disabilities, the lengthy competency battle that delayed justice, and his eventual guilty plea to deliberate homicide. Jim examines the broader impact on the once-sleepy oil boom town of Sidney and the lingering questions about culpability, manipulation, and evil when drugs and damaged minds collide. Later, while serving his 100-year sentence inside Montana State Prison, Spell faced new criminal charges — including allegations tied to violence against another inmate and a 2024 incident involving a female corrections officer. Chapters 07:12 Fatherhood and Addiction 09:10 Early Criminal Trouble 16:22 Sherry Arnold's Final Jog 22:17 Competency Battles 29:21 Prison Violence Continues 35:44 Spell's Grim Present Michael Spell, Sherry Arnold murder, Sidney Montana, Bakken oil boom crime, Montana true crime, teacher abduction, crack cocaine murder, deliberate homicide

Part 4 of a 4 part series Jim Chapman brings you into the shadows of one of America’s most notorious serial killers: Ted Bundy . This episode covers Bundy’s Florida trials, including the Chi Omega and Kimberly Leach cases, both ending in death sentences. It also follows his time on death row, marriage, daughter, final interview, and execution. Behind the handsome face, law-school smile, and easy charm lurked a predator who terrorized the United States from 1974-1978. From his first known murders in Washington state to his cross-country killing spree, daring prison escapes, and final rampage in Florida, Bundy left behind a trail of at least thirty confirmed victims— young women who never stood a chance against his calculated manipulation. Jim examines how a seemingly ordinary man used his intelligence, good looks, and fake casts and crutches to lure victims into his Volkswagen Beetle, and how he repeatedly slipped through the fingers of law enforcement. You’ll hear about the shocking courtroom moments, the media circus that turned him into a celebrity monster, and the psychological profile that still fascinates criminologists today. From his troubled childhood to his final days on death row, this is the complete, unflinching story of Ted Bundy—the charming killer whose crimes changed the way America hunts monsters. Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and sexual assault. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Chapters 07:06 Trial Begins 09:54 The Bite Mark Breakthrough 18:59 TV Circus Around Bundy 22:01 Kimberly Leach Trial 27:12 Death Row Manipulation 28:05 Prison Marriage Secret 31:46 Execution Day Arrives 34:46 Bundy's Lasting Evil 37:24 Final Interview Begins Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

Part 3 of a 4 part series Jim Chapman brings you into the shadows of one of America’s most notorious serial killers: Ted Bundy . This episode covers Bundy’s 1975 attacks and murders in Colorado and Utah, his 1977 multiple escapes, the Chi Omega attack in Tallahassee, and the abduction and murder of Kimberly Leach just prior to his final capture in Florida. Behind the handsome face, law-school smile, and easy charm lurked a predator who terrorized the United States from 1974-1978. From his first known murders in Washington state to his cross-country killing spree, daring prison escapes, and final rampage in Florida, Bundy left behind a trail of at least thirty confirmed victims— young women who never stood a chance against his calculated manipulation. Jim examines how a seemingly ordinary man used his intelligence, good looks, and fake casts and crutches to lure victims into his Volkswagen Beetle, and how he repeatedly slipped through the fingers of law enforcement. You’ll hear about the shocking courtroom moments, the media circus that turned him into a celebrity monster, and the psychological profile that still fascinates criminologists today. From his troubled childhood to his final days on death row, this is the complete, unflinching story of Ted Bundy—the charming killer whose crimes changed the way America hunts monsters. #bloodyangolapodcast #podcast #Washington #tedbundy #podcast #truecrime #florida #colorado #Serial Chapters 04:05 Julie Cunningham 06:04 Denise Oliverson 11:23 The Youth Conference 14:58 The Traffic Stop Discovery 16:35 Inside Bundy’s Beetle 20:38 The First Jail Escape 22:21 The Florida Escape 24:32 Chi Omega Bloodbath 30:44 Kimberly Leach Abduction 34:45 Bundy’s Final Arrest Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast

Part 2 of a 4 part series Jim Chapman brings you into the shadows of one of America’s most notorious serial killers: Ted Bundy . Behind the handsome face, law-school smile, and easy charm lurked a predator who terrorized the United States from 1974-1978. From his first known murders in Washington state to his cross-country killing spree, daring prison escapes, and final rampage in Florida, Bundy left behind a trail of at least thirty confirmed victims— young women who never stood a chance against his calculated manipulation. Jim examines how a seemingly ordinary man used his intelligence, good looks, and fake casts and crutches to lure victims into his Volkswagen Beetle, and how he repeatedly slipped through the fingers of law enforcement. You’ll hear about the shocking courtroom moments, the media circus that turned him into a celebrity monster, and the psychological profile that still fascinates criminologists today. From his troubled childhood to his final days on death row, this is the complete, unflinching story of Ted Bundy—the charming killer whose crimes changed the way America hunts monsters. “50 Shades of Evil” is a podcast series brought to you by “Bloody Angola Podcast”. Chapters 01:12 Hawkins on Sorority Row 07:41 Lake Sammamish Attacks 21:06 Utah Hunting Grounds 26:52 Melissa Smith Targeted 31:35 Halloween Night Attack 38:50 Carol DaRonch’s Escape 44:45 Colorado’s Ski Lodge Murder Join Bloody Angola on Patreon for Commercial Free Early Releases and more here: www.patreon.com/bloodyangolapodcast