MFM Minisode 414

This week’s hometowns include a bloody handprint and debunking a local legend.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  This is exactly right.

• 0:06Georgia Hardstark?

  In New Orleans, truckers kept getting sideswiped the exact same way.

• 0:09Karen Kilgariff?

  When a man is found murdered under questionable circumstances related to these accidents, that's when the rubber hits the road.

• 0:16Georgia Hardstark?

  And what the feds uncover is a complex scheme of staged wrecks, financial fraud, and a pair of conspiring lovers behind it.

• 0:23Karen Kilgariff?

  This is a story about fake accidents that led to real consequences.

• 0:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Listen to Over My Dead Body: Operation Sideswipe wherever you get your podcasts.

• 0:31Karen Kilgariff?

  Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now.

• 0:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Goodbye.

• 0:41Speaker 03

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• 1:11Speaker 04

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• 1:52Speaker 04

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• 2:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Hello.

• 2:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Hello.

• 2:29Karen Kilgariff?

  And welcome.

• 2:30Georgia Hardstark?

  To my favorite murder.

• 2:31Karen Kilgariff?

  The minisode.

• 2:32Georgia Hardstark?

  That's right.

• 2:33Karen Kilgariff?

  Stop arguing. Because it's real.

• 2:36Georgia Hardstark?

  We told you.

• 2:37Karen Kilgariff?

  We said we were gonna do it.

• 2:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Listen, please, listen. Give us the benefit of the doubt.

• 2:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Now go.

• 2:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay, now that we've just berated them.

• 2:44Karen Kilgariff?

  They like it.

• 2:45Georgia Hardstark?

  This is called Family Drama: Bloody Handprint.

• 2:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Hmm.

• 2:49Georgia Hardstark?

  Hi. Day seven listener here, a longtime dreamer of writing a hometown, but I never felt I had the right story.

• 2:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Wait, wait.

• 2:58Georgia Hardstark?

  I don't know.

• 2:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Day seven?

• 2:59Georgia Hardstark?

  Episode seven or day seven?

• 3:01Karen Kilgariff?

  Day.

• 3:01Georgia Hardstark?

  Like, seven days after we released the first episode? I don't know.

• 3:04Karen Kilgariff?

  It sounds like, literally, I've been listening for seven days and I've dreamed of writing an email forever.

• 3:11Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay, we were both on the other sides of the... Okay.

• 3:14Karen Kilgariff?

  I don't think mine's right, though.

• 3:15Georgia Hardstark?

  I agree.

• 3:15Karen Kilgariff?

  I just think it's funny.

• 3:16Georgia Hardstark?

  That would be very funny. Today, you asked for family drama, and I come from two large Catholic families and started thinking through all the family lore and shenanigans. Could I tell you the story about dangling my little cousin down the second-floor laundry chute?

• 3:32Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh.

• 3:33Georgia Hardstark?

  Or about the island my family used to own in Pittsburgh until they squandered away all of their money and it was seized by the government?

• 3:40Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 3:40Georgia Hardstark?

  Nope, it has to be the bloody handprint on my grandparents' basement wall.

• 3:45Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, shit.

• 3:46Georgia Hardstark?

  When I was growing up, my grandparents lived in a split-level home, reed, lots of stairs, and the lowest level was a cement basement. I was down there one day, probably trying to find their grumpy cat, Moe, when I noticed something on one of the cement walls. I looked a little closer and thought it faintly looked like a brownish-colored handprint, obviously faded with time. Later that day in the car, I asked my dad, "Hey, is there a handprint on the basement wall at Grandma's house?" "Oh, yeah, that's from when your great-grandmother died." Uh, what? Yep, here's the story.

• 4:20Karen Kilgariff?

  Ah.

• 4:22Georgia Hardstark?

  My dad and his family of eight moved from Pittsburgh to Ohio when he was a kid, and his grandmother moved with them. It was a tight fit with everyone in the house, and my great-grandmother wasn't great with stairs or... Fully understanding where she was in the new house. She slept in the lower level. One night she must have woken up and needed to go upstairs to the kitchen but got confused and went to the cement basement stairs instead. She fell and hit her head. At some point she touched her bloody head and then touched the wall, leaving the infamous bloody handprint. It is exact, yes, it is exactly what you think it's gonna be.

• 4:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Jesus Christ.

• 5:00Georgia Hardstark?

  I know. She did not die there on the floor, but she was not found till the morning and was taken to the hospital where she died later.

• 5:08Karen Kilgariff?

  That's, that's just a straight up tragedy.

• 5:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Why am I doing this story is a question I'm asking myself right now.

• 5:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Let's see if they have a point. Let's see if we're gonna get somewhere.

• 5:14Georgia Hardstark?

  I mean, the handprint remains to this day, I think is the point, that all our families are fucking morbid and weird and we just go along with it like everything's fine.

• 5:23Karen Kilgariff?

  Right. What would have been the problem with going down and rinsing that handprint off?

• 5:26Georgia Hardstark?

  Rinsing, painting over it. Thanks for all you do and share. This podcast has dramatically impacted the way I see the world and myself. And though my husband is not a listener, he doesn't need to be because I literally retell him every single episode.

• 5:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Aww.

• 5:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Stay sexy and dig deep for those family stories because everyone's got them.

• 5:46Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, that's true.

• 5:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Beth.

• 5:48Karen Kilgariff?

  Beth, good point.

• 5:49Georgia Hardstark?

  I think that's the point is like, everyone has a bloody handprint from their great grandmother in the basement wall.

• 5:55Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, that for some reason no one is taking care of.

• 5:58Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, and that you have to ask about before they'll tell you about it.

• 6:01Karen Kilgariff?

  They'll let you as a child wander down into a darkened basement and discover it yourself.

• 6:07Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 6:07Karen Kilgariff?

  And not be like, we want to keep that there as a remembrance.

• 6:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 6:11Karen Kilgariff?

  Or anything. It's just like.

• 6:12Georgia Hardstark?

  Hey, go find it. It's a rite of passage.

• 6:17Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay.

• 6:18Georgia Hardstark?

  You know, I'm gonna stick, I am sticking with it. I am, what is it, sticking by my.

• 6:23Karen Kilgariff?

  You're standing, you're standing by it?

• 6:24Georgia Hardstark?

  I'm standing by it.

• 6:25Karen Kilgariff?

  Nice. Stand by your email.

• 6:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 6:28Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, I like it.

• 6:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 6:30Karen Kilgariff?

  It's a very good point.

• 6:32Georgia Hardstark?

  It is.

• 6:33Karen Kilgariff?

  It's a little Brene Brown of like that idea that we're all supposed to be ashamed because we're not perfect.

• 6:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 6:39Karen Kilgariff?

  When in fact.

• 6:40Georgia Hardstark?

  We all have.

• 6:42Karen Kilgariff?

  We all have all these things.

• 6:43Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 6:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah. Okay. The subject line of this email is, "You fucking debunked my hometown legend?" Question mark, exclamation point. And it says, "Hi there, K and G. This is usually the part when someone says, 'longtime listener, first time writer.' However, I'm breaking the mold. I started listening to MFM in February 2024 and have been breezing through multiple episodes a day. Shout out to my friend Maria for getting me hooked and to Karen for recommending I skip the first 100 episodes."

• 7:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Why did you do that?

• 7:17Georgia Hardstark?

  Why? I don't remember that.

• 7:19Karen Kilgariff?

  Because it was back when we were fucking just blabbing, saying all kinds of horrifying shit that now we're just like.

• 7:25Georgia Hardstark?

  There's so many episodes.

• 7:26Karen Kilgariff?

  There's so many episodes. In the beginning, it was just two gals recording a hang.

• 7:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Having no idea what was happening, but there was a fucking tidal wave. But now we're doing rewind episodes, so you can listen to those instead of going back to the first 100. You can listen to the rewind episodes.

• 7:45Karen Kilgariff?

  Sweet ass plug.

• 7:46Georgia Hardstark?

  There you go. Thank you.

• 7:47Karen Kilgariff?

  This was pre rewind episodes.

• 7:48Georgia Hardstark?

  Sure.

• 7:49Karen Kilgariff?

  And I was just giving people advice to skip stuff.

• 7:52Georgia Hardstark?

  She wasn't wrong.

• 7:55Karen Kilgariff?

  All right. Then this person writes, "I'll get there eventually. Now you don't have to with the rewind episodes." Okay. "In episode 843, Karen covers the Hammond, Indiana circus train crash."

• 8:06Georgia Hardstark?

  843?

• 8:07Karen Kilgariff?

  For, no, not even close. "In episode 463."

• 8:11Georgia Hardstark?

  I don't, there's no way I am that off that.

• 8:15Karen Kilgariff?

  But like, what's my brain telling my mouth that I said 843?

• 8:19Georgia Hardstark?

  This is our podcast and nothing has changed from the first 100 to now?

• 8:24Karen Kilgariff?

  It's also the 100.

• 8:25Georgia Hardstark?

  It's actually not that different from when it was in the beginning?

• 8:27Karen Kilgariff?

  You're just in the fourth 100.

• 8:30Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 8:30Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay. "In episode 453, Karen covers the Hammond, Indiana circus train crash and mentions showman's rest at Woodlawn Cemetery where the victim." The crash were buried. Woodlawn Cemetery is in my small hometown of Forest Park, Illinois. I've been considering writing this, writing in this hometown ever since I started listening, but the story I grew up hearing is a bit different. The town legend originally stated that the crash happened in Forest Park and that the only victims were four circus elephants. In Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, there are four large hills at each corner of the cemetery. The legend had it that the hills were actually the graves of those elephants.

• 9:12Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh.

• 9:13Karen Kilgariff?

  You're saying legend. I'm saying, was it your uncle who was just kind of like bored and telling you a story?

• 9:19Georgia Hardstark?

  Legendary uncle?

• 9:22Karen Kilgariff?

  So the, the most legendary uncle of Forest Park, Illinois. My new screenplay. The story seemed so far-fetched that even hearing it as a first grader, it never really made sense. I was thrilled to hear the real facts of the story in the latest spooky Halloween episode and felt an immense sense of pride, knowing that there was at least some truth to our small town's legend. Forest Park is a blue collar village just outside of Chicago that is only two square miles and is the home of three cemeteries.

• 9:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 9:52Karen Kilgariff?

  Part of the legend is that Forest Park held the world's record for the highest ratio of dead people to alive people. But I'll leave that to you two experts to debunk.

• 10:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Daily City.

• 10:03Karen Kilgariff?

  Daily City or Colma, right?

• 10:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 10:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Which is the real, I mean, all cemeteries. What if you got really competitive with Illinois where we're like, um, I think that belongs to Colma? Okay. Thank you both so much for being real as shit all the time. We can't help it.

• 10:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Yep. It's a crutch for you.

• 10:28Karen Kilgariff?

  You've inspired me to start therapy and become sober, all in nine months of listening.

• 10:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God. It's taken me nine years and I'm fucking only on one of those things.

• 10:37Karen Kilgariff?

  Also, this is bullshit. Like, this sounds like someone, it's like, write in this email to make them feel better.

• 10:43Georgia Hardstark?

  It's really changed my life. Double thumbs up.

• 10:46Karen Kilgariff?

  Yep. You are both very special to me and I can't wait to see where the next year of listening takes me. And then it parentheses, it says, more than likely to the first 100 episodes. Stay sexy and check your hometown facts and dead to alive ratios, Raylen, she/her.

• 11:03Georgia Hardstark?

  Raylen, I feel touched.

• 11:06Karen Kilgariff?

  I'm truly touched.

• 11:07Georgia Hardstark?

  I feel, that was touching. I feel touched.

• 11:10Karen Kilgariff?

  It's funny because we keep on making jokes, right, where we shouldn't, uh, when people are being touching with us.

• 11:16Georgia Hardstark?

  It's because we can't handle vulnerability.

• 11:19Karen Kilgariff?

  It doesn't feel great.

• 11:20Georgia Hardstark?

  Humor. Cover it all up.

• 11:22Karen Kilgariff?

  With humor.

• 11:24Georgia Hardstark?

  The holidays are coming, which means we'll all be spending more time away from home.

• 11:27Karen Kilgariff?

  Whether you're visiting family or doing something actually fun, you want to know your home is protected while you're away.

• 11:33Georgia Hardstark?

  That's why now is a good time to think about home security with SimpliSafe.

• 11:36Karen Kilgariff?

  Unlike traditional security systems that alert you after a break-in starts, SimpliSafe is designed to help stop intruders before they get inside. These days, you're worried about your house, you're out of town, and then something comes up and you get to look on your phone, and SimpliSafe is going to show you not only the video of like, it's a raccoon at your front door, but also that they have staff that's sitting there, they already know, and if it was something different or worse, they would have already been on it.

• 12:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, I really think that's invaluable peace of mind that just like relying on your neighbors, paying attention is not going to give you. We've partnered with SimpliSafe to offer our listeners their biggest savings of the year. 70% off your new system with professional monitoring when you visit simplisafe.com/mfm.

• 12:20Karen Kilgariff?

  That's simplisafe.com/mfm, and when you order, write in MFM at checkout, and it tells them we sent you, and it really helps the show.

• 12:27Georgia Hardstark?

  SimpliSafe, ahead of crime in real time.

• 12:30Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. Nothing makes you take a good, hard look at your furniture like inviting people over for the holidays.

• 12:36Georgia Hardstark?

  So give your home a little holiday upgrade with Article.

• 12:39Karen Kilgariff?

  Article makes it effortless to create a stylish, long-lasting home at an unbeatable price.

• 12:44Georgia Hardstark?

  They take great care in curating their collection, focusing on pieces that stand the test of time. No filler. Every item is chosen for its craftsmanship, design, and lasting value.

• 12:53Karen Kilgariff?

  And with Article's 30-day satisfaction guarantee, you can shop with confidence, knowing that if you're not completely in love with your new furniture, you can easily return it.

• 13:01Georgia Hardstark?

  Plus, Article's customer care team is available seven days a week. I know we're getting into fall and winter, but we live in Los Angeles, so my outdoor furniture is just like the perfect focal point for the pool parties we still end up having. Sorry, everyone, when it's like sunny and gorgeous year round. I sit on my Article patio furniture every morning and have my coffee and watch Cookie lay in the sun, and the whole thing is just so peaceful and pretty. Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more.

• 13:31Karen Kilgariff?

  To claim, visit article.com/murder, and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

• 13:36Georgia Hardstark?

  That's article.com/murder for $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more.

• 13:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 13:45Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay, this one's called "The Balloon Priest." Yep, you read that right. He would be friends with Lawn Chair Larry. It's the whole subject thing.

• 13:53Georgia Hardstark?

  Hi Karen, Georgia, and MFM team. I have a hometown that will match Karen's story for Lawn Chair Larry, and it comes all the way from Brazil. "The Balloon Priest," a tale equal parts inspiring, bizarre, and undeniably tragic. The year was 2008, and on April 20th, Father Adelir Antonio de Carli, or as he became known, "The Balloon Priest," took flight from a city in the south of Brazil attached to 1,000 helium balloons. Father Adelir's mission wasn't just about grabbing attention. He had a purpose in mind. His goal was to raise funds for a rest area and chapel for truck drivers, where they could take a break from the road, recharge, and find spiritual comfort.

• 14:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Sorry. That's so specific.

• 14:40Georgia Hardstark?

  I know. It's really, maybe it's a cultural thing. I don't know.

• 14:42Karen Kilgariff?

  It could be. And also, I know that truck drivers are exhausted all the time and actually probably really need that, but it's like usually orphans.

• 14:50Georgia Hardstark?

  Children.

• 14:51Karen Kilgariff?

  In a far away, yeah.

• 14:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Children are hungry.

• 14:53Karen Kilgariff?

  But how about, let's think about the truck drivers. They're also hungry and tired.

• 14:57Georgia Hardstark?

  And they need a spiritual comfort. But to accomplish this, he decided to break the record for cluster ballooning and make it all the way to the state where his brother lived. It was both audacious and outrageous. People couldn't look away. Adelier even went through jungle survival courses, parachute training, and packed a GPS parachute and five days worth of food and water.

• 15:20Karen Kilgariff?

  On what? Are they about to tell us?

• 15:21Georgia Hardstark?

  I don't know.

• 15:22Karen Kilgariff?

  Packed on his back?

• 15:23Georgia Hardstark?

  I guess so. The only problem, he didn't know how to use the GPS. After taking off and reaching a dizzying 19,000 feet, and it says way higher than planned, he was heard frantically saying, quote, "I need to figure out this GPS or no one will know where I am," end quote. It was a detail only our priest could overlook, but to his credit, he tried valiantly to reach the coast guard before his phone battery died. Unfortunately, by the time he called in his position, he was far off course, swept out over the ocean.

• 15:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, no.

• 15:58Georgia Hardstark?

  Despite efforts by the Navy, Air Force, and even a plane rented by his family, hope faded. Months later, in July 2008, the lower half of a body was found floating off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, 522 miles away from where he took flight. DNA tests confirmed it was Father Adelier, closing this chapter in his remarkable journey.

• 16:21Karen Kilgariff?

  God, that's sad.

• 16:23Georgia Hardstark?

  And then it says, "Jump to 2013, a pop country duo drops a dancing track that skyrockets to the top of the Brazilian charts and has everybody dancing to it in nightclubs and social events. I am going to leave you with some of the lyrics from that song. The sun is blazing, it's past noon, I'm not leaving, no one's moving me soon. I found my car in the pool outside and my phone's in the microwave fried. DJ's crazier than the balloon-riding priest."

• 16:52Georgia Hardstark?

  SSDGM, Sam, she/her. So now he's like a pop culture legend.

• 16:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 16:58Georgia Hardstark?

  Like, "My life's so crazy, it's crazier than the balloon."

• 17:01Karen Kilgariff?

  The balloon writing priest. God.

• 17:05Karen Kilgariff?

  I'm just staggered at, it was 2008.

• 17:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 17:09Karen Kilgariff?

  So it's like, this idea, there were people nearby, and there was computers nearby, and things that could have helped this.

• 17:17Georgia Hardstark?

  Like a GPS.

• 17:18Karen Kilgariff?

  Fucking, just learn it. That was like, me getting that fucking car, and then getting into it and being like, "I don't know how to drive this car."

• 17:25Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, but a GPS isn't gonna steer you. You know what I mean?

• 17:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Correct.

• 17:28Georgia Hardstark?

  Like, I don't think learning GPS would have helped at all. I think maybe something, staying on the ground, might have been a better

• 17:33Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 17:34Georgia Hardstark?

  decision. Walking.

• 17:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Well, this is-

• 17:36Georgia Hardstark?

  How about a long walk, to raise money?

• 17:38Karen Kilgariff?

  How about, yeah, exactly. Let's keep it on the ground. And also, I think with Longchair Larry's story, it's just like, do we all need to be told often that you can't control balloons?

• 17:49Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 17:50Karen Kilgariff?

  And they just go-

• 17:51Georgia Hardstark?

  How many times, and like, how many decades apart do we need to learn this lesson? It shouldn't be that close.

• 17:57Karen Kilgariff?

  I don't know, like, 2008 seems like we're due. Hey, hey, everybody, if you have some sort of plan to get a bunch of balloons-

• 18:04Georgia Hardstark?

  Well, there's Balloon Boy, remember?

• 18:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Balloon Boy was fake, though.

• 18:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 18:08Karen Kilgariff?

  Remember that?

• 18:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 18:09Karen Kilgariff?

  That was, that was tragic, actually. Because that was weird stage parents-

• 18:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes.

• 18:13Karen Kilgariff?

  Putting their child at the center or something.

• 18:15Georgia Hardstark?

  It was.

• 18:16Karen Kilgariff?

  I feel like the way America reacted to Balloon Boy, it was all like, "Oh no, look away. Look away."

• 18:20Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh no, this isn't good.

• 18:22Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah. It's very sad. Oh, anyway, that was-

• 18:26Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 18:26Karen Kilgariff?

  You interrupted my great announcement.

• 18:28Georgia Hardstark?

  What?

• 18:29Karen Kilgariff?

  Hey, if you were thinking of raising money, or just going on a trip with balloons, don't do it. You won't be able to control them.

• 18:36Georgia Hardstark?

  This is our public service announcement, talking, "Don't do it."

• 18:39Karen Kilgariff?

  Fucking, the end.

• 18:40Georgia Hardstark?

  Listen.

• 18:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay. We'll work on that public service announcement. We'll do another one next year, that's more effective. Okay, this is Funny Sibling Story. "Hey ladies, love what you do. I'm the youngest of three daughters, and growing up, I always wanted to do whatever my sisters were doing. It was hard for them, because I was so much younger, and they really wanted nothing to do with me. My oldest sister Kaylee came up with a game for us to play, for us to play together, that was a good compromise for everyone, called Servant and Princess."

• 19:11Karen Kilgariff?

  From the title, you can probably guess how it went. Kaylee would be the princess and I would be the servant doing whatever she asked me to do. In return, I would get a quarter as a reward for all my work. I loved this game and I would ask her to play it with me as often as she would allow. If her friends came over, even better for me because I got to play with the big kids and would have more princesses to serve.

• 19:33Georgia Hardstark?

  Isn't that so sweet?

• 19:35Karen Kilgariff?

  I look back and laugh at how funny and brilliant she was for coming up with this game, where she got catered to all day.

• 19:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 19:42Karen Kilgariff?

  And I felt included and loved the time I got to spend with her. Now that we're all grown up, we're very close and I feel lucky to have her as a sister, even though we didn't really get along for the first 18 years of my life, which I, isn't that every sister story?

• 19:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah. You're best friends and then you fucking hate each other more than you've ever hated anyone.

• 19:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 19:59Georgia Hardstark?

  And then you're best friends the next day.

• 20:01Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah. And then it just says, "Thanks for all that you do, Tori."

• 20:04Georgia Hardstark?

  That's cute. Did you see that one, like, there's like a TikTok video of like the older sister, she's probably like 10, telling her your little sister exactly how to ask her for what she wants.

• 20:14Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 20:14Georgia Hardstark?

  And it's, you know it, and at the end, "No, you may not."

• 20:17Karen Kilgariff?

  And that little sister.

• 20:19Georgia Hardstark?

  I'm so triggered by that as a little sister.

• 20:21Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, and my big sister sent it to me.

• 20:24Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 20:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Like, "This is my favorite." And I, the second, because I knew, you know it's coming.

• 20:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Say, "Please may I blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." "Please may I not." "No, you may not."

• 20:34Karen Kilgariff?

  "No, you may not."

• 20:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Fuck that girl.

• 20:36Karen Kilgariff?

  And she makes her do it a couple times and keeps adjusting it.

• 20:40Georgia Hardstark?

  Do it perfectly.

• 20:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Mmm.

• 20:42Georgia Hardstark?

  Fuck. Okay. Little sisters. It's so fucking hard.

• 20:47Karen Kilgariff?

  It's the funniest. And also, they just, they're always going to do that to you over and over.

• 20:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 20:53Karen Kilgariff?

  And then it's like, oh, the little, the youngest ones are always so wild.

• 20:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 20:56Karen Kilgariff?

  We're being mentally tortured on a daily basis.

• 21:00Georgia Hardstark?

  All we want is attention and you've taught us that any kind of attention, whether it's good or bad, is positive.

• 21:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Right.

• 21:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Because that's all we get.

• 21:07Karen Kilgariff?

  It's all we get and it has to be earned.

• 21:09Georgia Hardstark?

  So we're starting a podcast.

• 21:11Karen Kilgariff?

  So here's this fucking podcast and we will never have.

• 21:13Georgia Hardstark?

  It's your fault, Laura and Leah. It's your fucking fault. Okay. The holidays are coming, which means we'll all be spending more time away from home.

• 21:22Karen Kilgariff?

  Whether you're visiting family or doing something actually fun, you want to know your home is protected while you're away.

• 21:28Georgia Hardstark?

  That's why now is a good time to think about home security with SimpliSafe.

• 21:31Karen Kilgariff?

  Unlike traditional security systems that alert you after a break-in starts, SimpliSafe is designed to help stop intruders before they get inside. These days, you're worried about your house, you're out of town, and then something comes up and you get to look on your phone and SimpliSafe is going to show you not only the video of like, it's a raccoon at your front door, but also that they have staff that's sitting there, they already know. And if it was something different or worse, they would have already been on it.

• 21:57Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, I really think that's invaluable peace of mind that just like relying on your neighbors, paying attention is not going to give you. We've partnered with SimpliSafe to offer our listeners their biggest savings of the year, 70% off your new system with professional monitoring when you visit simplisafe.com/mfm.

• 22:14Karen Kilgariff?

  That's simplisafe.com/mfm. And when you order, write in MFM at checkout and it tells them we sent you and it really helps the show.

• 22:22Georgia Hardstark?

  SimpliSafe, ahead of crime, in real time.

• 22:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. Sometimes being a little salty is completely justified.

• 22:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Pair your salty side with something sweet with the new Salted Caramel flavor from Kachava.

• 22:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Kachava is a whole body shake with plant-based protein, fiber, greens, and other nutrients to help fill nutritional gaps.

• 22:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Just two scoops provide complete nutrition your body craves with protein, fiber, greens, and so much more.

• 22:47Karen Kilgariff?

  Their new Salty Caramel flavor combines sweet caramel with a little salt, so you get that salty-sweet balance along with the nutrition Kachava is known for.

• 22:55Georgia Hardstark?

  When the day demands your salty side, fuel it with plant-based protein that actually tastes delicious.

• 23:00Karen Kilgariff?

  I really do love Kachava and I really do think it does taste delicious for getting you through the morning, filling in the gap if you just need some protein and you need some vitamins. It's such a nice little treat.

• 23:11Georgia Hardstark?

  It's such an easy way to get everything you need and it tastes good too, which is just huge bonus.

• 23:16Karen Kilgariff?

  So embrace your salty side. Go to kachava.com and use code MFM.

• 23:19Georgia Hardstark?

  MFM for 15% off your first order.

• 23:22Karen Kilgariff?

  That's Kachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A dot com, code MFM.

• 23:26Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 23:29Georgia Hardstark?

  This is called an absolute child hero.

• 23:31Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 23:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Hi, it's me, the child hero. It's me.

• 23:38Georgia Hardstark?

  For the past 24 years, I've had a thin, white box in the bottom of my jewelry box. Inside is a bronze medal attached to a red, white, and blue ribbon fastened to a pin.

• 23:48Karen Kilgariff?

  You're welcome.

• 23:49Georgia Hardstark?

  George Washington's bust is under the words "Good Citizenship Award."

• 23:54Karen Kilgariff?

  Wow.

• 23:55Georgia Hardstark?

  In 2000, I was given this medal, interviewed by a local news station, and got my name in the paper. This is the story of how I helped to save my teacher's life.

• 24:04Karen Kilgariff?

  Holy shit, I love this.

• 24:06Georgia Hardstark?

  I remember watching a movie about penguins. All desks were pushed to the sides in my second grade classroom, and all the kids were sitting huddled together under the TV in the dark. Picture it. Ms. Hill was at her desk behind us. I got up from the floor and asked her if I could go to the bathroom. She said there was another student out, but when they returned, I could go. About two minutes later, I got up to ask again. This time, when I approached Ms. Hill's desk, she was not there. As I got closer, I saw her sprawled out on the floor. Ms. Hill was wearing glasses, and the reflection of the movie was playing on them.

• 24:39Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh.

• 24:40Georgia Hardstark?

  I could not see if she was conscious. I slowly and quietly got closer to her until I could see her eyes were closed. My heart was beating so fast, and my chest felt on fire. I decided I needed to tell the most in-charge adult in the school, the principal, Mr. Johnson.

• 24:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 24:56Georgia Hardstark?

  I remember running down the hallway to get there. I made it breathlessly to the front office. The secretary asked, "What do you need?" I responded, "Uh, Ms. Hill is sleeping on the floor, and she won't wake up." She stood up, opened Mr. Johnson's office door behind her, and repeated what I said. Like a superhero, he popped up and started running. When he got there, he turned on all the lights, scared the shit out of my second grade class, and immediately started performing CPR. The paramedics were called, and all kids were ushered into another room for the rest of the day. I went home and did my homework as usual, not sharing the events of the day with anyone.

• 25:33Karen Kilgariff?

  And those fucking... And the secretary, they were just like, thanks so much. Yeah.

• 25:38Georgia Hardstark?

  It wasn't until Mr. Johnson called my mom that night and told her what I did that I realized it was important. I remember my mom with her ear to the phone, tears streaming down her face, just staring at me. It turns out Ms. Hill suffered cardiac arrest at the age of 50.

• 25:54Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, no.

• 25:55Georgia Hardstark?

  Due to the quick action of Mr. Johnson and the paramedics, she made a full recovery. If she had gone without CPR for two minutes more, she would have had permanent brain damage.

• 26:04Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, my god.

• 26:06Georgia Hardstark?

  For this kid's little bladder, for Bailey's little bladder.

• 26:08Karen Kilgariff?

  And also just for hauling ass, like, understanding. Don't stand there in freeze mode.

• 26:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, this is, something's off.

• 26:14Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 26:15Georgia Hardstark?

  Ms. Hill was in the hospital for the rest of the school year and retired that summer. She never taught, nor did I ever see her again. I would, however, get called down to the attendance office every year on the anniversary of the event. Ms. Hill sent me letters from when I was eight to 18, thanking me for saving her life.

• 26:33Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh.

• 26:34Georgia Hardstark?

  The last letter I received was when I was a senior in high school.

• 26:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Ms. Hill.

• 26:39Georgia Hardstark?

  Ms. Hill writes her letters. She keeps up with her letters.

• 26:41Karen Kilgariff?

  That's lovely.

• 26:42Georgia Hardstark?

  The best part of the story, I did some light stalking while composing this email. Ms. Hill is still alive, a beautiful woman in her mid-70s. Her social media is filled with pictures of her children and six grandchildren.

• 26:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Come on.

• 26:57Georgia Hardstark?

  Well, that's how I peaked at seven years old. Thank you both for creating the podcast that created this community. At the same time, this little girl helped to save a life. Finding a dead body was on her bucket list and CSI was her favorite show.

• 27:10Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, girl.

• 27:11Georgia Hardstark?

  I knew I wasn't the only weirdo.

• 27:13Karen Kilgariff?

  No.

• 27:14Georgia Hardstark?

  Stay sexy and look for the helpers, even the tiny ones. Bailey, she, her.

• 27:19Karen Kilgariff?

  Bailey. First of all, gorgeous intro of that email.

• 27:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Like, the structure of that story.

• 27:26Karen Kilgariff?

  Just to, like, clearly you were way ahead of the other second graders.

• 27:30Georgia Hardstark?

  Like, I'm opening with this thing I have, and let me tell you why I have it.

• 27:34Karen Kilgariff?

  The declaration, though, of, like, it's me, the child here, it's me. It's so good. But also, you didn't peak at seven years old, Bailey. You just do the kind of work that goes unappreciated all the time, which is you are a logical, level-headed thinker that probably is like, oh, if you leave the dinner plans for your group of friends to that person, they'll go where they want to go, which doesn't have the right seating.

• 28:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 28:01Karen Kilgariff?

  You take over and you're like, here we go. This is where we're going. It's all gonna work.

• 28:05Georgia Hardstark?

  Maybe that was the first fucking instance of your badassery. And for the rest of your life now.

• 28:10Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 28:11Georgia Hardstark?

  You've been on this trajectory.

• 28:12Karen Kilgariff?

  You're just doing it.

• 28:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 28:13Karen Kilgariff?

  You're the day-to-day, level-headed, don't-panic second grader that's grown into, I'm assuming, a beautiful young woman.

• 28:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Eye of the tiger, Bailey.

• 28:23Karen Kilgariff?

  Right? Congratulations. I wish I had a little ribbon.

• 28:27Georgia Hardstark?

  I'll get you one.

• 28:28Karen Kilgariff?

  A little ribbon, Mel.

• 28:29Georgia Hardstark?

  A little ribbon. Was George Washington's bus on it? Did I say busts? No.

• 28:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Bus? George Washington bussin' on it?

• 28:37Georgia Hardstark?

  Bussin'.

• 28:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay. I'm last.

• 28:41Georgia Hardstark?

  I got a look just now from Karen. That means someone's gonna cry.

• 28:44Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay. Someone. Kid pastimes playing in the sand, estranged brother edition. Hello from the hellscape that is the end of 2024.

• 28:53Georgia Hardstark?

  Hi.

• 28:54Karen Kilgariff?

  Hi. No one's going to save us but ourselves. Create genuine community. Find your support system. I'm reading an email right now, just so you know. I'm reading from the first paragraph of this email.

• 29:04Georgia Hardstark?

  They're opening up fucking hard and strong.

• 29:06Karen Kilgariff?

  They're coming in saying exactly what needs to be heard. Create genuine community. Find your support system. Give what you can. And as the ever fabulous divine said, be twice as gay, do twice as many crimes.

• 29:22Georgia Hardstark?

  Fuck, yes, I love it.

• 29:24Karen Kilgariff?

  What an opening.

• 29:25Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 29:26Karen Kilgariff?

  You asked us for stories of what we did growing up to pass the time. My older brother is two and a half years older than me. He would have a toy gun and I'd have my water baby. And then in parentheses, it says, a plastic baby filled with water.

• 29:38Georgia Hardstark?

  What the fu? Oh, because it was like heavy?

• 29:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Could squirt a baby like a-

• 29:42Georgia Hardstark?

  No, I think it was like a-

• 29:45Karen Kilgariff?

  Well, he had a water gun.

• 29:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, a water gun.

• 29:48Karen Kilgariff?

  Sorry, my assumption was that she would use that baby to squirt water. But I think now that I reread it, you're right. It's just a toy gun. It's not a water gun toy gun. Let's keep going and I'll help you out.

• 30:01Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay.

• 30:02Karen Kilgariff?

  And sometimes the Terminator would hang out with the Barbies in Rainbow Valley. And then that says, "The stairs, when a crystal in the window cascaded rainbows all over the carpet." But my favorite thing we did was play in the sand patio out back. My dad was supposed to make my mom a flagstone patio, and he finally hired someone to do it only, only forty some years after he promised. Consequently, we had a huge sand pit. We would dig a complex riverbed. We stacked wooden logs for the spout of the water hose as our water fell. Once the stream was ready, my brother would run to the side of the house to turn on the water. He'd run back as fast as he could so we could watch our creation come to life.

• 30:45Karen Kilgariff?

  Once we even brought crawdads, we got at a real stream to put in ours, only for them to burrow deep in the sand and never be found.

• 30:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That's, I, my toes hurt thinking about that.

• 30:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Yep. Good luck in your sand pit, children. My only sibling, my brother and I drifted apart as drugs took over his life as a teenager. Now addicted and living on the streets, I haven't spoken to him in a long time. Writing in, "I'm struck by what an amazing person he was. Most brothers would send the little sister to turn on the water. He wanted me to see it."

• 31:18Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, no.

• 31:19Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, no. "Thank you for reminiscing playing stream with me, as I can't do it with him."

• 31:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Aw.

• 31:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Be Gay Do Crimes Anonymous. She/her.

• 31:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Anonymous.

• 31:33Karen Kilgariff?

  Come on.

• 31:34Georgia Hardstark?

  That's a sweet one.

• 31:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Here's the thing, because, seriously, the beginning of that email is so smart and good and strong.

• 31:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 31:42Karen Kilgariff?

  And it's like, and this is, I think, those kinds of memories and things are truly like the glue. I feel like those kinds of reminding, even when there's loss.

• 31:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 31:55Karen Kilgariff?

  There is beauty. That's why you miss him.

• 31:57Georgia Hardstark?

  And they're still good memories, even though, like, they're tainted by this thing. It sucks.

• 32:02Karen Kilgariff?

  By loss.

• 32:03Georgia Hardstark?

  You can still, like, share them with people and feel them and feel good about them, instead of just feeling sad. That's really sweet.

• 32:10Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah. And it's the idea, like, it's a great email, anyway.

• 32:14Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 32:15Karen Kilgariff?

  But the idea of that they get to understand

• 32:18Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 32:19Karen Kilgariff?

  that that's what their brother did for them is so beautiful.

• 32:22Georgia Hardstark?

  He wanted her to see it. And it makes me think of my brother, because he would never have done that.

• 32:28Georgia Hardstark?

  Asher.

• 32:30Karen Kilgariff?

  My sister would have been like, get out of the sand pit.

• 32:32Georgia Hardstark?

  This is our sand pit.

• 32:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, what a sweetheart.

• 32:36Karen Kilgariff?

  I know.

• 32:37Georgia Hardstark?

  All right. Well, thank you, guys, for listening to The Hometowns. Please send yours in, whatever it is, at myfavoritemurder@gmail.

• 32:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Try to make us cry. That'll be the new request.

• 32:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Dare you. Make us cry.

• 32:47Karen Kilgariff?

  Make us, well, you know what it is? Make Georgia cry. It's easy to make me cry.

• 32:50Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 32:51Karen Kilgariff?

  Make Georgia cry.

• 32:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, do it. I dare you.

• 32:53Karen Kilgariff?

  Good luck. Nothing, nothing sad about animals.

• 32:57Georgia Hardstark?

  No, no, no.

• 32:57Karen Kilgariff?

  I feel like we have to make rules now.

• 32:59Georgia Hardstark?

  Now, everyone knows that.

• 33:01Karen Kilgariff?

  We mean poignant crying, not like, not like, oh, my god.

• 33:04Georgia Hardstark?

  Don't call me names.

• 33:05Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, my god. Please don't bully Georgia through email.

• 33:09Georgia Hardstark?

  I will cry. It's not easy, though.

• 33:11Karen Kilgariff?

  That's the way to get her.

• 33:11Georgia Hardstark?

  Don't, don't do it.

• 33:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Don't, don't, don't do that. Also, stay sexy.

• 33:14Georgia Hardstark?

  And don't get murdered.

• 33:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. Elvis, do you want a cookie?

• 33:26Karen Kilgariff?

  This has been an Exactly Right production.

• 33:28Georgia Hardstark?

  Our senior producer is Alejandra Kep.

• 33:30Karen Kilgariff?

  Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

• 33:33Georgia Hardstark?

  This episode was mixed by Leona Scolacci.

• 33:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Email your hometowns to [email protected].

• 33:39Georgia Hardstark?

  And follow the show on Instagram and Facebook at MyFavoriteMurder.

• 33:42Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 33:49Speaker 04

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• 34:30Speaker 04

  Report if you have a parasitic infection, common cold, sinus infection, inflammation in the nose, flu or flulike symptoms. Joint pain or sore throat may occur. Carry on with fewer attacks and ask your doctor about Extensure. Learn more at Extensure.com or call 1-833-393-3678.

• 34:49Speaker 05

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• 35:20Karen Kilgariff?

  Calling all amateur detectives and podcast obsessives.

• 35:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Virgin Voyages' second True Crime Voyage sets sail March 20, 2027, for a five-night escape to Grand Turk and the Beach Club at Bimini.

• 35:32Karen Kilgariff?

  As part of the On Air at Sea collection, this immersive sailing brings together fan favorite podcasts, including Disgrace Land, Buried Bones, and Wisecrack, for live recordings, behind-the-scenes access, exclusive meet and greets, and crime-themed programming that you won't find anywhere else.

• 35:48Georgia Hardstark?

  All aboard our award-winning, kid-free ships.

• 35:51Karen Kilgariff?

  Head over to VirginVoyages.com/truecrime to secure your spot. Goodbye.

• 35:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.