My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Hosted by Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark dive into classic true crime and financial history, starting with the 1993 case of Candy, a young Canadian woman in Kipling, Saskatchewan, who was drugged with Versed and sexually assaulted by a trusted local doctor, John Schneberger. Despite community skepticism and doctored DNA samples—where the perpetrator implanted a plastic medical drain filled with stolen blood into his arm—Candy fought tirelessly for justice, ultimately exposing him years later after his stepdaughter came forward. In the second half, Georgia explores the 1814 Napoleonic hoax, an early stock market pump-and-dump scheme where a fake military officer named Colonel de Berg spread false news of Napoleon's death to manipulate British government bonds, netting millions in today's money before investigators cracked the fraud.
The episode opens with a brief introduction and a short advertisement segment.
Karen and Georgia introduce themselves, joke about Georgia’s jumpsuit, and discuss their love for outfits.
The hosts preview episodes from their podcast network, mentioning recent shows and guests.
The hosts transition to the main true‑crime story, setting the scene of Candy’s assault in 1993 Saskatchewan.
Candy’s investigation into Dr. John Schneberger unfolds, revealing conflicting DNA evidence and a hidden blood drain.
The hosts recount Dr. John’s trial, conviction, and subsequent parole, deportation, and the impact on Candy’s life.
Candy’s creation of the film "I Accuse" and her ongoing advocacy for survivors are highlighted.
New evidence from a stepdaughter and a hidden stash of drugs leads to Dr. John’s arrest and further DNA confirmation.
The episode wraps up with reflections on justice, the hosts’ personal experiences, and a brief mention of future topics.
The hosts riff on stock‑market hype and pump‑and‑dump schemes, setting a playful tone.
They dive into a fictional 1814 scandal involving Lord Cochrane and a fake Colonel, detailing the investigation and fallout.
The conversation shifts to contemporary political insider trading, highlighting how MPs and senators profit from privileged information.
A Jumpsuit and Public Bathroomsinsight
Georgia describes wearing a floral mechanic's jumpsuit that requires her to get completely naked in public bathrooms to pee.
Drugged With a Long Needlestory
Dr. John Schneberger gives Candy an injection of Versed under the guise of calming her nerves, immediately rendering her paralyzed and unable to move.
Breaking into a Car for DNAstrategy
When official channels stall, Candy's private investigator breaks into Dr. John's car, steals a tube of chapstick, and matches its DNA to the rape kit.
Erotic Hallucinations as a Defenseinsight
The doctor volunteers a blood sample and suggests that Versed can cause rare side effects like erotic hallucinations to explain away the situation.
The Surgically Implanted Blood Tubedata
Dr. John confesses at trial to surgically placing a Penrose drain filled with stolen patient blood under his arm to fool monitored blood draws.
The False Dispatch in Doverstory
A mysterious man posing as Colonel de Berg arrives in Dover at 1 a.m. claiming Napoleon has been killed by Cossacks.
An Early Pump and Dumpinsight
The 1814 Napoleonic hoax functioned as an early pump-and-dump scheme, raising government bond prices before crashing when the news proved false.
The conspirators made the equivalent of 14 million US dollars in today's money from the fraudulent bond trading in a single day.
“I had no control over my muscles. It's like all my muscles left, and I was just this piece of jelly falling over.”
“Versed can account for all sorts of hallucinations, possibly, but it can't produce semen.”
“I knew it all along. It wasn't a shock that something was gonna match, but it was a relief.”
“The main sources used for this story are archival articles from several Canadian newspapers and the Forensic Files episode that's mentioned above.”
“I was a bulldog on the stand. I kicked his lawyer's ass.”
“The key to a successful pump and dump is to sell off your own position before everyone gets wise to your tricks.”
“The London Stock Market has its own in-house investigating team and they immediately go to work.”
On today’s episode, Karen covers the case of Dr. John Schneeberger and Georgia tells the story of the Napoleonic Hoax. For our sources, please visit https://www.myfavoritemurder.com/episodes. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3UFCn1g. Head to social media to share your favorite moments from this episode. Instagram: instagram.com/myfavoritemurder http://instagram.com/myfavoritemurder Facebook: facebook.com/myfavoritemurder http://facebook.com/myfavoritemurder TikTok: tiktok.com/@my_favorite_murder http://tiktok.com/@my_favorite_murder Send your hometown stories to [email protected] mailto:[email protected]. Join the Fan Cult to access ad-free episodes of My Favorite Murder. Members also receive merch store discounts, exclusive audio and video content and more! Visit www.fancult.supercast.com http://www.fancult.supercast.com/ to join. Shop for My Favorite Murder and other Exactly Right merchandise here: www.exactlyrightstore.com http://www.exactlyrightstore.com/. Rate, review and follow My Favorite Murder on the iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you like to listen. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12,376 words · 7 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated