MFM Minisode 455

This week’s hometowns include a hitman in the news and a latchkey kid’s last stand. 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 Watch full episodes of My Favorite Murder on YouTube: https://www.youtube.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.

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.

• 0:06Speaker 01

  In New Orleans, truckers kept getting sideswiped the exact same way. When a man is found murdered under questionable circumstances related to these accidents, the rubber hits the road. And what the feds uncover is a complex scheme of staged wrecks, financial fraud, and a pair of conspiring lovers behind it. This is a story about fake accidents that led to real consequences. Listen to Over My Dead Body: Operation Sideswipe wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

• 0:42Karen Kilgariff?

  Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal.

• 0:48Georgia Hardstark?

  With CheapCaribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every destination and every date all in one search.

• 0:54Karen Kilgariff?

  You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

• 0:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping and hello to Budget Beach bliss at your fingertips.

• 1:01Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to CheapCaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be.

• 1:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye. The Hulu original series Phony is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Sonny's life is pretty great, until he wakes up from a car accident to a world that looks exactly like his, with one exception: his mom.

• 1:22Karen Kilgariff?

  Starring five-time Emmy nominee Connie Britton and Sam Nivola, this small town is hiding the mother of all mysteries just beneath the surface.

• 1:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Watch the Hulu original series, Phony.

• 1:31Karen Kilgariff?

  Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

• 1:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 1:53Georgia Hardstark?

  Hello and welcome. To my favorite murder. The minisode. Hi. There you go. We're gonna read you your story. There you go. Wanna go first? Sure.

• 2:04Karen Kilgariff?

  This first email, the subject line is "When Winning Bar Trivia Means Outing Yourself As A Murderino." Hello all, it will soon be clear that this podcast is very important to me, so for now I will skip over the compliments and pleasantries. On a recent vacation to a small tourist town, my extended family decided it would be a great idea to attend a weekly trivia night held at a bar in town. Once we arrived, it was clear that we were the only out-of-towners, so we tried to discreetly seat ourselves at a corner table. As the evening continued, we realized that our team was actually doing pretty well. Our initial desire to stay under the radar disappeared. Suddenly, we were there to win. Then it came to the last question, worth a grand total of 20 points.

• 2:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god.

• 2:47Karen Kilgariff?

  We knew it would decide the game. The question: Before his identity was known, what nickname did the media give notorious serial killer Richard Ramirez?

• 2:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, that's so easy!

• 2:58Karen Kilgariff?

  Easy, I thought. The Night Stalker: I was about to whisper the moniker to my family when I realized that answering this question would reveal a secret that I had kept from my parents for eight years: that I am a murderino.

• 3:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god.

• 3:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Let me back up briefly. I was 15 and on a road trip with my parents. With a not even close to fully-developed brain, I thought it would be a great idea to play an episode of this new podcast I'd been listening to called "My Favorite Murder"

• 3:24Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god.

• 3:25Karen Kilgariff?

  to liven up the otherwise boring drive.

• 3:27Georgia Hardstark?

  15!

• 3:28Karen Kilgariff?

  What could go wrong? I mean, with this fucking podcast? My mom got me hooked on Agatha Christie before I could read, and my dad starts every conversation with "so I was listening to this podcast the other day." So it seemed like the natural thing to do. We listened to about 15 minutes of an episode of MFM, during which I could, all caps, "FEEL" the tension in the car growing with every new gory detail of the case being described. Suddenly, my mom paused the episode, and my parents glanced at each other before my dad turned to me in the backseat. He said in a very serious tone, "Promise us to never listen to this again."

• 4:09Karen Kilgariff?

  I, being an incredibly sensitive child, flushed red from embarrassment and agreed.

• 4:14Georgia Hardstark?

  I don't know if I'm proud or horrified by this.

• 4:16Karen Kilgariff?

  I think the combo feeling is great.

• 4:19Georgia Hardstark?

  It's a weird feeling to be like, do I want to apologize and tell someone to fuck off at the same time?

• 4:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Here's the thing, it's just a reality that's waiting for that 15-year-old when they're 20 or 25, or whenever you think it's appropriate, but it's already happening.

• 4:32Georgia Hardstark?

  And you're doing us a favor by saying that to a teenager, because all she's not going to do is listen to every fucking episode that we've done.

• 4:38Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, that is...

• 4:39Georgia Hardstark?

  Thank you.

• 4:39Karen Kilgariff?

  That's the marketing we're looking for, for sure.

• 4:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes, parents not disapproving of us. Okay, go.

• 4:44Karen Kilgariff?

  It says, "Then started eight years of deception," or maybe I should call it lying by omission. "I have continued to listen to your podcast religiously, despite my parents' obvious and rather dramatic reaction to two lovely and hilarious women talking about their not uncommon but slightly strange passion. I listened throughout high school, college," and then in parentheses it says, "Shout out to everyone else who started college in fall 2020. I did not have a good time."

• 5:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Oy.

• 5:10Karen Kilgariff?

  So sad. "And I still keep up now, as I'm working on my masters in biology."

• 5:15Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 5:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Fancy. "During this time, I never needed to reveal that I continued to listen to the podcast despite being highly discouraged from doing so by my parents, until trivia." So there I was. Do I reveal my interest in true crime by answering a question about Richard Ramirez, or do I willingly let my family lose bar trivia? I decided that I could no longer live in this world of deception. I answered the question, and when asked, revealed how I would possibly know anything about a murderer who was caught more than 15 years before I was born. I was correct, and we won trivia thanks to my sacrifice." And what did I get for this selfless gesture? A concerned look from my mother, an offhand judgment from my father, something like, "I can't imagine wanting to learn about that kind of thing."

• 5:59Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god.

• 6:00Karen Kilgariff?

  And the evening's grand prize: a $2 miniature ping pong set with instructions in a language I don't understand.

• 6:07Georgia Hardstark?

  You didn't even get a pipe, or like a fucking pitcher of beer?

• 6:10Karen Kilgariff?

  I'm sure it's like, here's this fun prize.

• 6:12Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 6:13Karen Kilgariff?

  Stay sexy and risk it all for bar trivia, M.

• 6:16Georgia Hardstark?

  That was a great story because I do love bar trivia.

• 6:19Karen Kilgariff?

  I love it.

• 6:19Georgia Hardstark?

  It's so fun.

• 6:20Karen Kilgariff?

  And sometimes it's so hard.

• 6:22Georgia Hardstark?

  It's so hard. That's why I stopped playing it. I was like, the last time I played it, I was like, I am the stupidest person in this room.

• 6:27Karen Kilgariff?

  I did that once and I was with friends and one of the friends was a guy I liked and I knew he was really smart and I was like, this is where we bond over being smart.

• 6:37Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 6:37Karen Kilgariff?

  And I was like, I've just been telling myself I'm smart. I'm one of those fake smart people that doesn't know what the fuck she's talking about. Hurtful. I also learned that on this podcast.

• 6:46Georgia Hardstark?

  That's right. At least we have alcohol. Okay. This is called Hitman in the News. Hello, Georgia, Karen and sundry staff. I'm so glad to finally be sharing my hometown story. While I no longer live there, this happened in my place of birth about 30 years ago. The dates aren't well known and there was almost no press coverage of what happened, so I couldn't get exact dates for you. With all this ambiguity and uncertainty, you might be wondering how I know this even happened. And you would be right to wonder. I know because it happened to my aunt and my sister saw it on the news. I'm leaving out the where to protect the innocent and my rather extended family that still lives in the small Midwestern city. As the story goes, my aunt, in her 50s at the time, let's call her Gladys Jones,

• 7:29Georgia Hardstark?

  was in a relationship with a guy. It had gotten serious enough that they were cohabitating. While most of the family didn't care for him, it was known that she was considering marrying him. Then one evening, she was watching the 5 o'clock news and heard something like, and then it says, Georgia puts on her newscaster voice. Police have arrested a local woman after she allegedly attempted to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband's girlfriend, only to unknowingly contact an undercover police officer. The intended victim was Gladys Jones.

• 7:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, shit.

• 8:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes, that's right. My aunt learned she was nearly the victim of a hitman on the evening news.

• 8:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, my God. Like, here's her own name.

• 8:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Here's your... Which, like, they shouldn't have put out her name, for sure.

• 8:12Karen Kilgariff?

  No.

• 8:12Georgia Hardstark?

  But they used to do that shit all the time in the news, right?

• 8:14Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 8:14Georgia Hardstark?

  It's like, and here's her address.

• 8:15Karen Kilgariff?

  Where were the police contacting her to be like, hey, this just happened?

• 8:19Georgia Hardstark?

  They weren't. It seems the ex-wife had gotten wind of the potential Marriage and did not approve. We'll just have to leave it at that since her motivations were never explained. I had a chance to speak with my aunt about it recently. I asked if it had really happened because all I had was a story from my sister and family gossip. She explained that the reason I couldn't find anything about it on the internet was because she never gave a single interview or comment to a journalist about the incident. They would call and she would pretend that Gladys wasn't home. Eventually, one of them asked, "You're Gladys, aren't you?" Her reply? "I don't know." It will come as no surprise to anyone that she did not end up marrying the guy. She noped out of that relationship right quick. Many years later, she would marry her dead sister's first husband, turning my cousins

• 9:03Georgia Hardstark?

  into sibling cousins, but that's a story for another time.

• 9:07Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, yes, it is.

• 9:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Except for right now, I need to hear this.

• 9:10Karen Kilgariff?

  What a cliffhanger.

• 9:11Georgia Hardstark?

  Tell us everything. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Dawn.

• 9:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Dawn.

• 9:17Georgia Hardstark?

  D O N.

• 9:17Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, wow.

• 9:19Georgia Hardstark?

  I want people to write in their weird, like, marriage, awkward marriage stories of, like, my cousin married the second, you know, like, the

• 9:27Karen Kilgariff?

  Yep.

• 9:28Georgia Hardstark?

  The awkward, like, oh, no, everyone was at the wedding being like, what the fuck is happening?

• 9:32Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, a little family drama.

• 9:34Georgia Hardstark?

  Family drama wedding edition, my favorite murder Gmail.

• 9:37Karen Kilgariff?

  I want people to write in more scripts for you to read as a newscaster. I think you should do that more often.

• 9:43Georgia Hardstark?

  All right.

• 9:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, that's great. Very serious.

• 9:45Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes, got to be.

• 9:49Karen Kilgariff?

  This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Turning something you love into a career is exciting. Then come the invoices. Lucky for you, Squarespace can handle the business stuff so you can focus on your business. From consultations to events and experiences, you can showcase your skills with a customizable website designed to attract clients and grow your business. With Squarespace's collection of cutting-edge design tools, anyone can build a beautiful, professional, online presence that perfectly fits their brand or business. Get paid on time with professional invoices and online payments. Plus, streamline your workflow with built-in appointment scheduling and email marketing tools. Head to Squarespace.com/murder for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use offer code MURDER.

• 10:33Karen Kilgariff?

  To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Goodbye. Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal.

• 10:42Georgia Hardstark?

  With CheapCaribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every destination and every date, all in one search.

• 10:48Karen Kilgariff?

  You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

• 10:51Georgia Hardstark?

  Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping and hello to Budget Beach Bliss at your fingertips.

• 10:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to CheapCaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be.

• 11:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 11:04Karen Kilgariff?

  We've all had moments where dealing with healthcare or insurance feels completely overwhelming.

• 11:08Georgia Hardstark?

  You're sick, worried about someone you love, trying to understand what comes next, and suddenly you're spending hours on hold, filling out paperwork and trying to figure out who to call.

• 11:17Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows patients spend the equivalent of an eight-hour workday every month coordinating their own care.

• 11:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Nobody hands you a roadmap when you're dealing with a diagnosis or ongoing health issues.

• 11:27Karen Kilgariff?

  That's why there's Solace Health.

• 11:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Solace provides personal healthcare advocates who average 16 years of healthcare experience and can help you get answers fast.

• 11:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Think of them as someone in your corner who understands the healthcare system and can handle the logistics while you focus on your health.

• 11:41Georgia Hardstark?

  They can help with appointments, insurance denials, medical bills, treatment options, and understanding doctor recommendations.

• 11:47Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows 92% of patients report a positive impact on their care from working with an advocate.

• 11:53Georgia Hardstark?

  Advocacy improves outcomes and Solace advocates are covered by insurance nationwide.

• 11:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Eligibility varies by insurance plan.

• 11:59Georgia Hardstark?

  Advocates do not provide medical or legal advice or services, must be 18 years or older.

• 12:04Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to solacehealth.com/murder to see if you qualify.

• 12:07Georgia Hardstark?

  It takes about two minutes and it's covered by insurance.

• 12:10Karen Kilgariff?

  That's S-O-L-A-C-E health.com/murder. Goodbye.

• 12:17Georgia Hardstark?

  This is crazy. I'm not going to read you the subject line. It says, "So check this shit out. Circa 2007, I was going to school at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. My friend had just moved to Santa Barbara from the East Coast, and I drove down long weekend to help her unpack her pod."

• 12:34Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, yeah.

• 12:34Karen Kilgariff?

  It's like a name check, the P O D. The next morning, I set off back up the 101 toward home. I was driving my good old dark purple 98 Dodge Neon and rocking out as one does on a solo road trip. I can't remember exactly what I was listening to, but I do remember I was bopping around and singing at the top of my lungs. At some point, I noticed an SUV coming up behind me. The car moved over into the passing lane and came up alongside me. I continued unfazed to bop around and sing. As the car came alongside me, I briefly looked over and noticed the driver, a middle-aged white dude, was full-on staring at me, which, okay, fine, I'm sure I looked ridiculous. However, instead of passing me, he slowed down and got behind me again.

• 13:18Karen Kilgariff?

  Well, that was weird, I thought. Then he started flashing his lights like he wanted me to pull over. Since I was driving an old crappy car, I immediately thought there must be something wrong, and he was trying to warn me. Did I leave my trunk open? Is my hood unlatched? Did I forget to put my gas cap back on? All things I've done before. There was a rest stop coming up, and I almost took the exit when I started having this gnawing feeling that I shouldn't stop. Thank God. I did a quick assessment of the car. It was driving fine, no smoke, no warning lights on the dash. The hood and the trunk both looked secure as far as I could tell, so I ignored him and kept going. At that point, he got more aggressive, flashing his lights rapidly and tailgating me. If you're familiar with this section of the 101 just north of Santa Barbara, you know

• 14:01Karen Kilgariff?

  it's one of the most beautiful drives in California, but it's largely unpopulated.

• 14:05Georgia Hardstark?

  And it's also where the Zodiac Killer did this exact thing and pulled over a woman.

• 14:10Karen Kilgariff?

  That woman.

• 14:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 14:11Karen Kilgariff?

  I had my cellphone. I'm not sure why I didn't call 911, but the rational part of my brain was telling me that I was being paranoid. I did, however, open it, this was flip phone era, and pre-dial 911, so if shit got real, all I had to do was hit the call button. That's very smart. He stopped flashing his lights, but for the next 15 miles, he continued to tail me. If I slowed down, he slowed down. If I started speeding, he started speeding. Other cars passed us, but no one else tried to gesture to me that something was wrong with my car. At this point, I'm freaking the fuck out. If I call- All the police, what do I say? Some guys refusing to pass me no matter what I do? I can't even really tell them where I am other than heading northbound somewhere on the 101.

• 14:53Karen Kilgariff?

  So I just continue to drive, hoping that he'll get bored with this game and move on. We finally approached the exit for solving. I turn on my blinker and started to take the exit. I look in my rearview mirror and see that he's doing the same. Quickly, I veer back onto the 101 and put the pedal to the metal. To my relief, he continues up the off-ramp to the light. I figure now's my chance to make my getaway, and I start going over 90 miles an hour.

• 15:18Georgia Hardstark?

  Holy shit.

• 15:19Karen Kilgariff?

  Towards home. I decided that getting a speeding ticket at this point would be the best-case scenario, which is very smart, because that also involves police.

• 15:26Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, but what if you got in a car accident?

• 15:28Karen Kilgariff?

  That's true. There's a lot of minuses to this situation. I spent the next 40-plus miles staring in my rearview mirror and praying not to see that car again. By the time I reached Santa Maria, there was still no sign of him, and I was nearly out of gas. I decided I had to stop. Remember, I am in a purple car. If he's still looking for me, I don't exactly blend in. So instead of getting gas right off the exit, I decide to go further into Santa Maria. As I was fueling up, I did a once-over of my car. Nothing was wrong with it. As soon as I had pumped enough gas to get home, I got the fuck out of there, and I never saw him again. To this day, I wonder what he was doing, or was I just being paranoid? Was he playing with me, or did I escape the clutches of a serial killer?

• 16:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Whatever the case, I'm just happy I am still here to tell the story.

• 16:16Georgia Hardstark?

  Jesus.

• 16:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Anyway, stay sexy and don't pull over for creepy dudes on the 101, Amber.

• 16:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god, it was totally nefarious. There's no, what, what was the other point with that, besides that? Like, that is textbook.

• 16:29Karen Kilgariff?

  How many times has your, like, trunk been open and no one gives a shit?

• 16:33Georgia Hardstark?

  No one gives a shit. Like, and you would know, and it also doesn't matter.

• 16:37Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 16:38Georgia Hardstark?

  It wouldn't matter, you would know.

• 16:40Karen Kilgariff?

  And that idea, if someone's, yeah, tailgating you to convey information.

• 16:44Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, to intimidate you to pull over.

• 16:46Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 16:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Don't like it.

• 16:47Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 16:48Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay. Twin telepathy nightmare and Long Island mother-in-laws.

• 16:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Hi, MFM crew. Hello, murderinos. Longtime listener, first time sender, and apparently part of a paranormal two-for-one deal. For context, I have a twin sister who also happens to be my absolute best friend. She also listens to every episode of this podcast, and we have our weekly debriefs.

• 17:11Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh.

• 17:12Georgia Hardstark?

  We're fraternal boy and girl twins, but when we were toddlers, a university wanted to study us because our connection was more like identical twins. Full-on communicating without speaking, matching bruises, psychic weirdness territory.

• 17:25Karen Kilgariff?

  Ooh, that's fascinating.

• 17:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Twin telepathy, absolutely real. It doesn't happen as often now that we live apart, but last week, we had one of our creepiest ones yet.

• 17:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Ooh, adult, I'm assuming.

• 17:36Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 17:36Karen Kilgariff?

  What if this was a three-year-old writing it? Using AI to write in?

• 17:41Georgia Hardstark?

  "I had a restless night's sleep, and one of those dreams that feel more like a memory. In the dream, I'm walking through the woods at night with a woman whose face I can't quite see. I only know she's just ahead of me, like she's leading me somewhere. We reach a black, slow-moving river. I slip, crash into the water, and when I stand up, I feel a stabbing pain. I lift my feet and find dirty syringes sticking out at every angle."

• 18:04Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, God.

• 18:05Georgia Hardstark?

  "The next day, I tell my sister of this horrifying dream, and she gasps. She had the exact same dream. Same faceless woman, same river, same filthy needles in her feet."

• 18:16Karen Kilgariff?

  What?

• 18:17Georgia Hardstark?

  "We were both horrified but admittedly impressed that our telepathy still works."

• 18:21Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, that's wild.

• 18:22Georgia Hardstark?

  I know. For additional context, our mother was scheduled to visit in a couple weeks, but we didn't think much of that detail until I was at dinner with my mother-in-law one night, who had it all figured out. I tell her the dream we both had, wondering what it all meant. And without hesitation, in her perfect Long Island accent," which I can't do.

• 18:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Just give it a whirl.

• 18:41Georgia Hardstark?

  She says, and then it says, "Read in a thick Long Island accent." Fuck.

• 18:46Karen Kilgariff?

  New York.

• 18:47Georgia Hardstark?

  New York. "Oh, that one's easy. Your mother's coming to visit. You're walking on pins and needles."

• 18:55Karen Kilgariff?

  Perfection.

• 18:55Georgia Hardstark?

  Long Island medium. Thank you. All those hours I watched of that helped.

• 18:59Karen Kilgariff?

  She can hear you right now.

• 19:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God, right. I told my sister, we laughed so hard we cried. Turns out our psychic powers weren't warning us about death, danger, or the supernatural. Just a visit with mom. Stay sexy and don't let your psychic twin connection drag you into the river, Cory.

• 19:17Karen Kilgariff?

  Wow, that's fascinating. Like, I love that email.

• 19:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 19:21Karen Kilgariff?

  Just as an experience.

• 19:22Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, because like, it's something that is so fascinating, the twin connection, like, from those unsolved mysteries of like, twins from across the country. And I, it's just like, so fascinating.

• 19:32Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 19:32Georgia Hardstark?

  I always wanted a twin when I was a kid.

• 19:33Karen Kilgariff?

  That's, yeah, from that book series where it's like,

• 19:36Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes, exactly.

• 19:36Karen Kilgariff?

  A daughter cuts her hand and a mother feels it.

• 19:40Georgia Hardstark?

  Do you have a telepathic fucking vibe with anyone?

• 19:42Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, my God. Would you like to?

• 19:46Karen Kilgariff?

  Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal.

• 19:51Georgia Hardstark?

  With Cheap Caribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every destination and every date, all in one search.

• 19:57Karen Kilgariff?

  You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

• 20:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping and hello to Budget Beach Bliss at your fingertips.

• 20:05Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to CheapCaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be. Goodbye. We've all had moments where dealing with healthcare or insurance feels completely overwhelming.

• 20:17Georgia Hardstark?

  You're sick, worried about someone you love, trying to understand what comes next, and suddenly you're spending hours on hold, filling out paperwork and trying to figure out who to call.

• 20:26Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows patients spend the equivalent of an eight-hour workday every month coordinating their own care.

• 20:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Nobody hands you a roadmap when you're dealing with a diagnosis or ongoing health issues.

• 20:36Karen Kilgariff?

  That's why there's Solace Health.

• 20:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Solace provides personal healthcare advocates who average 16 years of healthcare experience and can help you get answers fast.

• 20:44Karen Kilgariff?

  Think of them as someone in your corner who understands the healthcare system and can handle the logistics while you focus on your health.

• 20:50Georgia Hardstark?

  They can help with appointments, insurance denials, medical bills, treatment options, and understanding doctor recommendations.

• 20:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows 92% of patients report a positive impact on their care from working with an advocate.

• 21:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Advocacy improves outcomes and solves Solace advocates are covered by insurance nationwide.

• 21:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Eligibility varies by insurance plan.

• 21:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Advocates do not provide medical or legal advice or services must be 18 years or older.

• 21:13Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to solacehealth.com/murder to see if you qualify.

• 21:16Georgia Hardstark?

  It takes about two minutes and it's covered by insurance.

• 21:19Karen Kilgariff?

  That's S.O.L.A.C.E. health.com/murder.

• 21:22Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 21:24Karen Kilgariff?

  You know a favorite M-word? Magnesium.

• 21:26Georgia Hardstark?

  Like the kind that's in Dr. Teal's magnesium spray.

• 21:29Karen Kilgariff?

  Made from a proprietary blend of topical minerals powered by pure Epsom salt and natural Dead Sea salt, it's designed to help you relax and get in the right state of mind for a good night's rest.

• 21:39Georgia Hardstark?

  If you need a reset after a crazy day, make Dr. Teal's magnesium spray part of your nighttime routine. It's an effortless way to get a boost of topical magnesium that can help you relax your body and mind before bedtime.

• 21:50Karen Kilgariff?

  Dr. Teal's magnesium spray comes in a lightweight, fast drying formula.

• 21:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Just shake it up and generously spritz onto the soles of your feet and massage until absorbed.

• 21:58Karen Kilgariff?

  I was kind of blown away the first time I used this spray because I do have problems sleeping and when there's something this simple, you just sprayed on your feet and suddenly you're asleep and the next morning you're like, wait, what happened? Did my problem just get solved? Like, it actually is that easy.

• 22:14Georgia Hardstark?

  And your stinky feet now smell like lavender. Like, what more do you want?

• 22:17Karen Kilgariff?

  How dare you call my feet stinky?

• 22:19Georgia Hardstark?

  For wellness, you can feel find Dr. Teal's magnesium spray online or in your local bath aisle.

• 22:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 22:28Karen Kilgariff?

  This is, I'm not going to read you half of this title, but the back half is, colon, "A latchkey kid's last stand." Hello, friends. Growing up as an 80s, 90s kid, I proudly held the title of latchkey kid, at least until one wintry Colorado afternoon brought that era to an embarrassing end. Here was the after-school protocol in our house. My sister, a kindergartner, and I, a third grader, would hop off the bus at our neighborhood stop and walk a few blocks home. I was then responsible for retrieving the hidden key from the hook behind the bench on our front porch and unlocking the front door.

• 23:04Georgia Hardstark?

  I'm just picturing my nephews who are like that age fucking taking themselves home from school.

• 23:09Karen Kilgariff?

  Bye.

• 23:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Bye. You're in charge because you're a little bit older.

• 23:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Good luck on the next two blocks, seven-year-old and five-year-old.

• 23:15Georgia Hardstark?

  What the fuck? What were we thinking?

• 23:17Karen Kilgariff?

  So crazy. It was, I think it was like ignorance is bliss back then. Partially.

• 23:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Once inside, I'd make a snack for the two of us and wait for our mom to get home about an hour later. An hour? That's nothing.

• 23:31Georgia Hardstark?

  No, we'd be home for like fucking midnight alone.

• 23:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, for real.

• 23:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Fend for yourself. I'm like, need to get that tattooed on my lower back.

• 23:39Karen Kilgariff?

  Fend for yourself. Simple, efficient, foolproof. Except the lock and I had a complicated relationship. I'd had issues with it before and told my parents. My theory, the lock got sticky when it was cold. They allegedly tested it and said it was fine and told me to proceed as normal with the routine.

• 23:57Georgia Hardstark?

  Too bad, deal with it.

• 23:59Karen Kilgariff?

  I'm sorry, I understand that it was time and place, but that's bullshit, parent-wise. Fix the fucking lock.

• 24:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 24:06Karen Kilgariff?

  The whole thing falls apart if the latch key doesn't work.

• 24:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Right, right.

• 24:10Karen Kilgariff?

  Proceed as normal with the routine. Until one day, it wasn't fine. It was freezing and yet again, the key wouldn't work. I tried everything, gentle jiggles, forceful yanks, whispered threats, nothing. And of course, to make matters worse, I really had to pee. Did I knock on the neighbor's door for help? Absolutely not. We knew them to some extent. I was far too embarrassed to explain that I'd been defeated by a doorknob and that I was about to pee my pants. We were cold, snackless, and I was seconds away from disaster. So I did what any panicked third grader might do. I yelled at my sister to serve as lookout, ran to the backyard, rushingly fumbled to unhook my Oshkosh overalls, and peed in the winter brown grass. There was no fence, no landscaping, just our brand-new house backing up to a public golf

• 24:54Karen Kilgariff?

  course and my public shame squat. An hour later, my mom came home to find us shivering on the porch bench. I still couldn't get the door open. And my sister? I had planned to carry that backyard secret to my grave, but the snitch routed me out instantly. My mom was horrified. Needless to say, our latch key privileges were revoked.

• 25:14Georgia Hardstark?

  I'm sorry, your mother's privileges should have been revoked.

• 25:18Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, that's right.

• 25:18Georgia Hardstark?

  That's all on her.

• 25:19Karen Kilgariff?

  That's parents' privileges, to be like, we don't have to worry about them for these three hours.

• 25:23Georgia Hardstark?

  And the lock's broken, but we don't care.

• 25:25Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 25:25Georgia Hardstark?

  We're here to blame the parents, always.

• 25:27Karen Kilgariff?

  We're here to squarely blame our own parents through this story, any way we can.

• 25:31Georgia Hardstark?

  Always.

• 25:32Karen Kilgariff?

  Because also, it's so frustrating, in your little kid mind, you're like, I should be able to handle this. It's like, why?

• 25:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Because someone told you to handle it.

• 25:40Karen Kilgariff?

  You've never done anything like this before. We were promptly enrolled in an after-school program, and I was officially relieved of key duty. Looking back, I probably wasn't truly in trouble, but at the time, it felt like I'd failed the family. And while my parents may have veered into light trash territory by giving their nine-year-old such responsibility, without any real way of knowing if their kids even made it home each day, they were and still are amazing parents.

• 26:03Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay.

• 26:04Karen Kilgariff?

  In fact, my mom's my hero, and I hope to be just like her when I grow up.

• 26:07Georgia Hardstark?

  Hmm.

• 26:08Karen Kilgariff?

  I'm a day-one listener, and since your very first episodes, I've gone from teacher to assistant principal to the principal of a large public high school.

• 26:15Georgia Hardstark?

  Whoa.

• 26:15Karen Kilgariff?

  I just want to say thank you for your humor, your hearts, and your fierce love for public education and the people in it.

• 26:22Georgia Hardstark?

  Aww.

• 26:23Karen Kilgariff?

  Amy. P.S. My quote-unquote favorite murder is the JonBenet-Ramsey case, what we know as your first-ass murder. Growing up as a Colorado kid in the 90s, it was both terrifying and fascinating, and this case definitely sparked my lifelong interest in true crime. It wasn't until much later that my dad casually mentioned that his brother, my uncle, was one of the many people questioned in the investigation because he had done handyman work for the Ramses.

• 26:51Georgia Hardstark?

  Ah, wow.

• 26:52Karen Kilgariff?

  Now, to be fair, my dad is known for being a bit of a gossip, and I've definitely never had the guts to ask my uncle directly, so this is an unconfirmed story, but still, sheesh.

• 27:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 27:03Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 27:04Georgia Hardstark?

  What a story.

• 27:05Karen Kilgariff?

  Amy.

• 27:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Amy.

• 27:06Karen Kilgariff?

  You nailed it.

• 27:07Georgia Hardstark?

  You just mined your family's drama and fucking nailed it.

• 27:11Karen Kilgariff?

  You just spilled. Good luck at Thanksgiving.

• 27:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay, my last one's called "Shitbag Stories?" Question mark, question mark, question mark, question mark. Hello, murder fam. I'm a murder podcast junkie. I listen at work while I'm cleaning, showering, driving, and everything in between.

• 27:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Showering.

• 27:29Georgia Hardstark?

  I recently discovered MFM, and I just love it. This is from my mom.

• 27:33Karen Kilgariff?

  I just love it.

• 27:34Georgia Hardstark?

  And I just love it. I just listened to an episode where I believe someone wrote in about being shitbag sisters and prank-calling as kids. It made me think of my younger days and the phone pranks I used to pull. In my small town in Kentucky, there used to be a rural mobile phone provider. It was pretty small in comparison to AT&T, but it was the only service provider for our country-ass town.

• 27:58Georgia Hardstark?

  When you signed up for this provider, this is so brilliant. When you signed up for this provider, your voicemail password was set to the default of pound 9999. Everyone's was. It's this kid figured it out.

• 28:11Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 28:11Georgia Hardstark?

  So on weekends, when there wasn't much to do, we used to call random numbers. And if the voicemail picked up, we would enter the default password to see if they had changed it.

• 28:20Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 28:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Brilliant.

• 28:21Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 28:22Georgia Hardstark?

  Brilliant.

• 28:22Karen Kilgariff?

  This is how you have to pass the time in the country.

• 28:25Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 28:26Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 28:26Georgia Hardstark?

  Well, that makes sense. If not, we would then change their voicemail greeting to sex sounds, animal noises, and random obscenities. Some of these poor people had previous greetings ending in God bless and have a beautiful day. Oh, you just fucked with so many people. Looking back, I still find it comical and would totally do it again. You've come to the right podcast.

• 28:49Karen Kilgariff?

  That's right.

• 28:50Georgia Hardstark?

  I guess I'm still a shitbag, lol. Stay sexy and don't get murdered. Rebecca C.

• 28:54Karen Kilgariff?

  Rebecca C. We're with you entirely. For a second, I thought that that meant that they could listen to other people's messages.

• 29:02Georgia Hardstark?

  That's what I thought too, but I think it's even more mayhem by leaving.

• 29:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 29:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Outgoing.

• 29:07Karen Kilgariff?

  An out, a new outgoing message.

• 29:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Sex sounds, like for children.

• 29:11Karen Kilgariff?

  Shit.

• 29:12Georgia Hardstark?

  Shit, damn. Hang up. Tell us your shitbag stories at myfavoritemurder@gmail.

• 29:19Karen Kilgariff?

  And as two shitbags, I'd like to say, on behalf of Georgia and I, stay sexy.

• 29:23Georgia Hardstark?

  And don't get murdered.

• 29:25Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 29:26Speaker 04

  Elvis, do you want a cookie?

• 29:35Karen Kilgariff?

  This has been an Exactly Right production.

• 29:37Georgia Hardstark?

  Our senior producers are Alejandra Keck and Molly Smith.

• 29:40Karen Kilgariff?

  Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

• 29:42Georgia Hardstark?

  This episode was mixed by Leona Scolacci.

• 29:44Karen Kilgariff?

  Email your hometowns to [email protected].

• 29:47Georgia Hardstark?

  And follow the show on Instagram at myfavoritemurder.

• 29:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Listen to My Favorite Murder on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 29:54Georgia Hardstark?

  And now you can watch us on Exactly Right's YouTube page. And while you're there, please like and subscribe.

• 29:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 30:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal.

• 30:11Georgia Hardstark?

  With CheapCaribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every destination and every date all in one search.

• 30:17Karen Kilgariff?

  You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

• 30:20Georgia Hardstark?

  Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping and hello to Budget Beach Bliss at your fingertips.

• 30:25Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to CheapCaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be. Goodbye.

• 30:33Speaker 05

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