The title harkens back to the 1930 classic painting, "American Gothic" by Grant Wood which is displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Intended to convey a positive image of rural American values, this episode (and future episodes) leans into the other meaning of "gothic", in this instance, relating to something mysterious, grotesque or horrific.
Podcast host, John Murphy, travels back to his hometown of McCook, Nebraska to explore the infamous Hoyt murders from fifty years ago that erupted after a three-way love affair soured, resulting in the killing and heinous butchering of Edwin and Wilma Hoyt, the parents of a daughter entangled in the relationship.
For the first time, recorded interviews of those involved are revealed, as well as detailed and explicit documents from the once sealed case files.
Murphy also interviews lead investigator Lannie Roblee, forensic psychologist, Dr. Mario Scalora PhD, and the author of a detailed book about the crime entitled, "In Cold Storage."
The grisly events played out across three counties in southwest Nebraska during the fall of 1973.