True Crime Tuesday: The Wheel of Chaos

This week on Don’t Quote Me… It’s Probably Nothing, we’re letting chaos take the wheel.

Literally.

For this episode of True Crime Tuesday, we spin a wheel filled with places where listeners are from and see what kind of crime history shows up.

From infamous killers to .. not infamous killers, this episode proves that sometimes the scariest thing in true crime is human decision making.

Song of the Week: "Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me) by Blessid Union of Souls

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Hey, hi. Hello. I didn't mean to chuckle so early, but per usual I am very high at the moment. So if you're new here, I get high and talk about weird stuff. And this is called Don't Quote Me, It's Probably Nothing. And I'm Kelly. I think I did all of that backwards. It f all felt wrong. But today is Tuesday, which means it's true crime Tuesday. And I think today I'm going to do something different. Because like usually I have everything planned out, you know? And this time I do not. So I'm feeling a little crazy. So I thought maybe I'd make this episode a little crazy. I'm actually not feeling crazy. I am feeling pretty 90s though. Like I've been listening to like InSync and Baxtery Boys all week and LFO. And then like my Spotify will shuffle and then play all of these other bangers. And it's really hard to get stuff done when you're listening to good music. But I even bought butterfly clips for my hair. And the past two times that I actually did my hair over the past like couple weeks, uh, my hair looked really cute, by the way. Because I had my little clippies in there. Also, I can't wait till my podcast room is finished so then I can go back to video again. Maybe. But I bought a huge wooden Bigfoot for the corner of my room. Well, it's not like that tall. Not as tall as Bigfoot would be or is, I guess. It's like a little bit shorter than me. Which is still pretty tall for wood cutout, I think. I don't know how I got on this topic, but for today's episode, I'm gonna bring I'm gonna use my trusty internet wheel and I'm gonna spin the wheel and pick a random place of the people who listen to this podcast. And I'm gonna find out if there were serial killers in the 90s there, and if there were, I'll tell you about it. And then if there wasn't, I will read something dumb from that particular place. So I have no idea where this wheel's gonna land, which means this episode could literally go anywhere. So hold on tight, I guess. And let's sit what is that game show where they say spin that wheel? Is it a game show? I can hear them going spin that wheel, right? Is it a commercial? Anyway. So the first one landed on Frisco, Texas, and they didn't have any serial killers in the 90s in that area of Frisco, because they probably did have one in Texas. Anyway, but what I did find is a different story. So back in 2023, police in Southlake and Frisco, Texas carried out like this undercover prostitution sting, and investigators were targeting people who were attempting to buy sex through online ads. And these type of operations are like pretty common, but police will post undercover advertisements online and then pretend to be sex workers and then wait to see who responds. And in this case, a lot of people responded. So, according to the police, this operation resulted in like 46 people being arrested. And like among those arrested were people in professions where you like would not want to see your name in a prostitution head sting headline because the group included a youth pastor and a local teacher along with several other men from across North Texas. And investigators said that the suspects communicated with undercover officers online, arranged to meet up, and then showed up expecting to pay for sex. And instead, they were greeted by law enforcement. So one by one, officers arrested the suspects as they arrived at like whatever location it was that they said to meet at. So they thought like by targeting buyers, they hoped to reduce, I guess, the larger networks tied to exploitation. But what a wild thing to like you're a pastor. Well, you know what? I was thinking of a Catholic priest because they always take a vow to be like celibate, I think, unless they were married already or and then decided to be a priest, I think. So never mind what I was thinking. Because I wasn't thinking, I was thinking of the wrong thing. Still, having the teacher and then the pastor arrested, but still, even just to be someone who pays for sex, like that's wild, bro. I'm pretty sure there's someone out there for everyone, is what people say, right? Like, I don't think you would have to pay for it, I don't think. Okay, I'm done talking about that case. Insert spin that wheel chant here. And that was your cue to go spin that wheel. Anyway, so it landed on Cleveland, Ohio. So Cleveland, sorry, if you hear snores, by the way, it's Claribelle. She's laying up here with me because I love her. You know, I had a bad dream about her the other day. It was really bad. I didn't like it. I started I've been taking magnesium before bed to help like fall asleep, you know. And not I didn't get it confused with melatonin, if that's what you were thinking. Because that's what I was thinking. Um, why am I telling you this? Oh yeah, so I take magnesium and I've been having crazy, crazy dreams. And I had a not so nice one about Burkle Pants, and now I won't let her out of my sight. But anyway, so Cleveland actually does have a pretty dark chapter in its crime history involving a serial killer known as Anthony Sowell. But he later became known as the Cleveland Strangler. So Anthony Sowell was born in 1959 and spent most of his life in Cleveland. In the late 1800s, dang it, not in the late 1800s, in the late 1980s. Feels like the 1800s, it feels like it was a long time ago. Not really, because the 90s only feels like 10 years ago. But do you guys believe it's been like 30 years ago? That's wild, if I do say so myself. But anyway, in the late 1980s, he was convicted of attempted rape and served about 15 years in prison before being released in 2005. And then after his release, he returned to Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood, where he lived in a little house on Imperial Avenue. And that house would later become the center of one of the most disturbing crime scenes in Cleveland's history. So between 2007 and 2009, Sowell lured women into his home, often like targeting vulnerable women struggling with addiction or poverty. And many of them had been reported missing, but their disappearances didn't immediately draw like widespread attention. So in October of 2009, police finally obtained a search warrant for his home after a woman came forward saying that she had been assaulted there, but that she managed to escape. And when officers entered the property, they made a discovery, and it was horrifying. So human remains were turning up throughout like the entire house, inside rooms, crawl spaces, even buried like around the property outside. And by the time the investigation was finished, authorities discovered the remains of 11 women who were connected to the case. So this scene was like so disturbing that neighbors had actually complained about a terrible smell coming from the house for months. And at one point, someone reportedly blamed it on a nearby sausage factory, which, ew, if like I smelled something gross and someone was like, I think it's the sausage factory, I would not eat that sausage ever in my life. I'm a food smeller. I smell my food all the time. Like we could be in the fanciest restaurant, and I can cut like the best piece of steak, but before I put it in my mouth, it's going to my nose so I can smell it first. Because I have to make sure it smells good. Because if it doesn't, if something smells off with it, I cannot put it in my mouth. I smell everything before I put it in my mouth. I even smell like my straw on my water bottle and my coffee, bread, a chip, pizza, everything. Every little thing. I don't know if if that means I have something or what. Just something weird I did. Still do. But yeah, what was I saying this for? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. The sausage factory. You know what's funny? When like you're watching a movie or something, and like I think I saw this on the on a movie one time, and that's why it popped into my head. But like a guy, they could go somewhere, go out for like a night or something to find like girls or whatever they do in movies, and like they come back the next day and they're like, Oh, how's the party? And they were like, Oh, it's a sausage fest. Anyway, I don't know why I laughed at that, but Sowell was arrested and eventually charged with multiple counts of aggravated murder, along with kidnapping and rape charges. And in 2011, he was convicted of killing the 11 women and was sentenced to death. And he remained on Ohio's death row until he died in prison in 2021 and he was 61. So that's a wild one for Cleveland. Does a lot of stuff happen in Cleveland? I know I said I was gonna do 90s serial killers, but this one was not the 90s. But anyway, let's move on to the next one. Okay, so the wheel just took us international. I don't know why I said that. But anyway, our next stop is Durban, South Africa. Hopefully I said that right, but it seems pretty obvious, but I'll spell it for you anyway. It's D-U-R-B-A-N. Durbin. Could be something else. But anyway, so I was looking into Durbin's crime history from the late 90s and early 2000s, and there was actually one name that came up, and I am totally going to butcher this. Okay. Cebu Ciso M Fembu. That's what the name was. Um, but he's a man who later became known in the media as the Phoenix serial killer. And Phoenix is a town just outside of Durban, and that's where many of the crimes connected to this case take place. So in the sorry for my breathing, I'm really high, and I just need to keep reminding myself that I'm breathing. Also, I'm pretty hungry, and I took out chicken for dinner. I just don't know how I want to make it. Anyway, so in the late 90s and early 2000s, several women began disappearing or turning up murdered in that area. And many of the victims were sex workers or women who had been walking alone when they encountered the killer. And investigators eventually linked the crimes to the guy. And authorities said he targeted vulnerable women, lured them to secluded areas, and then attacked them. And then over time the pattern became clear as like more cases began to resemble each other. Police ultimately connected him to like multiple murders, and he was arrested after the investigation gained momentum and witness information began like pointing towards him. And the case became widely known in South Africa because it highlighted how predators often target women who are less likely to be immediately reported missing or whose disappearances don't always receive the same level of attention. Anyway, he was eventually convicted for several of the murders connected to the case. So I guess not all of them. The exact number of victims linked to him has been debated like over the years, but police believe that he was responsible for like multiple killings in that area, obviously, because he was convicted of multiple. Okay, so the next wheel place that kind of made me chuckle because was I saying real place or wheel place? You know, and um it reminded me of that medium rare guy that like I know, I know, I know, I know I mention it all the time, but it's really funny. And I actually am gonna play it for you again because it makes me chuckle. Uh, it's funny every single time. Ugh man, it's one of my one of my favorites. I feel like I need to like make a shirt or a hat or something that has like I don't know, just there's initials on it or something. But anyway, the wheel spin landed in Seattle, Washington. So if you know anything about serial killer history in the United States, Seattle immediately brings up one name, and that's Gary Ridgway, or better known as the Green River Killer. So Ridgway became one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. And the case actually started in the early 1980s, and several young women began disappearing in the Seattle area, and many of the victims, again, were sex workers or young runaways who were last seen along like a stretch of road near Highway 99, which was known at the time for prostitution activity. And the case got its name in 1982 when the bodies of several victims were discovered in or near the Green River, south of Seattle. And as more remains were discovered, investigators realized that they were dealing with a serial killer, obviously. There's something else I want to say, but let me finish this first and I'll say it after. So for years, the investigation became one of like the largest serial murder investigations in US history, and hundreds of detectives worked the case. They interviewed thousands of people, collected massive amounts of evidence, and even consulted with another infamous serial killer who was Ted Bundy, and he tried to give investigators insight on how someone like this might think. And despite like all of that, the killer was not caught for decades. And the murders continued through the 1980s into the early 90s, and fear around the Green River spread across Washington. And it wasn't until 2001 that investigators finally arrested Gary Ridgway. And that breakthrough came through DNA evidence, which had obviously improved significantly since the original investigation. And so DNA taken from crime scenes was finally matched to Ridgway, who had actually been interviewed by police years earlier but never charged. And when confronted with the evidence, he eventually confessed. And he admitted to killing dozens of women, most of them vulnerable women that he picked up while they were working along the highway. And in 2003, he accepted a plea deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty in exchange for helping investigators locate victims' remains. So he ultimately confessed to 48 murders, but they think that the real number is actually higher. And the Green River case remains one of the largest and longest running murder investigations ever conducted in the US. But what I was gonna say after is that, like, I forget where I saw it. I screenshotted it, so hold on. Let me look at the thing. I had to scroll back. Okay, so it is in Wayne County, Utah. And they basically were saying, like, stay indoors and like lock, lock it, lock it up. So they ended up finding three bodies. Um, a female in her 30s, a female in her 60s, and a female in their their in their 80s. So two like sorry, my brain can't brain at the moment. So two bodies were found on a hiking trail, and then the other one was found at their home, which I'm assuming was maybe the 80-year-old. But anyway, yeah, it's wild. But people are wondering if it's a serial killer, you know, because you know what? I I'm feeling pretty 90s, you know. And what if it's a serial killer? I literally thought about that the other day. If like there's serial killers out there still, but they're just not getting caught because I don't know, they watch a lot of crime stuff and maybe can get around it, I don't know. But also, they say that truck drivers would be good serial killers because they're always driving all over the place and no one will ever know, you know. Also, a couple years ago, it was like the Philadelphia area, and they were finding suitcases and tubs with like bodies in them being left on like places along 95. And what if that was a truck driver, you know? And I don't even think anything ever came of that. It just people just stopped talking about it one day. I'll have to talk about that. Maybe I'll talk about that next week. Also, I don't feel like talking about the docket of dumb today because I don't want to talk dumb. Anyway, hopefully this wasn't a boring episode. Hopefully I was not boring. But I think I needed that two-week break. Also, did you know that you can text the show? If you go into like where there's a little description or whatever, it'll say send a text. And if you click that, you can send me a text and I'll get it and I'll see what you said. So that's me asking you to send me a text, please. I have no friends. I'm just kidding. I have one one friend, maybe two. But yeah, send a text, please. You can say whatever you want. You can tell me, tell me a joke. Tell me your funniest joke, and I will read it maybe on the show the next episode, whenever you send it. But please send the text so I can feel like I have friends. Shout out to those listening on Nighthawk Radio. If you listen on Apple and Spotify and everywhere else, leave like a little five-star thing and a rating. Well, that is the rating, and a review was what I was supposed to say. And say something cool like, I love Dr. Pepper. And also, snacks are yummy. You can say something like that. I would appreciate it. Also, I really want to tell you about the song of the week this week because I told you I was in a 90s mood, okay? All week, maybe for the past two weeks. And so what I do is I like scroll on TikTok and I come across these pretty cool bands, and I send them a message and I'm like, hey, I'm not a robot. Let me play your podcast. I mean, no, that's not what I say. I say, let me play one of your songs on a future episode. That's what I say. And then sometimes people answer, and sometimes people don't. And then they're like, Hell yeah, please do, you know, stuff like that. Anyway, so I don't know if you guys remember this group called Blessed Union of Souls, and not like they spelled it like B-L-E-S-S-I-D, you know. And I know you have to listen to this song, okay? Like right now, because I'm about to play it. And I know once you hear it, you're gonna be like, oh dang, I forgot about this song. It's amazing. And I hope that's what you say, that it's amazing. This is Hey Leonardo from Blessed Union of Souls, and go please listen to it and then go stream it, and then go tell all your friends and be like, I forgot about this song. Let's listen to it. Also, I fangirled pretty hard when they messaged me back and said yes, I could use it. I was pretty excited. Next up, I'm gonna talk to Darius Rucker because I need to play some hootie and the blowfish because I love me some hootie. You know, I thought me and Darius Rucker were gonna get married. I thought me and a lot of people were gonna get married. I thought all five of the Backstreet boys would be my boyfriends. That's what I thought. But anyway, stay weird, stay curious, go be kind to someone for no reason, and go be amazing.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

She don't care about my She don't care about my money, cause I only got a lot to spend nothing. To places she ain't never been. If she really wants to go, I think deep now she knows that all she has to say is when she likes me for me. Not because I hang with Leonardo Or that guy who played in Fargo. I think his name is Steve. She the one for me. And I just can't live without her.

unknown 22:29

My arms belong around her. And I'm so glad I found her once again.

SPEAKER_03 22:36

And I'm so glad I found her once again. Yeah, I'm so glad I found her once again. As we incented our feelings in the dark The things that we're afraid of.

SPEAKER_02 22:59

I gotta show up when we are with me.

SPEAKER_03 23:19

She likes me for me. Not because I sing like Pavarotti, Or because I'm such a haughty. I like her for her. Not because she's fat like Cindy Cropper. She has got so much to offer. Why does she waste all her time with me? There must be something there that I don't see. I don't see She likes me for me. Not because I'm tough like Dirty Harry. Make her laugh just like Jim Carrie. I'm like a cable guy.

unknown 23:57

But what she sees is that I can't live without her. My arms belong around her. And I'm so glad I found her once again.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

Found her once again.

SPEAKER_03 24:16

Once again.

unknown 24:18

Yeah, I'm so glad I found her once again.