The Murderer Killings - A True* Crime Podcast
In a world obsessed with True Crime, follow Charlie Incarica as he investigates one of the
Truest* Crimes ever committed. Come for the crime spree...stay for dessert.
*Not true, per se. And by "per se," we mean "at all." So to speak.
Follow to hear what the New York Times would likely say is "The last True Crime podcast you'll ever listen to."
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The Murderer Killings - A True* Crime Podcast
Episode 9 - The Finale Destination
Branigan’s instincts start convincing her more and more that they’ve convicted the wrong person. Meanwhile, as Charlie prepares to leave Shady Grove, he starts to suspect Estelle knows more about The Murderer Killings than she’s been letting on. After a farewell dinner, a wild night of close-harmony a Capella, and a serendipitous hot-mic moment, his suspicions are confirmed. Chief Branigan weighs the limits of the law in order to pursue justice.
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Suddenly, nothing seemed to make sense. Why would William Hart, who stood to gain so much from Margaret's conviction, deliver a passionate plea for mercy, protesting that she wasn't guilty? What information might he have that led him to believe in her innocence? And how did this documented dweeb transform himself into such an eloquent thirst trap?
Taylor Branigan:It shook me, William's statement.
Charlie Incarica:Taylor Branigan.
Taylor Branigan:He had nothing to gain. In fact, the opposite. So, even though I still believe Jones did it, I felt compelled to try to find out why he thought she didn't, and just how he'd become almost literally a new man since we last spoke.
Charlie Incarica:Taylor reached out to the estranged, widowed, and newly hot William Hart, and she asked if they could meet, off the record. He said he needed to think about it. Three minutes later, his new wife Erica called back to invite her to their home, as long as she agreed not to tell anyone, to come at night, and not in uniform. Also, if she agreed to bring some paper towels and orange juice, as they were running low on both.
Taylor Branigan:Things started off a little strained. Partially because of the oddness of the situation, but also because the OJ I had bought contained lots of pulp instead of some pulp, which apparently was a really big deal. Anyway, things got a little better once we sat down, especially for William, but Erica watched him like a hawk.
Charlie Incarica:You mean from a great height?
Taylor Branigan:I mean closely. I talked to him about how his public speaking was different than his conversational tone, but it turned out it wasn't. He said forsooth at least six times. He attributed his changes to Erica, who he clearly worshipped. What was Erica like? Hot and cold. She was surprisingly frank at times, and then suddenly evasive. She admitted that she and her now mother-in-law had arranged this marriage to benefit both of their positions, but that she and William had quickly fallen deeply in love. When I asked William why he thought Margaret was innocent, he'd look at Erica and she'd answer for him, but very cryptically. What did she say? She said she couldn't reveal everything, but that she had overheard something after her yoga class. The studio shared a common area with a company that sold timeshares in Mexico on Mondays and Wednesdays, and pills that purported to combat memory loss and erectile dysfunction on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One afternoon, the company's manager was outside on a smoke break, which incensed Erica's yoga class as it was overpowering their incense. So Erica volunteered to speak to the woman because her yoga instructor apparently had a real temper. But as she approached the woman, she thought she overheard the woman say, Margaret Mandragara Jones, as well as the word knife, repeatedly. But then the woman saw Erica and ended the call. In fact, she threw the phone on the ground and smashed it into smithereens with the heel of her shoe. Otherwise, she seemed friendly, and the conversation was amicable and normal. Except that she had asked Erica several times how much of the phone call she had heard.
Charlie Incarica:Hardly proof of anything, though.
Taylor Branigan:But it did sound suspicious. Yet when I asked Erica for the name of the company, she said she couldn't trust me yet, despite the fact we had just spent like 20 minutes doing that thing where you fall backwards and people catch you.
Charlie Incarica:Taylor wasn't the only one who felt things were off. The afternoon I returned to Estelle's after the sentencing. I saw Estelle talking on the phone. I couldn't make out what she was saying, but she looked overwhelmed. Then as soon as she saw me, she looked panic stricken and got off the phone. Hey, hey, Estelle. Everything okay? Everything's fine. Okay. Uh I'll just I'm gonna walk I'm gonna let myself into the uh living room here. I'm just gonna get myself a drink. Okay. Okay. I'm fine. I don't know if you were offering, but I'm fine. I'd never seen Estelle like that before. And over these past months, let's just say I'd seen Estelle most ways. So I asked her if anything had happened to upset her during her phone call.
Estelle Hayes:Why would you think that?
Charlie Incarica:Well, it's none of my business, but you looked upset.
Estelle Hayes:Well the truth is I was on the phone with my life coach.
Charlie Incarica:You have a life coach.
Estelle Hayes:What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
Charlie Incarica:Nothing. It's just that you make it look so effortless.
Estelle Hayes:I know I do, honey. But even I need a little guidance now and then.
Charlie Incarica:And she or he gave you some upsetting news.
Estelle Hayes:Why do you keep thinking I was upset?
Charlie Incarica:Because you sounded really upset, and you kept repeating, I've gotta go, I've gotta go, in an increasingly panicked voice as I came in the house.
Estelle Hayes:Oh no, that that's a life coach thing. That's the mantra we come up with for me. Because I don't know if you notice this, but I don't always go. I mean really go for it energetically and and spiritually, you know? So that mantra is how we're working on that issue. Uh you hungry? I made my world famous whiskey chicken.
Charlie Incarica:Is that the one where you get a bucket of hot wings and drink whiskey? Shh.
Estelle Hayes:It's a secret recipe.
Charlie Incarica:I was highly skeptical about her mantra excuse, and I was sure she wasn't being totally honest about it being a secret recipe. But frankly, after four helpings of her whiskey chicken, I'd forgotten much of that evening. In fact, I only held on to this recording because later that night, Estelle and I did a kick-ass medley of Eye of the Tiger and Bohemian Rhapsody. We nailed the harmonies. Still, I was willing to chalk it up to coincidence for a few days until I replayed Taylor's description of Erica's description of that conversation. It wasn't simply what this mysterious manager woman said or did. It was the company she was running. It sold timeshares and pills claiming to cure hearing loss and erectile dysfunction. Products aimed at the elderly. And though I believe it's unprofessional to judge before all the facts are in, I let myself venture this much. It sounded possible that this company wasn't entirely legitimate. In other words, this woman was possibly grifting the elderly. Which just so happens to have been the passion of Amanda and Teddy's long-lost mother, Tammy the Blade. I called Taylor and shared my insight.
Taylor Branigan:Wow, that's shocking. Right? And no offense, shockingly insightful.
Charlie Incarica:Thanks.
Taylor Branigan:What was her name again?
Charlie Incarica:All anyone knew her as was Tammy the Blade. Oh my god. Taylor was now in a bind. Mayor Lyons was forced to appoint Taylor to chief after the successful conviction of Margaret, and she'd started to instill a sense of purpose and professionalism in Shady Grove's police force. But now, she believed she could have been wrong this whole time. Yet, to admit that would instantly lose her the post and undo all the good work she was starting to do, like eliminating Chief Ebner's stand your ground policy with Jaywalkers. She had to secretly reopen the case and investigate in her spare time. And she needed help. I'm in.
Taylor Branigan:What? You're offering to help me?
Charlie Incarica:That's what you were hinting at, right?
Taylor Branigan:Well, uh, let's put a pin in that for a moment. Though there is one thing I would like your help with.
Charlie Incarica:Name it.
Taylor Branigan:Send me your source on Tammy the Blade.
Charlie Incarica:The next day, I emailed no longer acting interim, but actual chief Taylor Branagin. A link to a Zoom meeting with myself and Vanessa Holmes.
Taylor Branigan:What can you tell me about Tammy the Blade?
Vanessa Holmes:Tamila Denuncio. We don't know a lot, but we know Robert Putnam met her in Las Vegas in late 1971, where she was working as a topless juggler by night. By day she ran a rigged kino game for the elderly at a bar off the strip. Robert saw her performing one night, juggling a machete, a flaming bowling pin, and a two-month-old mountain lion cub, and was instantly smitten. After the show he approached her as her burns were being treated and told her that despite the fresh claw marks, she was incredibly beautiful and that he was obscenely rich. She blew him off at first, but after receiving a series of romantic notes backstage from his accountant, including one with a fifty thousand dollar check, she agreed to marry him. After Teddy and Amanda were born, she realized that married life, even in a mansion, wasn't for her. Wow. Oh, and another juicy tidbit I dug up. Tammy may have had a lover in Shady Grove. She was seen sneaking back into Shady Grove for several years after she'd left for Arizona.
Taylor Branigan:But how do we even know she's still alive? And what would her motive be for murder? Because if she did it, and I'm still siding with if, that means she murdered her own daughter.
Charlie Incarica:Vanessa went on to tell us Tammy had spent four years in a Wyoming prison for wearing an I-voted sticker when she hadn't. And a three-year stretch in Texas for assault with a deadly weapon. Namely, a knife. We signed off shortly thereafter, but all agreed to keep in touch with any new developments. When I got home, I told Estelle the latest news, although I left out the bit about Vanessa.
Estelle Hayes:Wait, you think Tamala did this?
Charlie Incarica:We're not sure, but we think it's worth wait, how did you know her full name is Tamila?
Estelle Hayes:Because we met once, and that's how she introduced herself. I used to be a pretty good juggler back in the day, and I'd do kids' parties sometimes and whatnot. And I got a gig for Teddy and Amanda's sixth birthdays.
Reporter 1:Oh wow.
Estelle Hayes:You sound surprised, but I have all sorts of talents. I'm a Renaissance woman.
Charlie Incarica:Because you can juggle?
Estelle Hayes:Ever been to a Renaissance fair? Of course you have, look at you. It's juggling out the ass. What was Tamil like? Charles, you need to focus when you juggle. It was a five-minute conversation a quarter of a century ago. Tamala came over to talk because she used to juggle a bit too.
Charlie Incarica:She used to juggle in Las Vegas, apparently.
Estelle Hayes:Wait a minute. You've got this from Vanessa Holmes.
Charlie Incarica:I'm sorry, Estelle.
Estelle Hayes:Don't be. I have other friends. I have another friend your age, in fact. Last week we did an a cappella version of Africa by Toto that he said was, and I quote, fucking fire.
Charlie Incarica:Oh yeah? Odd, I've never heard of him then.
Estelle Hayes:That's because he lives in Canada. We zoom. We have the most fun fucking zooms ever. Lauren is the best.
Charlie Incarica:You're upset. I'm sorry.
Estelle Hayes:I'm not. Anyway, Vanessa's just looking for more drama. Jones clearly did it. It's crazy. You're accusing a woman of murdering her own daughter. You seem kind of protective of Tamala, Estelle. It's the juggler's code. Never trash a tosser. And more than that, I don't think it tracks. Anyway, I've gotta hop on the Zoom with Lorne. He's teaching me the metric system, and I'm teaching him how to say out and about like a normal person. It's a very rewarding relationship.
Charlie Incarica:I left Shady Grove the following day. But what I hadn't realized until I went back to find our Eye of the Tiger Medley was that my phone kept recording for hours without my realizing it. I nearly deleted it. Yet something, call it instinct, or a hunch, or intuition, or an inkling, or instinct. But something made me listen through the rest of the recording. Most of it was boring. But just when I was about to stop bothering and binge some Gilmore girls, I heard something that chilled me to the bone. You're about to hear Estelle on the phone while I was in the bathroom not throwing up.
Estelle Hayes:But you're not in the clear yet. Because the cheek thinks you're the one who did it. Yes, the cheap. No, I don't think that's racist in this context. Well, because it's the job title, I'm not referring to Native Americans. We don't have time for this. But you need to, baby. I think you have to stay where you are completely.
Charlie Incarica:While I definitely did not soil myself that night, on hearing those words, I very nearly did. On the one hand, a woman I'd grown quite attached to had been lying to me this whole time. On the other, I was so pumped I'd called it right with Tammy. On the third hand, I was excited I had a damning confirmation. But on the fourth, I knew I'd have to churn Estelle in, and that made me incredibly sad. On the fifth hand, however, I knew if I wanted to live up to the promise emblazoned on the Murderer Killings shirts, hoodies, and extra large kitchen magnets available at themurdererkillings.com, I had to do what was right. And on the sixth, I felt I had just broken new true crime podcast ground, maybe. So it was a six-handed problem.
Taylor Branigan:When I heard the recording, I knew I couldn't stay quiet. So I drove out to Estelles at the crack of dawn. But she was gone. Her van was gone. Her mailbox was not only full, but it included both the March and April issues of Juggler's World magazine. She had been gone for a while. I put out an APB and called the DA's office, telling them about this new evidence.
Charlie Incarica:Newberry's appeals had been previously rejected by the state's Supreme Court, and despite William Hart's increasingly vocal and oddly ornate protestations of her innocence, most of them were now delivered in sonnet form. His own mother refused to intervene as governor. The execution was set for the following week.
Taylor Branigan:It was almost as if they just wanted the whole thing to be over with, regardless of the truth.
Charlie Incarica:For Taylor, this left her with no other choice.
Taylor Branigan:I called a press conference.
Charlie Incarica:But Shady Grove only has one newspaper, published bi-weekly, and its one reporter never showed up. The murderer killings were old news by then. So Taylor went to Plan B. She uploaded a video where she laid out the case for Margaret's innocence. To boost her video in social media algorithms, she had a puppy and baby duck napping together on a blanket in front of her. In fact, all of her accusations had to be whispered. But the tactic worked. Within a day, it had received several million views. But the DA and the governor weren't backing down. In fact, they suspended Chief Branigan immediately, and a judge issued a gag order, as well as a mandate that she post more videos of that puppy and duckling, ideally playing together.
Taylor Branigan:It went against every instinct I had, but I just couldn't let a woman, no matter how lethally unpleasant, be executed for a crime she didn't commit. And well, you know the rest.
Charlie Incarica:But did I? Yes.
Reporter 2:Death Row inmate Margaret Mandragora Jones, scheduled to be executed last night, only made things worse for herself by escaping from a child.
Reporter 1:Mandragora Jones was last seen roughly an hour before her execution. Guards for their own emotional well-being were wearing noise-proof headphones to block out her insults.
Charlie Incarica:When I heard the news, I knew exactly what had happened. Margaret had used her enormous physical strength and withering put-downs to force her way out of the prison yard. Or that's what I thought, until five days later, when I received an unexpected phone call from a burner phone, belonging to the person whose dogged work I'd been documenting for almost a year and a half.
Taylor Branigan:You thought that she used her strength and sarcasm?
Charlie Incarica:Well, I mean it was a hypothesis. I'd been Wait, what are you saying?
Taylor Branigan:I'm saying read between the lines, Charles. Oh my god. Didn't you find it odd that you couldn't get a hold of me this last week?
Charlie Incarica:Uh, not really. You only pick up like 10% of the time. Taylor, where are you?
Taylor Branigan:I can't say, Charles.
Charlie Incarica:I see. Um, are there any landmarks or street signs nearby?
Taylor Branigan:No, I know where I am, but I can't say.
Charlie Incarica:Oh, right, of course. Uh what are you gonna do?
Taylor Branigan:I I have to I have to find a real killer. And Margaret is if I answer that question, they can argue that's proof I helped her escape.
Charlie Incarica:Wow, you've really thought this through. Taylor, what can I do to help?
Taylor Branigan:Well, Charles, you can get the story out there. Tell people what's really going on.
Charlie Incarica:Right. You mean like posting something on YouTube or like an ad?
Taylor Branigan:No, Charles, you're a podcast.
Charlie Incarica:Oh, well, yeah, I mean that too, obviously. Uh I will, I will, Taylor. Absolutely will. And I won't rest until I've put the missing pieces of this mystery together.
Taylor Branigan:Yeah, well, that's uh let's maybe just stick to our strengths.
Charlie Incarica:I will not rest.
Taylor Branigan:Okay. Thanks.
Charlie Incarica:You're welcome.
Taylor Branigan:But before I hang up, someone wants to say a quick hello. Surprise, buddy!
Charlie Incarica:Estelle?
Taylor Branigan:Welcome!
Estelle Hayes:Three points from Up. Hey, don't you worry about me and Taylor. We'll fix this shit. I'm sick of my shitty staying town, never doing the right thing. We're gonna put things right.
Charlie Incarica:I wanna help.
Estelle Hayes:Oh, that's a fucking adorable kid. You are in your way. It's not a very big way, obviously, but before all is said and done, we're probably gonna need the help of you and your listeners. So don't fuck it up. Besides, we've just given you the perfect cliffhanger for season two.
Charlie Incarica:That means a lot to me that you do that.
Estelle Hayes:Yeah, that's not why we did it for fuck's sake. But I gotta admit, I'm happy if it helps.
Charlie Incarica:So, somehow Taylor and Estelle, whether by design or accident, were now teaming up, presumably with Margaret in tow. But what about Tammy the Blade? Did Estelle break things off with her in order to do the right thing? Or was Tammy the Blade not guilty after all? So many unanswered questions, and so much fallout. Governor Hart vowed to only rest sporadically until they track Margaret and Taylor down, while Mayor Lyons and the City Council are coming to grips with how their small town will move forward.
Mayor Lyons:I think the best way to honor Amanda and the other two's memory is to keep their tragedy fresh in our hearts and minds. That's why I think our sponsored walking tours of the crime scene is going to be healing and lucrative, which in turn will lead to more healing. We're calling it Welcome to Shady Grave. Because graves are where murdered people end up, and it's also only one letter off from Grove, so it works on a few levels.
Charlie Incarica:You and Teddy are also charging for coach tours of the areas where Walter Putnam murdered sex workers. Aren't you, in essence, trying to brand Shady Grove as some sort of ghoulish tourist haven, cashing in on tawdry murders?
Mayor Lyons:Even more than that. We've also got a petting zoo for the kids at Amanda's house, featuring Amanda's actual dogs. So that's neat, I think. The whole endeavor is a loving tribute from a brother in a community that will forever feel the absence of Amanda and the income streams she brought to this town. I I I I truly believe it's what Amanda would have wanted us to do.
Charlie Incarica:Personally, I think that Amanda Putnam Hart, Chip Bing, and Michelle Quincy would have wanted, and indeed deserve, justice for their murders. Taylor certainly doesn't deserve to be a fugitive, and Vanessa Holmes has put out a personal plea for the true murderer to come forward before her publishing deadline in August. So far, no luck. At the beginning of this podcast series, I asked if justice can even exist in a place like Shady Grove. I think it can, but it takes the integrity and grit of people like Estelle Hayes, Taylor Branaghen, and in fairness, me to make that happen. But we can't do it alone. This puzzle still has missing pieces. Perhaps with your help, we can find peace together in piecing together the masterpiece of misplaced missing pieces. I truly believe we're closer than ever to solving the tragedy that is the murderer killings. And the sooner we do, the quicker and easier it'll be to produce the next season. I'm Charles Inkarika, and this has never stopped being the murderer killings.
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