Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
**2025 Ambie Award Nominee: Best Indie Podcast Hosts** Kate and Kevin met way back when they worked together at a (likely haunted) theatre and the two became fast friends. Skip ahead a few years to present day, where they mostly sit around and talk about true crime. From horrific homicides to unsolved mysteries, spooky haunts to behind-the-scenes secrets, these two are here to bring you all the drama - and trauma - of Tinseltown. Settle in, Misfits.
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Episodes
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
“Something weird is going to happen in this trial. I can feel it.”
Kassi is back in the Pod Suite today as Kate takes us through the aftermath of Dominique's murder and the trial of John Thomas Sweeney. We've got a scheduling mix-up at the church, a violent court outburst, a midday mugging and a Tom Cruise wanna be of a judge. Oh, and confetti.
Learn more about Justice for Homicide Victims and donate here
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
Receive confidential support by visiting the National Domestic Violence Hotline above, calling their number at 1-800-799-7233, or texting START to 88788.
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Episode Sources:
"Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of His Daughter's Killer" by Dominick Dunne
Actress Dominique Dunne dies of injuries
"Strangled Actress : Did Slayer’s Penalty Fit His Crime?" by Roxane Arnold
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Monday Feb 20, 2023
Monday Feb 20, 2023
"There was something creepy about this guy...but women liked him."
Dominique Dunne was a beautiful young actress whose star was quickly on the rise. Barely out of college, she landed the role of Dana Freeling in the Spielberg-produced hit Poltergeist. Shortly after that she met one of the most prominent chefs in town, John Thomas Sweeney. John seemed to have a lot going for him and the two immediately hit it off, but John was hiding a dark side that would reveal itself in the worst possible way.
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
Receive confidential support by visiting the National Domestic Violence Hotline above, calling their number at 1-800-799-7233, or texting START to 88788.
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Episode Sources:
The Terrifying Case of Dominique Dunne - YouTube
E! True Hollywood Story: Dominique Dunne - YouTube
"Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of His Daughter's Killer" by Dominick Dunne
"The Brilliant, Bitter History of L.A.’s Fabled Ma Maison" by Gary Baum
"The Epic Rise and Fall of Ma Maison, The Restaurant That Made Wolfgang Puck Famous" by Crystal Coser
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Monday Feb 13, 2023
Monday Feb 13, 2023
It's another haunted theatre, misfits! Let's face it, ALL theatres are haunted, and the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia is no exception. Melbourne was boomin' in the 1880s. Thanks to the Victorian gold rush people had more money than they knew what to do with, and what better way to spend it than on a fancy night at the theatre? Frederick Federici was a fixture on the Princess stage - as part of the company there he acted in numerous shows. But it was his performance in "Faust" that would be his most memorable, though not for the reasons anyone could have imagined...
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Episode Sources:
"In Black & White" podcast, hosted by Jen Kelly
"The Ghost of the Princess Theatre" - Youtube video
Newspaper article announcing Federici's death
Only Melbourne
Federici's Ghost - State Library Victoria
Princess Theatre website
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Monday Jan 30, 2023
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Jacqueline Avant was a FORCE in Hollywood. As a philanthropist and champion of the arts she devoted her life to serving those less fortunate. When it came to Black Hollywood she and her husband Clarence, a titan in the music biz, were at the center of it all, connecting the worlds of entertainment, sports and politics. Whether it was fundraising for Barack Obama or entertaining Quincy Jones, Jackie and Clarence were a powerful couple. But tragically, in the early morning hours of December 1, 2021, a monster broke into the Avants' home and shot Jackie during an attempted robbery.
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Episode Sources:
"Remembering Jacqueline Avant: 'Her Advocacy Was Profound'” by Evan Nicole Brown
"Man pleads guilty to murder in death of Jacqueline Avant" by James Queally, Richard Winton, Matthew Ormseth
"Jackie Avant Killing Suspect Switches Plea To Guilty On Murder Charge – Update" by Greg Evans
"Jacqueline Avant’s killer shot her in the back, laughed and bragged about it, records show" by Richard Winton
"Jacqueline Avant, wife of music executive Clarence Avant, fatally shot in Beverly Hills home" by Richard Winton, Hayley Smith, Kevin Rector, Nathan Solis
"Jacqueline Avant was more than just the ‘Black Godfather’s’ wife" by Matthew Allen
The People Magazine article Kate mentioned by Marissa Charles
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Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
This episode has quite the cast of characters: a French showgirl-turned-actress, a legendary singer, an Olympian...even a Kennedy has a cameo. It was the magical time of the 60s and 70s when people were just VIBING. But the party would come to a screeching halt when one day Claudine Longet - the ex-wife of Andy Williams and girlfriend of skier Spider Sabich - was feeling a little "ringy" and shot her Olympian boyfriend dead. She claimed it was a terrible accident. Unfortunately investigators turned the crime scene into such a clusterfuck that prosecutors had a tricky time proving their case. Pour yourself some champagne because this one is a doozy.
*Hi! Kate here. I just want to note that in this episode I mention Claudine admitted to pulling the trigger. I misspoke. ACTUALLY, she only admitted to shooting him. There is a difference. ;)
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Episode Sources:
Court TV's "Power, Privilege and Justice" with Dominick Dunne - 'The Starlet and the Skier'
"Claudine Longet: Aspen's Femme Fatale" by Robert Chalmers
"Murder, Cocaine, Money, Olympics, & Skiing" by Miles Clark
"The Incandescent Life and Untimely Death of Spider Sabich" by Matthew Renda
"Spider Sabich ‘Lives’ on in Film and Party"
"The Legacy of Spider Sabich"
"Miss Longet Weeps at an Autopsy Report on Sabich"
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Monday Jan 09, 2023
Monday Jan 09, 2023
Dorothy Stratten never thought of herself as beautiful, claiming she had a plain face and big hands. But Playboy would disagree. Dorothy's undeniable good looks and natural acting ability caught not only the attention of Hugh Hefner but folks all around the country. Kate takes us through Dorothy's path to success - from scooping ice cream at a Dairy Queen to Playboy's Playmate of the Year. Tragically, the one man who should have been happiest for her grew increasingly jealous and controlling the more fame Dorothy achieved.
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Episode Sources:
Dorothy Stratten website
"Death of a Playmate" by Teresa Carpenter - won the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism
"The Horrific Murder of a Playboy Playmate" by Lauren Effron and Anthony Rivas
"Who Was Dorothy Stratten?" by Emma Carey
"How Sopranos star Peter Bogdanovich married his Playboy lover’s baby sister" by George Harrison
"The grisly murder of B.C.-born Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten still resonates 40 years later" by Jon Azpiri
"Paul Snider, The Predatory Pimp Who Murdered Dorothy Stratten" by William DeLong
"Dorothy Stratten Crime Scene: What the Coroner Found"
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Monday Dec 19, 2022
Monday Dec 19, 2022
In this conclusion of our Brittany Murphy episodes Kate gives us some background on Simon Monjack, including some disturbing patterns of behavior that should have red flags waving at every turn. She also discusses the 911 calls Sharon Murphy made for both Brittany and Simon and goes through the theories surrounding their deaths. It's a tragic tale made even more horrific by the fact that it was all preventable.
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Episode Sources:
Brittany recording "Somebody to Love" from "Happy Feet"
The 911 call for Brittany
The 911 call for Simon
Brittany's autopsy report
Simon's autopsy report
The creepy Larry King interview
"The Chilling Story Of Simon Monjack, The ‘Disturbed’ Husband Of Brittany Murphy" by Bernadette Giacomazzo
"Did Brittany Murphy marry a ‘con man’? His ex says she barely escaped a similar fate" by Amy Kaufman
"The Final Difficult Days of Brittany Murphy" by Alex Ben Block
Info on Simon from his very own mama
"E! News" article about the HBO doc
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Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Brittany Murphy had a range and fearlessness that even the most experienced performers can only dream of. Comedy? She’s hilarious. Drama? She should have received an Oscar nomination. Need her to play the tuba? Yeah, she can do that, too. In Part 1 Kate takes us through Brittany's early years in Los Angeles, highlighting her undeniable talent and magnetic personality that was irresistible to everyone lucky enough to meet her.
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Episode Sources:
Drew Barrymore interviews Brittany
"Britney Spears Feared There Were Spirits In Her Mansion" by Gina Tron
"Brittany Murphy: Better Than Ever" by Lesley Rotchford
"Melanie Lynskey Remembers Brittany Murphy’s Self-Image Issues" by Elizabeth Logan
"What We Learned From the New Brittany Murphy Documentary" by Danielle Cohen
"Living Magazine" article
Creepy David Letterman
"Faster Kill Pussycat" music video
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Creeptastic theme music by:
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