Champagne and Murder, Please

This week, Brittany and Vanessa take a heartbreaking journey through two cases that continue to haunt the people who know their stories.First, we travel to rural Ontario to discuss the murder of nine-year-old Christine Jessop, a bright little girl whose disappearance in 1984 devastated her family and shocked an entire nation. What followed was a decades-long fight for justice filled with wrongful accusations, investigative failures, and a truth that would remain hidden for nearly forty years.Then we step back into the late 1800s to examine one of America's most infamous unsolved murders: the case of Pearl Bryan. Young, educated, and full of promise, Pearl's life ended in a crime so shocking that it sparked headlines across the country and inspired legends that still linger more than a century later. From a secret romance to a gruesome discovery and a mystery that refuses to die, Pearl's story remains one of the most disturbing cases in true crime history.Two victims. Two different centuries. Two families forever changed.Pour a glass, settle in, and join us as we uncover the lives behind the headlines.Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of child murder, violence against women, dismemberment, wrongful conviction, and other disturbing content that may not be suitable for all listeners.Until we speak to you again, stay safe... and don't take candy from strangers.https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/10/15/the-christine-jessop-case-a-timeline-of-one-of-canadas-most-notorious-unsolved-murders.htmlhttps://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/how-the-christine-jessop-murder-case-sparked-justice-system-reform-in-canadahttps://globalnews.ca/news/7398765/christine-jessop-case-calvin-hoover/https://innocencecanada.com/exonerations/guy-paul-morin/https://www.trace-evidence.com/christine-jessophttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-christine-jessops-brother-says-he-finally-has-answers-after-36/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/how-a-family-tree-helped-police-identify-the-man-they-believe-killed-9-year-old-christine-jessop-1.5146876Jackson v. Commonwealth case summaryKentucky Court of Appeals case text for Jackson v. CommonwealthHistorical overview of the Pearl Bryan murder caseNKY Tribune article on Pearl Bryan and Gilded Age scandal cultureDiscussion and historical theories surrounding Pearl Bryan’s missing headhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Pearl_Bryan

This week’s episode is a double feature in red flags that everyone saw… and no one stopped.We start with the Powell family case, a slow-burn nightmare filled with control, paranoia, and systems that missed every chance to intervene before tragedy struck.Then we turn to Jodi Arias, a case where obsession, image-crafting, and manipulation collided in a way that still leaves people arguing years later.Two cases that prove “it’s complicated” is sometimes the most dangerous phrase in the room.https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/february-5/husband-of-missing-utah-woman-kills-self-and-two-young-sonshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Susan_Powellhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/susan-powells-blood-letter-detailing-her-fear-of-husband-found-at-family-utah-home/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/wa-court-reinstates-nearly-100m-verdict-against-state-in-death-of-2-boys/https://dcyf.wa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/reports/CFR3qtr2012.pdfhttps://www.deseret.com/2012/8/2/20505065/report-washington-social-workers-needed-more-powell-information-from-west-valley-policehttps://www.courts.wa.gov/content/publicupload/eclips/2023%2004%2020%20WA%20court%20reinstates%20nearly.pdfhttps://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/jury-finds-washington-state-liable-in-powell-boys-deaths-awards-98m/https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/social-worker-on-josh-powell-he-exploded-the-3131867.phphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Travis_Alexanderhttps://www.biography.com/crime-figure/jodi-ariashttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/jodi-arias-a-timeline-of-a-sensational-murder-case/https://abcnews.go.com/US/jodi-arias-trial-timeline-events-arizona-murder-case/story?id=18123295https://murderpedia.org/female.A/a/arias-jodi.htmhttps://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/5-essential-things-to-know-about-the-jodi-arias-casehttps://www.abdallah-law.com/blog/how-jodi-arias-was-charged-with-the-murder-of-travis-alexander-and-avoided-the-death-penalty/https://www.azfamily.com/2026/01/05/jodi-arias-addresses-murder-case-claims-lost-evidence-first-time-years/https://www.foxnews.com/us/convicted-killer-jodi-arias-signals-fresh-legal-push-more-than-decade-after-guilty-verdicthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodi_Arias:_Dirty_Little_Secret

Decades apart, two women were taken from the world in brutally different ways, yet their stories are bound by the same haunting question: how does the truth survive when someone tries to erase it?In this episode, we examine the unsolved 2012 murder of Faith Hedgepeth, a vibrant young woman whose voice was nearly lost to time, and the chilling 1986 case of Helle Crafts, a mother whose husband believed a wood chipper could destroy the truth. Spoiler Alert, It couldn’t.From whispered clues and overlooked evidence to forensic breakthroughs that changed criminal investigations forever, these cases reveal how women’s stories persist even when someone works desperately to silence them.This is not just about how they died.It’s about how they were heard.Official Tip LinesChapel Hill Police Department — Faith Hedgepeth Tip Line Phone: (919) 614-6363 This number is staffed by investigators familiar with the case, and callers can speak directly about information related to Faith’s murder.Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC Crime Stoppers Phone (anonymous tips): (919) 942-7515Crime Stoppers allows people to submit tips confidentially or anonymously.Website: https://www.chapelhillcrimestoppers.com/ — You can submit an anonymous tip online through their TIP form. Chapel Hill CrimeStoppersJusticeForFaith.com — The official site maintained by Faith’s family and supporters. Website: https://justiceforfaith.com/ — This site includes updates on memorials, scholarships in Faith’s name, and contact info for tips (the same official numbers above). Justice for faithThey also list an email contact via the site’s contact form and may provide imagery and hashtags (e.g., #JusticeForFaith, #J4F) for awareness campaigns. Justice for faithIf someone has information related to Faith’s murder, law enforcement requests that they:Call (919) 614-6363 to reach Chapel Hill investigators familiar with the case directly.Call Crime Stoppers at (919) 942-7515 if they want to remain anonymous.Submit tips online through the Crime Stoppers website where available.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Faith_Hedgepeth• https://justiceforfaith.com/• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/faith-hedgepeth-unc-student-found-dead-in-her-apartment/• https://www.wral.com/news/local/court-hearing-faith-hedgepeth-jan-2025/• https://abc11.com/post/faith-hedgepeth-unc-hawani-saponi-tribe-indigenous-women/11027779/• https://www.spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/news/2019/09/22/family-remembers--honors-faith-hedgepeth-with-community-service• https://www.wect.com/2021/09/28/durham-das-office-wont-seek-death-penalty-faith-hedgepeths-accused-killer/• https://www.lawandcrime.com/crime/north-carolina-man-arrested-in-brutal-long-mystifying-2012-murder-of-native-american-unc-student-faith-hedgepeth/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Helle_Craftshttps://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/family/woodchipper_murder/https://morbidology.com/the-wood-chipper-murder-helle-crafts/https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2018/11/14/the-murder-of-helle-crafts/https://www.newtownbee.com/08111999/notorious-crafts-murder-shook-newtown-ten-years-ago/https://www.thescarechamber.com/the-woodchipper-murder-of-newtown-connecticut/https://www.mrpalermo.com/uploads/9/8/9/6/9896107/_____________woodchipper_case_study.pdfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_murder_convictions_without_a_body

As the old year dies and a new one staggers into the light, we travel back to industrial Leeds, where desperation was currency and superstition could be weaponized.This is the story of Mary Bateman, known to history as the Yorkshire Witch, a woman who sold miracles, curses, and hope in tiny paper packets… until one of her promises ended in murder.In this New Year’s Eve episode, we untangle folklore from fact, examine the life of her victim Rebecca Perigo, and ask an uncomfortable question that still echoes today: when survival depends on belief, who really holds the power?Because not all monsters wear masks. Some sell cures. And some years end in blood.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Bateman https://www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk/blog/prisoner-stories-mary-bateman/ https://www.iapsop.com/ssoc/1809__anonymous___life_and_character_of_mary_bateman_the_yorkshire_witch.pdf https://capitalpunishmentuk.org/mary-bateman-the-yorkshire-witch/ https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1939-0513-110 https://www.mylearning.org/stories/crime-and-punishment-in-leeds/1053 https://the-line-up.com/mary-bateman-yorkshire-witch https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/bateman-mary.htm