Crime&Stuff

Judi Therianos and Missy Bevers had nothing in common except for the fact they were both beloved women and mothers who were murdered, senselessly, in 2016. Their murders didn’t have much in common, either. One got the usual local coverage, the other was an internet sleuth sensation. One was solved fairly quickly, the other, 10 years later, is still as much of a mystery as it was in 2016. But they both left devastated family and friends in their wake, and their homicides and the aftermath say something about the bigger picture 10 years ago — in a lot of ways, little has improved. To commemorate our 200th episode, we look at the two homicides from 2016, the same year we started this podcast. To check out Maureen’s Maine-based Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea mystery novels, including the award-winning (seriously!) Dying for News, click here. Looking for a cool Crime & Stuff T-Shirt, or another cool shirt designed by Rebecca? Check out her Bonfire shirt site, by clicking here.

It’s April 1956, and Darrel Parker is going to trial on first-degree murder charges in the murder of his wife, Nancy. The evidence? A confession wrung out of him by soon-to-be famous crimimologist John Reid, with the help of a lie detector and some very willing Lincoln, Nebraska, cops and county attorney Meanwhile, career criminal Wesley Peery continues to wreak havoc in Lincoln and the surrounding area. He can’t have killed Nancy, of course, though he’s showing himself to be a violent rapist. He passed a lie detector test, so he’s been cleared. Part 2 of our look at how the Reid technique and lie detectors and the false confession they elicited launched John Reid to national fame and influenced criminal investigations in the U.S., an influence that continues to this day. Maureen presents. Rebecca gives an NNW review to the Netflix doc series “Missing: Dead or Alive?” If you’re interested in checking out Maureen’s Maine-based Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea mystery novels, including the award-winning (seriously!) Dying for News, click here. Looking for a cool Crime & Stuff T-Shirt, or another cool shirt designed by Rebecca? Check out her Bonfire shirt site, by clicking here.

In case you missed it, from January 2023: Brian Walshe’s many victims. Brian Walshe was found guilty on Dec. 15, 2025, of murdering his wife, Ana Walshe, and dismemembering her body. As promised, we’ll have an episode on it in January. But if you want the full background on Brian Walshe, check out this episode from January 2023 that looks at his long history of fraud, including ripping off his father — twice! It’s not just about the Warhols. We also have a special holiday issue coming later this week, and Part 2 of The Case That Changed Crime Investigation History coming up in the next couple of weeks. If you’re interested in checking out Maureen’s Maine-based Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea mystery novels, including the award-winning (seriously!) Dying for News, click here. Looking for a cool Crime & Stuff T-Shirt, or another cool shirt designed by Rebecca? Check out her Bonfire shirt site, by clicking here.  

Singer and songwriter Marvin Gaye made beautiful music, but what most people didn’t know until his tragic death at his father’s hand was that his life growing up with Marvin Gaye Sr. had been anything but. What led up to the Gaye’s April 1, 1984, shooting death? Rebecca tells the story. Maureen takes on iconic true crime series “Dateline” in our Negative Nellies Watching review. We also have updates on the Cocoanut Grove fire, one of the stranger cases from our 2023 Maine Homicide List and the ongoing Brian Walshe murder trial. If you’re interested in checking out Maureen’s Maine-based Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea mystery novels, including the award-winning (seriously!) Dying for News, click here. Looking for a cool Crime & Stuff T-Shirt, or another cool shirt designed by Rebecca? Check out her Bonfire shirt site, by clicking here.  

Philip Willoughby goes on trial for the Dec. 3, 1983, Maine murder of Paula Roberts, but it doesn’t go smoothly. Not at all. Prosecutors never really let go of Trial 1, and justice takes a hit. But does anyone care? Maureen wraps up the Paula Roberts series. Rebecca does an NNW review of the Netflix doc “The Perfect Neighbor.” If you’re interested in checking out Maureen’s Maine-based Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea mystery novels, including the award-winning (seriously!) Dying for News, click here. Looking for a cool Crime & Stuff T-Shirt, or another cool shirt designed by Rebecca? Check out her Bonfire shirt site, by clicking here.

December 3, 1983, was just a normal night in Paula Roberts’ busy life — she was working the evening shift at Summer Haven Ice Cream shop in Augusta, Maine, one of three jobs she worked to help pay her way through college. But that changed fast when two men burst into the shop, hit a customer over the head with a heavy weapon, stole money, lottery tickets and food stamps. When they left minutes later, they took Paula with them. Part 1 of Paula Roberts covers that month between Dec. 3, 1983, when she was abducted, and the shocking events of a month later, followed by an arrest. But that’s only the beginning of the story. Rebecca does a Negative Nellies Watching review of the Netflix series “Adolescence.” If you’re interested in checking out Maureen’s Maine-based Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea mystery novels, including the award-winning (seriously!) Dying for News, click here. Looking for a cool Crime & Stuff T-Shirt, or another cool shirt designed by Rebecca? Check out her Bonfire shirt site, by clicking here.  

Michael Gaine was well-known and well-loved in his town of Kenmare, as well as around County Kerry in Ireland. So when the 56-year-old farmer disappeared in the middle of a routine morning in March, the alarm was immediately raised. It wasn’t long before everyone realized it was foul play. Even before the horrific details of what happened to him were learned. What does the American drifter from Maine with the hinky story have to do with it all? Maureen presents. Rebecca also gives a Negative Nellies review of the new Netlfix doc “Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser.”  

We have a Maine mini on the murder of Sunshine Stewart, who was paddleboarding on a lake in Maine July 2 when she was killed. We have all the up-to-date information! Since it’s July, hot, and busy, who has time for a full-blown story? So we’re also talking about Jaws, 50 years after we saw it in the theater. To cap it off we have an NNW that we’re not revealing the topic of. It’s a surprise! And we also talk about the Netflix doc “Amy Bradley is Missing.” So! A lot of stuff in this episode. If you’re interested in checking out Maureen’s Maine-based Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea mystery novels, including the just-released Dying for News, click here. Looking for a cool Crime & Stuff T-Shirt, or another cool shirt designed by Rebecca? Check out her Bonfire shirt site, by clicking here.