True Crime Creepers

On a stormy Mother’s Day morning in 2019, a 911 call sends first responders to a secluded property in Milledgeville, Georgia. What they expect to find is a drowning victim in a hot tub. What they actually discover is a scene so bizarre that almost nothing about it makes sense. Dr. Marianne Shockley, a beloved University of Georgia professor, pioneering entomologist, and passionate advocate for the future of eating insects, is found unconscious beside a dangerously hot hot tub. Two men are with her: her boyfriend, Marcus Lillard, and their friend, Dr. Clark Heindel. Both men have a story about what happened. Neither story seems to explain the evidence. There are bloody towels, unexplained injuries, strange spiritual rituals, drugs, a delayed 911 call, and a medical examiner who ultimately determines that Marianne didn't drown at all. Then, before investigators can get all the answers, one of the two men is dead. As detectives begin piecing together the final hours of Marianne's life, Marcus's story keeps changing. Was this a tragic accident? A drug fueled night gone horribly wrong? A bizarre spiritual ritual? Or was someone hiding what really happened in that hot tub? And when the case finally reaches a courtroom, the question becomes even more complicated: can a murder be proven when almost every piece of the puzzle raises more questions than answers? This is the strange and unsettling death of Dr. Marianne Shockley. Sponsors: WHISKERGet the litter box off your mind today with 10% off a Whisker Litter-Robot at whisker.com/CREEPERS. That’s 10% off at whisker.com/CREEPERS. QUINCEFind the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/creepers. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. That’s Q-U-I-N-C-E.com/creepers. PROGRESSIVEInsurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Visit Progressive.com and find a rate that works for you with the Name Your Price® tool. Sources: Podcast: Blood Town Season 1 The Strange Death of Professor Shockley | 48 Hours  What really happened the night Marianne Shockley died? "Evil came to play," says boyfriend acquitted of her murder Marcus Lillard acquitted in strangulation death of University of Georgia professor Medical examiner ruled Shockley died from ‘manual strangulation’ | The Union-Recorder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally published on our Patreon on 6/22/26. We usually wouldn't release episodes so recent from the vault, but this was a very special one! This week, Mogab is telling the story! We're heading to the heart of Kentucky horse country for a case involving wealth, power, and murder. Seventeen-year-old Jessica Whitaker seemed to have it all. The daughter of one of the most prominent families in the Derby world, Jessica was known as a rising equestrian star with a bright future ahead of her. But after attending the Whitakers' annual Spring Soirée, she was found dead near the family pool, the victim of blunt force trauma. Police quickly focused on Daniel Preed, a worker at the Whitaker estate who was seen near the barn on the night of the murder. With an arrest made and the community eager for answers, the case appeared to be closed. But not everyone was convinced. Jessica's friend Emma believes investigators arrested the wrong person. Even her mother—a prosecutor who worked on the case—had serious doubts about Daniel's guilt. When she pushed back against the official narrative, it cost her everything. Determined to uncover the truth, Emma launches her own investigation into the secrets hidden behind the gates of one of Kentucky's most powerful families. What really happened to Jessica Whitaker? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode contains discussion of child abuse. In part 1, Ruby Franke went all-in on Jodi Hildebrandt, to the point of inviting her to move into the house. That’s when everything truly crossed the line. Kevin is pushed out. Chad and Shari are cut off. The younger kids disappear from view. And people around them can tell something is wrong, but no one can get close enough to prove it. Until August 2023, when a 12 year old boy gets out and asks a neighbor for help, setting off a truly unbelievable series of events, including a frantic search, a horrifying discovery inside Jodi’s home, and Ruby’s own words documenting what she believed she was doing. This is the ending everyone heard about... but the details are worse than you think. Sources “Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt story” documentary on Netflix "Devil in the Family” docuseries on Hulu Sponsors Hello Fresh Go to HelloFresh dot com slash creepers10fm to Get 10 free meals + a FREE Zwilling Knife (a $144.99 value) on your third box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1976, 20-year-old Tulane student Ken Gutzeit was stabbed to death in front of dozens of witnesses outside his fraternity house. His killer was arrested, and then... nothing happened. No trial. No conviction. No justice. Ken’s case has been largely forgotten, it's mentioned only briefly in Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever as the event that allegedly changed Jamison Bachman’s life. But the real story is far more disturbing. How does someone commit a public killing with eyewitnesses and a weapon — and walk free? Sources: ken gutzeit - Newspapers.com™ Kenneth Laurence Gutzeit (1955-1976) - Find a Grave Memorial The Shocking Murder That Shaped The Life Of The 'Worst Roommate Ever' The Ken Gutzeit Case | MediumSponsors: Blissy - go to blissy.com/creeperspod and use code CREEPERSPOD to get 30% Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally released on Patreon in August of 2023. How do I even begin to describe this episode? Today, we're exploring the age old question: What happens when your college roommate's dad gets out of prison, needs a place to stay, moves in to your dorm room, and starts a cult in your living room? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices