True Crime New England

Can you even believe it? True Crime New England is five years old! On this year’s special episode, Katie and Liz talk about their usual topics: statistics, favorite episodes, and of course, the popular superlatives! Listen through to the end to take a walk down memory lane and be the first to hear of a very important and special announcement.

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, Katie and Liz jump in their time machine and go all the way back to the 1840's in Rhode Island to discuss the murder of Amasa Sprague. Hailing from a very prominent and wealthy family, Amasa and his brother, William, grew their success with a massive mill franchise and political positions. On New Year’s Eve of 1843, Amasa was doing his nightly check of the livestock on his nearby farm in Johnston when he was shot and then beaten to death with a gun. At the time, the area was full of Irish immigrants who were constantly being treated poorly due to their heritage. Very quickly, a family of Irish brothers were found to be at fault for the murder despite the lack of evidence.

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, Katie and Liz dive into a relatively well-known case in recent Massachusetts history. In February of 2021, 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, who was 3 months pregnant, was found dead in her Canton apartment. She had recently found out she was pregnant and was so excited to be a mom. Her body was found with a duffel bag strap around her neck and tied to a doorknob, appearing as if she had committed suicide. It took three years for her death to be ruled a homicide, and this resulted in the subsequent arrest of former Stoughton Police Department officer Matthew Farwell, a man who had been grooming Sandra for almost a decade. While his trial is set to occur in October of 2026, the evidence mounting against him is damning as Sandra’s family waits for justice for their loved one’s murder.

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, Katie and Liz take a look at the mysterious murder of Barbara Beach Hamburg. Barbara, a mom of two living in Madison, Connecticut, was found beaten and stabbed to death on her lawn on March 3rd, 2010. She hadn't answered her teenage daughter’s calls about picking her up from school, and had also failed to appear in court that morning for a scheduled appointment against her ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg. Her murder immediately went cold, but her son, Madison Hamburg, began investigating his mother’s murder through a film school project that developed into a docuseries that aired on HBO in 2020. Madison spends over a decade looking through the facts and files of his mother’s case, interviewing family members and friends, meeting with police, and even filing appeals for documents to be sent to him. His docuseries, Murder on Middle Beach, showcases the intricate details of his mother’s murder investigation and how he became obsessed with the who and the why. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding the murder of Barbara Beach Hamburg, please go to barbarahamburgtips.com where you can leave an anonymous tip by submitting on their website or by calling their confidential tip line. You can also call the Madison Police Department at 203-245-6500.

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, Katie and Liz discuss the troubling home invasion that took place in Bedford, New Hampshire in November of 2012. That evening, Dr. Eduardo Quesado and his wife, Sonia, returned home to their mansion on Proclamation Court after seeing a movie. When they got inside, they were confronted by a man in a ski mask who then proceeded to viciously attack and rob them. While both the doctor and his wife survived with serious injuries, the effects were everlasting. Six weeks after the home invasion, Sonia was found dead and Eduardo unresponsive, both surrounded by a large amount of prescription medications. It was shortly after this that two suspects were arrested in regards to the home invasion.

Take a trip back in time this week on True Crime New England as Katie and Liz discuss the story of “The Gentleman Burglar.” In the late 1800s, small town Chester, Vermont was terrorized by sixteen years of random and heinous robberies in both local stores and local homes. The townspeople were furious and frightened, but luckily they had a hardworking public figure to help them solve the mystery. Clarence Adams, a once state legislator and highly respected member of the town, helped approve security plans, hire detectives, and even kicked in some of his own personal money as a part of the reward. His efforts were highly respected until one night in July of 1902, an incident that left Clarence injured had all signs pointing to HIM as the main suspect for the string of robberies. Tune in to hear the timeline and the details of the terrified town as they navigate the heightened level of crime in this historical whodunnit case.