Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Death of Fritzie Mann w/ James Stewart

(Orig. Pub Date: 11/10/21) In January of 1923, a 20-year-old dancer named Fritzie Mann left home to meet a mysterious man for what she told her mother was a house party. When she was discovered dead on a remote beach a few miles north of San Diego, police were puzzled by the clues. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? The fact that she was pregnant deepened the mystery even further. Soon two men – a Hollywood actor and a doctor – became the primary suspects in the case, and one would eventually be put on trial for murder. My guest is James Stewart, author of “Mystery at the Blue Sea Cottage: A True Story of Murder in San Diego’s Jazz Age”. He shares details about strange death of Fritzie Mann, considered by some to be San Diego’s very own Black Dahlia, and offers intriguing theories on what might really have happened to her. More information can be found at the author’s website here: https://www.jamesstewartauthor.com/ and at his publisher’s author page: https://wildbluepress.com/mystery-at-the-blue-sea-cottage-james-stewart-true-crime/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

427: The 1949 Exorcism That Inspired "The Exorcist" w/ Troy Taylor

In 1949, a quiet neighborhood in St. Louis became the center of one of the most controversial religious cases in American history. A 13-year-old boy began exhibiting disturbing symptoms including violent outbursts, strange markings on his body, and other troubling episodes, leading Catholic priests to perform a series of secret exorcism rites. The case would later inspire The Exorcist, but the real story was far more complex than the film. My guest is Troy Taylor, author of The Devil Came to St. Louis: The Uncensored True Story of the 1949 Exorcism, who takes a careful look at the case, its origins, and how fact, faith, and folklore became intertwined in one of America’s most enduring mysteries. The author's website: https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/ Become a Most Notorious Patron here! https://www.patreon.com/c/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Criminal: Machine Gun Kelly

Growing up in Memphis, George Kelly Barnes starts dabbling in crime from a young age. First he blackmails his father, then he grows a successful bootlegging business for himself. But how did this small-time crook earn one of the most famous names in criminal history? And why don't we talk about his most famous crime? To listen to all four episodes of 'Machine Gun Kelly' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AmericanCriminal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

426: Elizabeth Báthory: The World's Worst Female Serial Killer? w/ Shelley Puhak

Told and retold in many languages, the legend of the Blood Countess has consumed cultural imaginations around the world. But despite claims that Elizabeth Báthory tortured and killed as many as 650 girls, some have wondered if the Countess was herself a victim- of one of the most successful disinformation campaigns known to history. So, was Elizabeth Báthory a monster, a victim, or a bit of both? My guest is Shelley Puhak, author of the new book "The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster". She helps us separate fact from fiction as she reexamines the life of Elizabeth Báthory, long labeled one of history’s most notorious killers, and unpacks a complex story of power, politics, and how it all led to the making of a "monster". The author's website: https://shelleypuhak.com/ The author's publisher page: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/blood-countess-9781639732159/ Become a Most Notorious patron here: https://www.patreon.com/c/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

425: Henry Scott Mausell: Michigan's First Serial Killer? w/ Allie Seibert

On a beautiful fall day in September 1916, 68-year-old Hannah Spielman went on a picnic with her new husband, 71-year-old James Allen, in the woods outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. She had met him through a newspaper advertisement, and the two were married just two days earlier - only hours after stepping off a train and meeting him face-to-face for the first time. But James Allen was not the man he claimed to be. His real name was Henry Scott Mausell, and his intentions were anything but honorable. Eleven days later, Hannah’s decomposed body was discovered and an investigation began. So who was Henry Scott Mausell? A man with a deeply troubled past—and Hannah was likely not his first victim, but the last in a long line of murdered women. In "Bloodstained: Exploring Michigan’s Darkest Murders Forgotten by Time", author Allie Seibert sheds light on this largely forgotten, and very likely, serial killer. The author's Household History website: https://www.householdhistory.com/ The author's Amazon page: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/stores/Allie-Seibert/author/B0F5BYH6BH⁠ Allie in the Archives Podcast links: ⁠https://www.pod.link/1819388236 On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allie.in.the.archives/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices