True Crime Brewery

Not My Boy! The Crimes of Christopher Porco (re-release)

We hope you enjoy this 2019 re-release from our premium show! If you want more content like this, minus the ads, please go to tiegrabber.com/subscribe or patreon.com/tiegrabber to sign up for TCB Premium.Suspicions turned to college student Christopher Porco soon after his parents, Peter and Joan Porco, were attacked with an ax in the middle of the night back in 2004. It seemed unimaginable.  Christopher came from a stable, middle-class family.  He did well in high school, scoring 1400 on his SATs.  But Christopher had dark secrets.Once Christopher was in college, he created a false image of himself as a trust fund kid, buying rounds of drinks for his friends, designer clothes, and a customized jeep.  He financed this lifestyle with thefts and forged student loans. But Christopher was failing his classes and his lies were catching up with him.  Once Peter and Joan learned that Christopher had forged his father’s name on a $30,000 loan, they were shocked and angered.  Both parents attempted to reason with him, but things had already gone too far.  When Peter failed to show up for work one Monday in November, he was found dead of massive head injuries inside his home. Joan was still alive, but barely. The case against Christopher Porco was circumstantial but strong.  Today at the quiet end, we’re talking about a brutal murder and attempted murder planned and perpetrated by a most unlikely suspect. At the heart of this case is the love of a mother for her son and the power of denial.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Between the Pews: Faith, Envy, & Murder

Mary Jane Fonder was a 65-year-old woman living in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. She was known to be a bit of a loner—socially awkward, emotionally fragile, and very involved in her local church, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran. But behind her reserved demeanor simmered a potent mix of envy and resentment, a hidden inner turmoil that would ultimately erupt into a shocking and tragic act of violence.Join us for Between the Pews: Faith, Envy & Murder. In early 2008, a new face appeared at the church: Rhonda Smith, a 42-year-old woman looking for comfort and a supportive community after a difficult life. She quickly became a beloved member of the congregation, receiving support and attention from the pastor and others—attention that Mary Jane would grow to resent.SourcesA life in prison, Bucks County Courier Times, Amanda Cregan, 1/17/2010., retrieved 6/23/2025.Guilty: Jury says Mary Jane Fonder killed Hellertown resident Rhonda Smith, lehighvalleylive.com, retrieved 6/20/2025.Love Me or Else by By Colin McEvoy and Lynn OlanoffMurder suspect noted church killing on calendar, police say. PennLive.com, retrieved 6/20/2025.Pastor says he asked Fonder to leave church, Unnerved: Testifies suspect's behavior upset him, even before shooting. tribunedigital-mcall, retrieved 6/20/2025.Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodesRecord a voicemail for a future showContact UsShop TCB MerchJoin our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion GroupBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

A Dangerous Mind: Robert Peernock

In the early morning hours of July 22, 1987, a motorist came across a black Cadillac that had crashed into a telephone pole on a secluded road in Santa Clarita, California. When police were called to the scene, they found two unresponsive young women inside the car. The driver, who was later identified as 45-year-old Claire Peernock, had severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. Claire's 18-year-old daughter, Natasha, who was in the passenger seat, also suffered severe head trauma, but she miraculously was still alive.Join us for A Dangerous Mind: Robert Peernock. When Claire filed for a divorce that was still pending, she sought custody of Natasha and her younger sister. Claire had also asked the court for an order of protection from Robert, citing multiple instances of threats and abuse. So Claire had known that Robert could be a dangerous man, but not even she could have predicted his twisted plot to eliminate the people he was supposed to love and protect.SourcesA Checklist for Murder by Anthony FlaccoFamily Secrets LA Forensics, 2/19/2014. Retrieved 6/25/2025.Man Charged with Soliciting Murders, Daily News of Los Angeles, 12/11/1987. Retrieved 6/20/2025.Man Tried to Kill Wife and Daughter by Staging a Fatal Car Wreck, Oxygen, Becca Van Sambeck, 1/24/2023. Retrieved 6/29/2025.Missing Man is Accused of Murdering Wife, Los Angeles Times, Gabe Fuentes, 8/23/1987. Retrieved 6/30/2025.Prosecutors: Short Fuse, S1 E11, 2000. https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/319989/s01-e11-short-fuse. Retrieved 6/30/2025.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Dateline Unforgettable Rewatch: Smoke & Mirrors

Nailah Franklin was a young pharmaceutical sales rep for Eli Lilly. Until September 2007, she was casually dating Reginald Potts, a 32-year-old businessman. The two broke up when Nailah learned about Reginald’s lengthy criminal history and sexual relationships with other women.  But, unfortunately, things did not end there.Join us at the quiet end for our rewatch of Smoke & Mirrors. In this episode of Dateline Unforgettable, Keith Morrison looks back at the case of a Chicago woman from a big family who went missing. Investigators began to suspect a man in her life who was full of secrets.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

The Terrible and Totally Preventable Death of Dennis Jurgens

Dennis Jurgens was a chubby, joyful, and active toddler when Harold and Lois Jurgens adopted him in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Unable to have children of their own, Lois and Harold adopted several children over the years. Dennis wasn’t their first or last. From the very beginning, case workers from the adoption agency had their concerns about whether Lois would accept Dennis, but homes were scarce and there was nothing factually wrong that would prevent the placement. The signing of the adoption papers sealed Dennis’ fate.Join us today for The Terrible and Totally Preventable Death of Dennis Jurgens. One cold and wet Sunday morning, a local doctor responded to a call from Harold Jurgens, who said, “I think my son is dying.” When Doctor Peterson arrived, he found a 3-year-old’s body, long dead and clearly beaten. The cause of Dennis’ death was peritonitis from a ruptured bowel. But why had Dennis’ bowel ruptured? Lois and Harold claimed that Dennis had taken a fall, but that would not explain the multiple bruises of every shape and color that peppered his tiny body. On his death certificate, where “homicide” should have been, the coroner wrote “deferred.” This failure to acknowledge that a crime had even occurred or punish the perpetrator would leave five more children at risk of leading tortured lives, being murdered, or both.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.