Best Mackenzie Schmidt Podcasts (2024)

1
143: Hit & Run - Ruthless - Thwarted - The Murder of Preston Lord and the Gilbert Goons (Jesus Ayala & Jzamir Keys - Sebastian Villasenor) 30:43

6M ago30:43

30:43

First, you will hear about how on August 14, 2023, 17-year-old Jesus Ayala ran down 63-year-old retired police chief Andreas Probst as he rode his bicycle in Las Vegas, Nevada while the 16-year-old passenger in the car, Jzamir Keyes, recorded the murder on his cellphone. Then, I’ll tell you about the January 27, 2024 shooting death of 60-year-old R…

1
142: Oxford Update (Ethan Crumbley) 23:33

8M ago23:33

23:33

Update on the Oxford High School Shooting, which took place on November 30, 2021, and saw Madisyn Baldwin, Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre and Justin Shilling murdered on campus by 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley. Music: Resonate Recordings For sources, visit: https://murderousminors.onpodium.co/episodes/142-oxford-update-ethan-crumbley Become a supporter o…

1
141: Hell on Wheels - The Murders of Davion Flanagan and Dominic Russo (Mackenzie Shirilla) 21:03

11M ago21:03

21:03

In August, 2023, Mackenzie Shirilla was sentenced for the high-speed crash murders of her 19-year-old boyfriend Dominic Russo, and their 18-year-old friend Davion Flanagan, murders she committed when she was 17. Music: Resonate Recordings For sources, visit: https://murderousminors.onpodium.co/episodes/hell-on-wheels-the-murders-of-davion-flanagan-…

1
#141 The Final Episode 1:22:05

11M ago1:22:05

1:22:05

After an incredibly meaningful and successful five years, I’ve decided to end the podcast. Thank you for all of your support, time, and trust. I’m off to begin a new chapter, and I’ll hope you’ll continue to follow along. To stay in touch, subscribe for free at anyakaats.substack.com. Song featured: “A Better Son/Daughter” by Rilo Kiley Sign up for…

1
#140 Catalyzing Wider Organisms of Belonging with Ian MacKenzie 1:29:39

11M ago1:29:39

1:29:39

Ian MacKenzie is a new paradigm artist who’s been tracking the global emergence of imaginal culture for the past 15 years. From the desert of Burning Man to the heart of Occupy Wall St, Ian has amplified the voices of visionaries, artists and activists who have been working toward planetary system change. He is the co-director of The Village of Lov…

1
140: Justice for Tristyn - The Sentencing of Aiden Fucci 29:51

1y ago29:51

29:51

On May 9, 2021, Mother's Day, 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey was reported missing from her St. Johns, Florida home. Her 14-year-old classmate and neighbor Aiden Fucci was arrested for her stabbing death, and after more than two years, he's been sentenced for her murder. Visit The Tristyn Bailey Memorial Fund at tristynbailey.com Music: Resonate Recordi…

1
139: Highly Unusual - The Three Trials of AJ Armstrong 35:41

1y ago35:41

35:41

On July 29, 2016, Dawn and Antonio Armstrong Sr. were shot to death in their beds, and immediately, their 16-year-old son was arrested for the murders. After 7 years on house arrest and 3 capital murder trials, the now 23-year-old husdand and father's criminal prosecution has reached a conclusion. Music: Resonate Recordings For sources, visit: murd…

1
138: It's Season 6 (Austin Thompson; Tyler Roenz; Sierra Halseth; Abel Acosta) 36:13

1y ago36:13

36:13

On October 13, 2022, 15-year-old Austin Thompson is alleged to have shot and killed his brother James Roger Thompson, Raleigh police officer Gabriel Torres, Nicole Connors, Mary Marshall and Susan Karnatz, in Raleigh, North Carolina; also on October 13, 2022, 17-year-old Tyler Roenz is alleged to have killed his mother Michelle Roenz in their Humbl…

1
#139 A Holistic and Intuitive Approach to Life and Ecology with Peter May 2:04:14

1y ago2:04:14

2:04:14

Peter May is an alchemist, a Grammy award-winning musician, a tree whisperer, a firefighter (and firemaker), an athlete, an architect, and an all around fascinating human being. Peter and I discuss how his love of ecology first developed as a kid living outside Detroit on Lake St. Clair, and how this passion later influenced almost every aspect of …

1
#138 Taking Advantage of Everything That Makes Life Worth Living with Sarah Jones 1:23:49

1y ago1:23:49

1:23:49

Sarah Jones and her husband Michael are fourth generation potato farmers in Hooper, CO. Their farm, Jones Farms Organics, is paving the way in the San Luis Valley (the nation’s second largest fresh potato growing region in the U.S.) for regenerative and sustainable farming practices. In addition to helping manage day to day operations at the farm, …

1
#137 Critical Ethnobotany and Reimagining Our Role in Ecology with Kelly Moody 1:38:06

1y ago1:38:06

1:38:06

Kelly Moody is a critical ethnobotanist, philosopher, teacher, writer, and podcast host. After growing up in rural southern Virginia on her grandmother’s tobacco farm, Kelly’s interest in plants and ecology never left her. She received a B.A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies, and then left Virginia to travel cross-country, studying herbal medici…

1
#136 Critical Spirituality, Ecstatic Literacy & Psychedelic Harm Reduction with Jules Evans 1:28:32

1y ago1:28:32

1:28:32

Jules Evans is a philosopher, journalist, and author, whose work centers around the interplay between rational and ecstatic states of consciousness. Currently, Jules is leading the Challenging Psychedelic Experiences Project - researching psychedelic harm reduction, ethics, and integration. Jules and I speak about our shared disillusionment with We…

1
#135 Making a Living From Sunlight and Soil with George Whitten and Sam Schmidt 1:39:53

1+ y ago1:39:53

1:39:53

George Whitten, along with his wife Julie, own Blue Range Ranch (also known as San Juan Ranch) located in the high desert of Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Originally pastoralists, George and his family have been ranching on the same land for well over a century, and have been practicing regenerative agriculture and holistic land management since 1893…

1
#134 To Worship at the Altar of Life, Death, Sex, and Love with Erin Ginder-Shaw 1:58:09

1+ y ago1:58:09

1:58:09

Erin is a professional writer who’s currently studying to get her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Erin is also one of my closest friends, and my former Whore Rapport co-host. Since ending Whore Rapport last fall, Erin and I both felt that there was more to say about our decision to stop the podcast. We speak about the animate, sacred nature of identi…

1
#133 Build Me a Castle of Dreams: Musings on Saturn in Pisces with Jenny Kellogg 1:46:39

1+ y ago1:46:39

1:46:39

Jenny is a certified astrologer, holds a PhD in Modern Languages and Literatures, a B.A. in Classical Philology, and has studied ancient civilizations and languages for over 25 years. She’s also a trauma-informed coach, spiritual guide, and one of my dearest friends. Jenny returns to the podcast (for the fifth time!) to discuss the upcoming ingress…

1
#132 Pursuing Gender Reconciliation Through Love and Compassion with William Keepin and Cynthia Brix 2:11:20

1+ y ago2:11:20

2:11:20

William Keepin and Cynthia Brix are co-founders of Gender Equity and Reconciliation International. William, a climate scientist and physicist who also trained in clinical psychology with Stanislav Grof began GERI thirty years ago under the name “Gender and Ecology” in an effort to expose and heal the hypocrisies of working to end the exploitation o…

1
#131 Can getting better at one thing help us get better at everything else? (A solo episode / life update) 1:01:00

1+ y ago1:01:00

1:01:00

For the past few months I’ve found myself in a deep internal dialogue exploring the nature of my desires, my relationship to will, and my capacity for action. In the face of difficult choices, divergent interests, or upon reaching a fork in the road, how do we decide which path to take? How do we tell the difference between “trusting the timing” an…

1
#130 Living Nomadically on Horseback with Michael Ridge 1:37:06

2y ago1:37:06

1:37:06

Michael Ridge has spent the last decade living and traveling nomadically on horseback, mostly in the Pacific Northwest. He is an expert in primitive skills and wild foods, and possesses a level of bravery and commitment to core values that I find extraordinarily impressive. In our conversation, Michael shares about the events that led him to his cu…

1
#129 Envisioning, Designing and Creating Spaces for the Future with Johanna Hoffman 1:46:08

2y ago1:46:08

1:46:08

Johanna Hoffman is a designer, urbanist and strategist exploring the ties between design, planning, fiction and futures. She’s the founder of Design for Adaptation, a studio using strategic planning, interactive storytelling and speculative design to survey the impacts of potential futures and spur proactive adaptation. Her new book is called Specu…

1
#128 Mending Our Myths and Planting Seeds of Future Stories with Téo Montoya 1:46:32

2y ago1:46:32

1:46:32

Téo Montoya is a Human Design Analyst, Metamodern Myth Mender, Indigenous Futurist writer and multimedia artist. His work focuses on synthesizing cosmological and spiritual systems, myths, archetypes, and modalities to find ways of supporting an emerging world in crisis through human development, ecological literacy, and reciprocity with our commun…

1
137: Sentenced to Life (Michael Carneal) 31:56

2y ago31:56

31:56

On December 1, 1997, 14-year-old Michael Carneal opened fire on his fellow students at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, killing 17-year-old Jessica James, 14-year-old Nicole Hadley and 15-year-old Kayce Steger, and 5 other students were wounded. In September, 2022, Carneal became the first high-profile school shooter of the modern era t…

1
#127 Healing, Transformation, and Evolution through Movement and Dance with Vangelis Legakis 1:34:17

2y ago1:34:17

1:34:17

Van is an educator and practitioner in dance, healing and spirituality with over 20 years of experience. He integrates Eastern and Western modalities to create a holistic dance education, centering on how dance can enlighten our perspectives on life and how we interact with society. Van reaches beyond dance and choreography by focusing his work on …

1
136: Hung Jury (Antonio Armstrong Jr.) 44:31

2y ago44:31

44:31

In July 2016, 42-year-old spouses Dawn Whitely Armstrong and Antonio Armstrong Sr. were shot and killed in their suburban Houston, Texas townhome, with their middle son, 16-year-old Antonio Armstrong Jr., the only suspect. Following a mistrial, the defense fought to introduce an alternative perpetrator theory at retrial, which is scheduled to begin…

1
#126 Navigating Darkness & Becoming an Apprentice of the Unknown with Deborah Eden Tull 2:03:18

2y ago2:03:18

2:03:18

Deborah Eden Tull (who goes by Eden) is a Zen meditation and engaged dharma teacher, public speaker, author and sustainability educator, as well as the founder of Mindful Living Revolution. She trained for seven and a half years as a Buddhist monk at a silent Zen monastery and has taught engaged dharma for over 20 years. Her new book, Luminous Dark…

1
135: Missing (Jameion Peterson - Gabriel Davies - Bruce Brenizer) 35:30

2y ago35:30

35:30

On August 30, 2022, 10-year-old Na’Mylah Turner-Moore was reported missing from Saginaw, Michigan and her 14-year-old stepbrother Jameion Peterson has been charged as an adult on suspicion of her murder; on August 28, 2022, a 51-year-old man was found shot and stabbed to death in his home in Orting, Washington, and two 16-year-olds have been charge…

1
#125 Paradox, Polarity and Nuance in Astrology with Whitney Will 1:56:24

2y ago1:56:24

1:56:24

Whitney returns to the podcast to discuss how paradox, polarity and nuance show up in astrology, and how to best utilize concepts of “good” and “bad” to provoke self-awareness. How can nuance be used to both invite and prevent growth? How can we assess when duality is helpful vs. when it isn’t? Whitney and I provide an overview of concepts such as …

1
134: Second Chance (Lacy Aaron Schmidt) 26:46

2y ago26:46

26:46

On July 18, 2022, 14-year-old Brooke McLaughlin was murdered in her home in Mount Vernon, Maine, and a 15-year-old has been arrested in her death. On January 31, 2011, 14-year-old Alana May Calahan was shot and killed in her own home by a neighbor who was close with their family, Lacy Aaron Schmidt, who was also 14. Many questions remain, including…

1
#124 Reckoning With Our Disconnection From Grief, Elderhood and Community, Part Two with Kimberly Ann Johnson 1:53:07

2y ago1:53:07

1:53:07

Kimberly Ann Johnson is a somatic experience practitioner, sexological bodyworker, author, podcast host, and doula. She returns to the podcast to speak about the turmoil of the past couple years, and recounts the journey that led her to co-author Reckoning with Stephen Jenkinson. We speak about our mutual experience feeling alienated from the “well…

1
#123 Reckoning With Our Disconnection From Grief, Elderhood and Community, Part One with Stephen Jenkinson 2:08:08

2y ago2:08:08

2:08:08

Stephen is a culture activist, teacher, author, and co-founder if the Orphan Wisdom School. His work centers around grief, elderhood, community, and is rooted in knowing history, being claimed by ancestry, and working for a time we won’t see. Stephen and I speak about how a lack of generational connection and transmission has provoked deep rupture …

1
133: Little Boy Lost (Craig Mulligan) 36:10

2y ago36:10

36:10

In the early morning hours of July 31, 2021, 5-year-old Logan Mwangi was found dead and 13-year-old Craig Mulligan was arrested for his murder, along with with his guardian John Cole and Logan's mother Angharad Williamson, in Bridgend, South Wales. Brought to you by Best Fiends! Music: We Talk of Dreams For sources, visit: https://murderous-minors.…

1
#122 Reclaiming Curiosity and Connection in Dangerously Divided Times with Mónica Guzmán 1:54:18

2y ago1:54:18

1:54:18

Mónica Guzmán is an author, journalist, and bridge builder. She is the Director of Digital Storytelling at Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America, and author of the book “I Never Thought Of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times”. Móni and her parents immigrated to the US from Mexico…

1
#121 Celebrating Unpopular Opinions and the Fluidity of Identity with Lenore Black 1:47:21

2y ago1:47:21

1:47:21

Lenore Black, a fan favorite of the show, returns for a second episode. It’s an understatement to say that a lot has changed in the year and a half since Lenore and I first connected, both personally and collectively. We speak about Lenore’s move from New York City to Joshua Tree, which was as much an inner journey as an outer journey. Lenore share…

1
#120 Growing Up Maasai in a Complex, Changing World with Elia Edward Mollel 1:28:42

2y ago1:28:42

1:28:42

Chris and I had the pleasure of spending ten days with Elia on our trip to Tanzania last month, and sat down to record a podcast with him at Lake Eyasi. Elia is half Maasai, and spent much of his childhood being raised by his Maasai grandfather. He has a great deal of knowledge and insight about the complexities and conflicts between the Maasai and…

1
132: A Family Matter (Riley Conner) 25:51

2y ago25:51

25:51

On March 11, 2016, 45-year-old Felicia Moore Porter was raped and murdered outside her home in Tabor City, N. Carolina, and her 15-year-old nephew Riley Dawson Conner was ultimately convicted of the crimes. The N. Carolina Supreme Court recently threw out his consecutive sentences and he’s scheduled to be resentenced in the fall of 2022. Brought to…

1
#119 Rerooting our Stories and Rewilding our Mythology with Sophie Strand 1:43:48

2+ y ago1:43:48

1:43:48

Sophie is a writer based in the Hudson Valley who focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. We speak about personal and collective mythologies and how so many of our stories have been deracinated from their roots in ways that perpetuate harm. We discuss the importance of rerooting and rewilding these narratives by list…

1
131: 40 Years: The Murder of Janet Commins (Stephen Hough) 24:17

2+ y ago24:17

24:17

On the evening of January 7, 1976, 15-year-old Janet Commins snuck out to go swimming, leaving a note saying she’d be home by 8:30pm. She never returned and 18-year-old Noel Jones was convicted and served his entire prison sentence more than 2 decades before DNA linked Stephen Hough to Janet’s rape and murder, 40 years after the then 16-year-old is…

1
#118 Anti-Racism 2.0: Reclaiming Love and Rejecting Division with Chloé Valdary 1:33:00

2+ y ago1:33:00

1:33:00

Chloé is a writer and entrepreneur whose company, Theory of Enchantment, offers an alternative to conventional anti-racism training. Instead of focusing on dualistic thinking and division, Chloé’s company embraces and promotes love and compassion. We speak about the importance of accepting and embodying our own individual complexities and polaritie…

1
130: Because of Love (Tia Skinner - Jonathan Kurtz - James Preston) 26:00

2+ y ago26:00

26:00

In the early morning hours of November 12, 2010, 47-year-old Paul Skinner was stabbed to death in his own bed, an attack planned by his 17-year-old daughter Tia Skinner, with help from her boyfriend, 18-year-old Jonathan Kurtz, and their 18-year-old friend James Preston, in Yale, Michigan. Her mother Mara survived the attack, and started the nonpro…

1
#117 In the Shadow of the Healer: A Solo Episode 1:14:16

2+ y ago1:14:16

1:14:16

This episode has been a long time coming. If you’re a regular listener of MGSW, you know that I’m incredibly interested in exploring power dynamics, shadow, and spirituality, especially when all three become interwoven. I share my reflections about the podcast Cover Story, which uncovers abuses of power within the growing industry of psychedelic th…

1
129: What's Been Going On (Abel Acosta - Ethan Crumbley - Frank DeLeon Jr - Jeremy Goodale & Willard Miller - Aiden Fucci - Caleb Kennedy) 27:01

2+ y ago27:01

27:01

Updates on several cases, including Abel Acosta of Garland, Texas, accused of shooting and killing three teens on the day after Christmas, 2021; Aiden Fucci, who was arrested for the Mother's Day 2021 murder of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey, in St. Johns, Florida; Frank DeLeon Jr, who was arrested in the January, 2022 murder of his girlfriend, 15-year…

1
#116 On Living Artfully, Embracing the Unknown and Saying Yes to Life with Debra Berger 1:31:15

2+ y ago1:31:15

1:31:15

Debra has lived an incredibly full and inspiring life with no plan of stopping anytime soon. From moving to Europe, dropping out of school, marrying an Italian prince and hitchhiking across Africa all by the time she was sixteen, Debra has always embraced the unknown and said “yes” to all of what life has thrown at her. We speak about her love of i…

1
128: All for Love (Amanda McGhee - Andrew Mann) 25:32

2+ y ago25:32

25:32

On June 29, 2007, 21-year-old Andrew Bryan Mann and his 15-year-old pregnant girlfriend Amanda McGhee murdered her father and stepmother Terrance and Alisa McGhee, in Solway, Tennessee. Sponsored by EveryPlate! Music: We Talk of Dreams www.purple-planet.com For sources, visit:https://murderous-minors.onpodium.com/episode/all-for-love-amanda-mcghee-…

1
127: Malice Aforethought: The Murder of Lily Peters (CPB) 29:33

2+ y ago29:33

29:33

On April 24, 2022, 10-year-old Iliana 'Lily' Peters went missing in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and was found murdered the following morning. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with raping and killing her. Sponsored by Best Fiends Music: We Talk of Dreams For sources, visit: https://murderous-minors.onpodium.com/episode/malice-aforethought-the-murde…

1
#115 Spirituality as a Reclamation of Self with Lindsey Lockett 2:04:32

2+ y ago2:04:32

2:04:32

Lindsey Lockett is a trauma educator, coach, podcast host and self-proclaimed “awareness junkie and nervous system ninja”. She joined me to continue our two-part conversation about spirituality. (To listen to part 1, head to Episode #79 of the Holistic Trauma Healing Podcast). Lindsey spent the first 30 years of her life as an evangelical Christian…

1
126: Gone but not Forgotten - The Murder of Otis Elder (Mekhi Speed) 23:01

2+ y ago23:01

23:01

17-year-old Mekhi Speed has been charged with the January 10, 2022 shooting death of 38-year-old Otis Elder, a murder which set off a chain of events that left Speed's cousin Amir Locke dead at the hands of Minneapolis, Minnesota police. Brought to you by StoryWorth Music: We Talk of Dreams www.purple-planet.com For sources, visit: https://murderou…

1
125: Girl Next Door (Jonathan Zarate - James Zarate) 35:56

2+ y ago35:56

35:56

Jonathan Zarate, 18, and James Zarate, 14, were both convicted of murdering and dismembering their next door neighbor, 16-year-old Jennifer Parks in Randolph, New Jersey, on July 30, 2005. Brought to you by NOOM Mood #noompartner Music: We Talk of Dreams For sources, visit: https://murderous-minors.onpodium.com/episode/girl-next-door-jonathan-zarat…

1
#114 Vaccines, Veganism & Will Smith: A Solo Episode About Cognitive Dissonance & Self-Awareness 1:04:52

2+ y ago1:04:52

1:04:52

In this episode I discuss three relatively controversial and divisive issues in an effort to expose our discomfort with cognitive dissonance. For example, are we really anti-vaccine mandate, or are we just anti-Covid vaccine mandate (because we don’t feel personally at risk)? Would we still be preaching about sovereignty if the virus was deadlier? …

1
124: No Witnesses (Mark Anthony Duke - Michael Brandon Samra) 38:23

2+ y ago38:23

38:23

On Palm Sunday, 1997, the murders of 29-year-old Dedra Mims Hunt, her daughters Chelsea and Chelisa, and her 39-year-old fiancé Randy Duke were reported in Pelham, Alabama. Duke's 16-year-old son Mark Anthony Duke called 911 but he, along with 19-year-old Michael Brandon Samra and two accomplices, would later be arrested for the crimes. This episod…

1
123: Fallen Idol & Trying to Take Charge (Caleb Kennedy - Ethan Orton) 24:30

2+ y ago24:30

24:30

On February 8, 2022, former American Idol contestant 17-year-old Caleb Kennedy was arrested for killing 54-year-old Larry Parris by running him over, near Spartanburg, S. Carolina; 17-year-old Ethan Orton confessed to using a knife and ax to kill his parents, 42-year-old Casey Orton and 41-year-old Misty Scott Slade, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; update o…

1
#113 On Spirituality and Embracing the Mystery of the Cosmos with Christopher Ryan 1:55:27

2+ y ago1:55:27

1:55:27

Listen now (115 min) | Christopher Ryan (co-author of Sex at Dawn, author of Civilized to Death, and host of Tangentially Speaking) returns to the podcast to discuss spirituality, and the ways we’ve engaged in this realm in different, yet parallel ways. We speak about psychedelics, astrology, synchronicity, and magic, and how these tools and practi…

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