Best Minnesotas Notorious Crimes Podcasts (2024)

1
The 1916 Iron Ore Strike w/ Gary Kaunonen 1:35:24

3M ago1:35:24

1:35:24

On June 2, 1916, forty mostly immigrant mineworkers at the St. James Mine in Aurora, Minnesota, walked off the job. This seemingly small labor disturbance would mushroom into one of the region’s, if not the nation’s, most contentious and significant battles between organized labor and management in the early twentieth century. My guest, Gary Kaunoe…

1
The Scandalous Rise & Stunning Fall of Minneapolis' Metropolitan Building w/ Larry Millett 1:08:45

4M ago1:08:45

1:08:45

My guest is prolific author Larry Millett. His knowledge of Twin Cities architecture and history is unequalled in Minnesota, and he has used his knowledge to write some of the best local history books in the last thirty years. We initially discuss downtown Minneapolis' lost crown jewel, the spectacular Northwestern Guaranty Loan Building (which wou…

1
Camilla Hall & the SLA w/ Rachael Hanel 53:37

8M ago53:37

53:37

It was a question asked by many Minnesotans in 1974, including her parents. How could Camilla Hall, the sweet and caring daughter of a small-town Lutheran pastor, become a member of the radical Symbionese Liberation Army? The abductors of Patty Hearst? The gun-toting militants who would end up battling police to death in Los Angeles? My guest is aw…

1
The Duluth Murder of Lena Olson w/ Jeffrey Sauve 1:12:59

11M ago1:12:59

1:12:59

In August of 1894, a young woman was found brutally murdered on a sand dune at Minnesota Point in Duluth. Over the next two years both Duluth and Minneapolis detectives would hunt for her killer across the country, until finally finding him in the Pacific Northwest. My guest is Jeffrey Sauve, author of "Murder at Minnesota Point". He shares details…

1
The Storied (& Unsavory) History of Minnehaha Falls w/ Karen E. Cooper 1:18:10

1+ y ago1:18:10

1:18:10

Since the mid-19th century one of the great tourist destinations in Minnesota has been Minnehaha Falls. Already known for its beauty, its fame intensified when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized it in his poem "The Song of Hiawatha". But Minnehaha Falls has had a dark side as well. In the late 19th century it became a place synonymous with dru…

1
Minnesota Caves & Tunnels w/ Greg Brick 1:39:40

2y ago1:39:40

1:39:40

Have you ever wondered whether Pig's Eye Parrant's notorious Fountain Cave saloon is accessible to visitors? Was there really a tunnel between Nina Clifford's brothel and the original Minnesota Club? Did Jesse and Frank James hide out in any Minnesota caves before or after their botched Northfield bank raid in 1876? What really exists under downtow…

1
The Assassination of Hole in the Day w/ Anton Treuer 52:49

2y ago52:49

52:49

On June 27, 1868, Hole in the Day (Bagonegiizhig) the Younger left Crow Wing, Minnesota, for Washington, DC, to fight the planned removal of the Mississippi Ojibwe to a reservation at White Earth. Several miles from his home, the self-styled leader of all the Ojibwe was stopped by at least twelve Ojibwe men and fatally shot. Hole in the Day's death…

1
The 1894 Murder of Kitty Ging w/ Shawn Francis Peters 1:22:43

2+ y ago1:22:43

1:22:43

On December 3rd, 1894, a dressmaker named Catherine "Kitty" Ging was found shot to death on a snowy Lake Calhoun road in Minneapolis. Police patched together clues and evidence, which ultimately led them to the front door of a charming, scheming scoundrel named Harry Hayward. My guest is Shawn Francis Peters, author of "The Infamous Harry Hayward: …

1
Saint Paul Memories & Murder w/ David Butwin 53:22

3y ago53:22

53:22

The upscale Highland Park neighborhood in Saint Paul in the late 1940s was a fun place to grow up in. But there was a dark side to the area as well. A trio of gruesome murders of young women happened in a fifteen month period, which shocked the respectable community. The most memorable for the author was the 1948 murder of seventeen-year-old Gerald…

1
The Wabasha Street Caves w/ Deborah Frethem 59:27

3+ y ago59:27

59:27

On this episode, I get a little more informal than usual, as I chat with Deborah Frethem, long time tour guide at the Wabasha Street Caves (the old Castle Royale Nightclub). We swap tour guide and ghost stories, in honor of the sad, recent closing of the Caves. Deborah, along with Cynthia Schreiner Smith, are co-authors of a book called "Alvin Karp…

1
Grand Rapids' Ruby Slippers Heist w/ Rob Feeney 1:13:50

3+ y ago1:13:50

1:13:50

My guest, Rob Feeney, suddenly found himself the middle of one of the most fascinating criminal investigations in Minnesota history - the theft of one of the famous pairs of Ruby Slippers, worn by Minnesota native Judy Garland in the classic film The Wizard of Oz, out of a Grand Rapids museum in 2005. Rob talks about the historical significance of …

1
The Murder of Thomas Tollefson w/ Beverly J. Porter 47:59

4y ago47:59

47:59

In the summer of 1887, Thomas Tollefson was shot to death as he operated his mule-drawn streetcar in the Cedar Avenue-Lake Street neighborhood of Minneapolis. Police settled on two brothers as the murderers - members of a family that ran a notorious saloon nearby called The Hub of Hell. My guest is Beverly J. Porter, author of "The Hub of Hell: A T…

1
Old Minneapolis's Infamous Skid Row w/ James Eli Shiffer 43:59

4y ago43:59

43:59

Before the early 1960s, when much of Minneapolis was razed to make way for ugly parking ramps and office buildings, another world existed. Decrepit 19th century buildings in an area of downtown called Skid Row housed lowbrow bars and flophouses, and a man named John "Johnny Rex" Bacich, owner of the Sourdough Bar, reigned supreme over a gaggle of b…

1
The 1972 Virginia Piper Kidnapping w/ William Swanson 1:03:34

4+ y ago1:03:34

1:03:34

The F.B.I. refers to the 1972 Virginia Piper kidnapping as the most successful kidnapping in American history. In July of that year, Virginia Piper, socialite wife of Bobby Piper, the CEO of Piper, Jaffray and Hopwood, was abducted from her home, taken to Jay Cooke State Park near Duluth, and tied to a tree. The ransom demand was one million dollar…

1
The Life & Death of Minnesota's Colorful Nellie King w/ Jerry Kuntz - A True Crime History Podcast 50:25

4+ y ago50:25

50:25

My guest is Jerry Kuntz, author of "Minnesota's Notorious Nellie King: Wild Woman of the Closed Frontier". He tells the story of a larger-than-life and beautiful young con-artist, pretend detective, singer and cross-dresser, who lights up Twin Cities papers with her outrageous exploits. He also explains how he was able to track down her elusive pas…

1
The 1912 Alice Matthews Murder Case Part Two 34:57

4+ y ago34:57

34:57

In this second part of the 1912 Alice Matthews Murder case, a serious suspect finally emerges, a young man named Alfred Driskell, but it takes four confessions for the police to finally him seriously. And throughout his journey to convince authorities of his guilt, many questions arise as to Driskell's sanity. Become a Most Notorious patron at: www…

1
The 1912 Alice Matthews Murder Case Part One 39:51

4+ y ago39:51

39:51

In March of 1912, a brutal murder of a young woman just off of Cedar Avenue rocked the city of Minneapolis. In part one of this episode, I narrate the story of the initial investigation of the slaying of Alice Matthews, just feet from her front door. Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choices. …

1
The Mysterious 1951 Minneapolis Disappearance of the Klein Brothers w/ Jack El-Hai - A True Crime History Podcast 36:55

4+ y ago36:55

36:55

On this new episode of Minnesota's Most Notorious: Where Blood Runs Cold, I speak with author Jack El-Hai about his book, "The Lost Brothers: A Family's Decades-Long Search". In it, he explores the mysterious disappearance of three little brothers in a Minneapolis park in November of 1951. While the police would consider it a drowning, their parent…

1
Minnesota 1918: Fire, Flu and War w/ Curt Brown 52:51

4+ y ago52:51

52:51

The year 1918 goes down as probably the most horrific in Minnesota history. A flu epidemic, a world war and the deadliest fire in the state's history all hit within months of each other, and often the resulting tragedies overlapped for suffering families. My guest is Curt Brown, author of "Minnesota 1918: When Flu, Fire & War Ravaged the State". He…

1
Minneapolis Madams with Penny A. Petersen - A True Crime History Podcast 1:22:08

5y ago1:22:08

1:22:08

While most of us know that prostitution existed in Minneapolis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fewer of us know where the red-light districts were, and what life would have been like for the madams and prostitutes who worked in these bordellos. My guest is Penny A. Petersen, author of Minneapolis Madams: The Lost History of Prostitution …

1
True Crime Ripped From the Headlines! August 4th, 1913 17:23

5y ago17:23

17:23

A brief look at some of the wild stories published in the Minneapolis Morning Tribune on August 4th, 1913. True Crime, tragedy and even comedy take a turn. Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Blue Ewe Media

1
The Younger Brothers' First Taste of Freedom 21:01

5y ago21:01

21:01

On July 14th of 1901, the remaining members of the notorious James-Younger outlaw gang, Cole and Jim Younger, were allowed to leave the gates of the Minnesota State Prison, where they had been incarcerated for twenty five years, and explore the town of Stillwater for the morning. This is an account of that little expedition, as reported by the Minn…

1
Live at the Warden's House Museum in Stillwater w/ Gibson Stanton! 1:04:12

5y ago1:04:12

1:04:12

Minnesota's Most Notorious's first interview in front of a live audience took place at the Warden's House Museum, downtown Stillwater, on Thursday, June 27th, 2019 at 7 pm. My guest was Gibson Stanton, site manager of the museum, which is operated by the Washington County Historical Society. She not only offered a fascinating history of Minnesota's…

1
Minnesota's First Murder Mystery: Part Two w/ Gary Brueggemann - A True Crime History Podcast 1:05:59

5y ago1:05:59

1:05:59

My interview continues with Gary Brueggemann, author of "Minnesota's First Murder Mystery, The Case of Edward Phalen: St. Paul's Unsaintly Pioneer". In part two, my guest delves deeper into the death of Sergeant John Hayes, including presenting strong evidence to suggest it was his partner, the brutish Edward Phalen, who murdered him. He also offer…

1
Minnesota's First Murder Mystery: Part One w/ Gary Brueggemann - A True Crime History Podcast 1:02:08

5y ago1:02:08

1:02:08

My guest is teacher and historian Gary Brueggemann, author of "Minnesota's First Murder Mystery, The Case of Edward Phalen: St. Paul's Unsaintly Pioneer". In part one of this episode, he explains the strange and complicated origin of Saint Paul, and sets the scene for part two, which details the murder of John Hayes, the investigation, and eventual…

1
The Barker-Karpis Gang & Big Tom Brown w/ Tim Mahoney - A True Crime History Podcast 1:05:24

5y ago1:05:24

1:05:24

My guest is Tim Mahoney, author of "Secret Partners: Big Tom Brown and the Barker Gang". He shares the story of the tangled relationship between mob bosses, bank-robbing gangsters, breweries and corrupt police officers in 1920s and 30s Saint Paul. More about the book here: https://shop.mnhs.org/products/secret-partners Become a Most Notorious patro…

1
The 1902 Aitkin Murder of Josefina Olson w/ Betty Gove - A True Crime History Podcast 53:18

5y ago53:18

53:18

I'm tickled, on this episode of Minnesota's Most Notorious, to be joined by author, poet and nonagenarian Betty Gove. She talks about an infamous and tragic Minnesota murder, taken directly from her own family history. Josefina Olson was stabbed to death by her jealous father Ole on the eve before her wedding day in 1902 outside of Aitkin, MN. Beco…

1
Episode 8 33:19

5y ago33:19

33:19

This week we will be discussing the heartbreaking Hart Family case. It is worth noting that Jennifer Hart’s blood alcohol level was .102 which is above California’s limit of 0.08. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/minnesotasnotorious/support

1
Episode 7 21:16

5y ago21:16

21:16

This week we discuss Paul Michael Stephani who was Minnesota serial killer. He was also known as the Weepy-Voiced Killer due to a series of telephone calls he made to police, anonymously reporting his crimes in a remorseful and high-pitched voice. Stephani killed three women (Kimberly Compton, Kathleen Greening and Barbara Simons) in the Minneapoli…

1
The 1940 Fort Snelling "Barrel Girl" Murder w/ Susi and Todd Adler - A True Crime History Podcast 45:32

5y ago45:32

45:32

My guests are Susi and Todd Adler, Fort Snelling historians who specialize in the history of the Upper Post during World War 1 and World War 2. On this episode of Minnesota's Most Notorious, they tell the story of the gruesome murder of fourteen year old Mary Jane Massey, who disappeared while walking home from the post's swimming pool on a hot sum…

1
Episode 6 19:59

5y ago19:59

19:59

This week we discuss the Rocori High School shooting which occured occurred on September 24, 2003 in Cold Spring, Minnesota, United States. The victims were Seth Bartell and Aaron Rollins. For business inquires please email: minnesotanotoriouscrimes@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/minnesotasnotorious/supp…

1
Episode 6 15:11

5+ y ago15:11

15:11

This week we discuss two babies who were found abandoned four years apart and have the same mother. Baby one's doe network number is 604UFMN and her case number is GC99-158. Baby two's doe network number is 1044UMMN and his case number is GC03-127. If you have any information contact, Lindsey Thomas at 612-215-6334 or lindsey.thomas@hennepin.us. Fo…

1
The Wild Life of Coffee John Fitchette - A True Crime History Podcast 33:01

5+ y ago33:01

33:01

One of my favorite characters from my book, Dirty Doc Ames & the Scandal That Shook Minneapolis, is "Coffee John" Fitchette. He was an incorrigible, swaggering bully who conned and cheated his way across the United States, leaving three wives, multiple children, and a legion of angry creditors in his wake. He finally settled in Minneapolis, where h…

1
The 1933 Johnson Family Murders w/ Brian Johnson - A True Crime History Podcast 44:19

5+ y ago44:19

44:19

This is a Minnesota's Most Notorious interview. On this episode I chat with Brian Johnson, author of Murder in Chisago County: The Untold Johnson Family Mystery. He has a personal connection to the story - it was his great-aunt and her children who were murdered on their family farm in Rush City, Minnesota, in April of 1933. Become a Most Notorious…

1
Episode 5 15:41

5+ y ago15:41

15:41

Dru Katrina Sjodin (September 26, 1981 - November 22, 2003) is a murder victim who was abducted from the Columbia Mall parking lot in Grand Folks, North Dakota, by Alfonso Rodriguez Jr, on November 22, 2003. Her disappearance collected huge media coverage throughout the United States and prompted the creation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender…

1
Murder on Buffalo Creek w/ Brian Haines 26:59

5+ y ago26:59

26:59

Brian Haines, Executive Director of the McLeod County Historical Society and Museum in Hutchinson MN, tells some turn-of-the-century stories of murder and lynching on Buffalo Creek. He also talks about some of the great exhibits offered at the museum this year. Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Learn more about your a…

1
The Lynching of Frank McManus 26:35

5+ y ago26:35

26:35

In April of 1882, in downtown Minneapolis, a hobo named Frank McManus committed a terrible crime upon a little girl named Mina Spear, and citizens turned into vigilantes to take justice into their own hands. * Listener discretion advised on this episode. Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Learn more about your ad choic…

1
Episode 4 11:56

5+ y ago11:56

11:56

This week's episode is about Henry McCabe. Sources: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/7a2uxe/the_unexplained_2015_death_of_henry_mccabe/ https://mysteriousfacts.com/mysterious-death-henry-mccabe/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/minnesotasnotorious/support…

1
The Rockwell Art Heist w/ Bruce Rubenstein 43:57

5+ y ago43:57

43:57

First, a recounting of the December 1932 robbery of the Third Northwestern National Bank, where the Barker Karpis gang murdered three before making their way back to the safety of Saint Paul. Then, Bruce Rubenstein, author of "The Rockwell Heist", tells the strange story of the theft and eventual recovery of a number of Norman Rockwell paintings fr…

1
Dirty Doc Ames & the Scandal That Shook Minneapolis w/ Erik Rivenes 1:04:36

5+ y ago1:04:36

1:04:36

In a slight change of pace for Minnesota's Most Notorious, I invite my sister Alison to interview me about my political true crime book, published in April of this year, called Dirty Doc Ames & the Scandal That Shook Minneapolis, about the wild rise and fall of one of the most colorful and corrupt politicians in Minnesota history, Albert Alonzo "Do…

1
Episode 3 22:07

5+ y ago22:07

22:07

This week we go over the Brandon Swanson case. Please call Investigating Agency: Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Special Agent Woodford, 651-793-7000 if you have any information. For business inquires please email: minnesotanotoriouscrimes@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/minnesotasnotorio…

1
The 1929 Schuch Family Murders in Waseca w/ Jen Barr 52:09

5+ y ago52:09

52:09

A couple of years ago, I released a "mini-episode" on Most Notorious, which included a story of the murder of members of the Schuch family in Waseca in 1929. A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Jen Barr, granddaughter of one of the girls, Wilhemenia, who discovered the bodies of her family almost 90 years ago. We revisit the story, and I talk to Je…

1
The 1932 Murder of Abe Wagner by Murder, Inc. w/ Jeff Neuberger 38:39

5+ y ago38:39

38:39

First, the strange story of the attempted murder of Dakota Indian chief Sitting Bull at the Grand Opera House in Saint Paul in 1885. Then, I speak to Jeff Neuberger, archivist and historian for the Saint Paul Police Historical Society, who tells the story of Abe Wagner, who was pistol-whipped to death on University Avenue by two contract killers hi…

1
The Murders of Mary & Johnny Keller & the East Grand Forks Murder of Ray Ruud 55:17

5+ y ago55:17

55:17

First up, the story of the strange relationship between 28 year old steamfitter William Williams and 16 year old Johnny Keller in 1905 Saint Paul, which led to the murders of both Johnny and his mother Mary. Then, an interview with Christine Hill, who is trying to solve the murder of her grandmother's cousin, Ray Ruud, who was shot while driving hi…

1
Episode 2 23:24

5+ y ago23:24

23:24

This week we go over the Winona Baby Angel case and the Josh Guimond case. If you have any leads or tips for the Winona Baby Angel case, call 507-457-6530.Link to Josh Guimond’s GoFundMe Page- https://www.gofundme.com/find-joshua-my-sonFor business inquires please email: minnesotanotoriouscrimes@gmail.com--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters…

1
Saint Mudd: A Novel of Gangsters and Saints w/ Steve Thayer 56:17

5+ y ago56:17

56:17

I'm excited to share my interview with Steve Thayer, New York Times bestselling author, about a book that was very important in my life, a book that ultimately led me on a path that would take me to creating and hosting the Most Notorious Podcast. Saint Mudd: A Novel of Gangsters and Saints, centers around a World War I-ravaged newspaperman named G…

1
Episode 1 19:16

5+ y ago19:16

19:16

In this week's episode, we will be discussing the Byron David Smith and Reker Sisters case. We will be releasing a new episode every other Wednesday. For business inquires please email: minnesotanotoriouscrimes@gmail.com--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/minnesotasnotorious/support…

1
Interview: Marjorie Congdon and the Glensheen Murders w/ Sharon Darby Hendry - A True Crime History Podcast 52:00

5+ y ago52:00

52:00

In this special interview episode of Where Blood Runs Cold, I interview Sharon Henry Darby, author of Glensheen's Daughter, about the notorious Minnesota murderer and arsonist Marjorie Congdon, who besides allegedly conspiring to murder her mother Elizabeth Congdon at the famous Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, also left a trail of fire and death for t…

1
The 1909 St. Paul Murder of Louis Arbogast - Part Two 42:32

5+ y ago42:32

42:32

In this second part to the story, a member of the Arbogast family is put on trial for murder, although it may not be someone initially suspected by police. Also, a myriad of possible motives are discussed, primarily based on an intimate relationship between two people in the family. Become a Most Notorious patron at: www.patreon.com/mostnotorious L…

1
The 1909 St. Paul Murder of Louis Arbogast - Part One 28:16

5+ y ago28:16

28:16

The quiet, slumbering neighborhood of Seven Corners was awakened in the early morning hours of May 13, 1909, by the terrified screams of the Arbogast family. Louis Arbogast, prosperous Saint Paul butcher, had been murdered in his bed, but the doors to the house had been locked shut, and his five daughters and wife were not talking. In part one of t…

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