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Crimes of the Centuries

True Crime

Crime is so commonplace that it takes something particularly shocking to be labelled the “crime of the century.” Even so, there are a lot of cases that have earned the distinction. In each episode of Crimes of the Centuries, award-winning journalist Amber Hunt will examine a case that’s lesser known today but was huge when it happened. The cases explored span the centuries and each left a mark. Some made history by changing laws. Others were so shocking they changed society.

Location:

United States

Genres:

True Crime

Description:

Crime is so commonplace that it takes something particularly shocking to be labelled the “crime of the century.” Even so, there are a lot of cases that have earned the distinction. In each episode of Crimes of the Centuries, award-winning journalist Amber Hunt will examine a case that’s lesser known today but was huge when it happened. The cases explored span the centuries and each left a mark. Some made history by changing laws. Others were so shocking they changed society.

Language:

English


Episodes
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S4 Ep11: Marie Noe and Her Cradle of Death

5/13/2024
In the 1960s, after losing all 10 of the babies they'd conceived, Marie Noe and her husband, Arthur, became the most famous bereaved parents in America, with most of the deaths attributed to "crib death," later called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). After a journalist revisited the case in 1998, investigators took another look at the mysterious series of deaths, prompting Marie Noe to share a horrifying secret that had been weighing on her for more than 30 years. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode sponsors: Wildgrain. For a limited time, you can get $30 off the first box-PLUS free Croissants in every box-when you go to Wildgrain.com/COTC to start your subscription. Hiya. Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal, go to hiyahealth.com/COTC. Rocket Money. Stop wasting money on things you don’t use. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/COTC

Duration:00:42:11

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S4 Ep10: The Walk of Death: Howard Unruh

5/6/2024
On September 6, 1949, 28-year-old World War II veteran Howard Unruh ate the breakfast his mother made him, then armed himself with a Luger pistol and walked calmly through his Camden, New Jersey, neighborhood, shooting everyone in sight. He told police afterward he'd had a kill list of specific people he'd felt had wronged him, but by the end of his 12-minute rampage, 13 would be fatally wounded, three of them innocent children. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode sponsors: Smalls. Head to Smalls.com/COTC and use promo code COTC at checkout for 50% off your first order PLUS free shipping. Athena Club. Head over to AthenaClub.com to try their award-winning razor and body products and get 20%off your purchase with code COTC at checkout.

Duration:00:39:53

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S4 Ep9: The Monster of Wall Street

4/29/2024
While the grift he deployed had been named for another man, Bernie Madoff took the concept of a Ponzi scheme and pumped it full of steroids, allowing it to keep him -- and plenty of others -- filthy rich for literally decades. In the end, Madoff bilked some $65 billion from thousands of clients, all while maintaining such a sheen of respectability that he was charged with helping write the very rules he himself eschewed. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Duration:00:41:41

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S4 Ep8: Charles Ponzi's Scheme

4/22/2024
Italian-born Charles Ponzi had grown up hearing from his mother that he was destined for greatness, so it was no surprise to her when she visited him in America to find him wealthy beyond her wildest dreams. Ponzi had come up with a get-rich-quick scheme that he insisted was legal. To his credit, it took federal authorities a good seven months to figure out how it wasn't. In this episode, meet the man whose name would go down in history to be synonymous with "grifter." "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod • Hiya Health Products. Get 50% off your first order of Hiya Health’s best-selling children’s vitamin by going tohiyahealth.com/COTC • Field of Greens. For 15% off your first order plus free rush shipping, visit FieldofGreens.com and use promo code COTC.

Duration:00:44:03

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S4 Ep7: The Los Angeles Times Bombing

4/15/2024
In the midst of nationwide bombings that pit union backers against anti-union bosses, an explosion at the Los Angeles Times building crossed a line that changed everything. At 1:07 a.m. on Oct. 1, 1910, a blast tore through the Times building, killing 21 people. Times officials immediately blamed organized labor, which ultimately bore out: Not only were three union-affiliated co-conspirators convicted soon after the bombing, but nearly 40 other union officials would eventually be convicted on charges related to that and other bombings that had been plaguing the country. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode sponsor: • Ritual. Synbiotic+ and Ritual are here to celebrate, not hide, your insides. Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/cotc.

Duration:00:39:59

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S4 Ep6: How the Assault of Recy Taylor Shaped Civil Rights Tactics

4/8/2024
In September 1944, a 24-year-old married woman named Recy Taylor was walking home with friends from church when a carload of seven men stopped her. Forced into the car, Recy, a Black woman, was repeatedly raped by six white men at gunpoint, then tossed roadside with a warning: Tell anyone about this, and you're dead. Recy ignored the threats and her tale soon galvanized activists throughout Alabama -- including a woman whose name would eventually become synonymous with the Civil Rights movement. Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode sponsors: • Smalls. Get 50% off your first order of protein-packed, preservative-free cat food by going to Smalls.com/cotc and use promo code COTC. • Wildgrain. Get $30 off your first box of bake-from-frozen breads, pastries and pastas plus free croissants in every box when you go to Wildgrain.com/cotc to start your subscription. • For Wellness. Get 25% off your first order from this functional food brand when you go to ForWellness.com/cotc and use code COTC.

Duration:00:47:09

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From Grab Bag Collab: The Catalyst

4/1/2024
Hey, Crimes of the Centuries listeners! COTC is now part of Grab Bag Collab, a Patreon-based podcasting network. You can find our other shows available at patreon.com/grabbagcollab Alcoholism, multiple husbands and boarding houses. This is the story of The Landlady. Dive deep into the upbringing and backstories of individuals who committed history's most notorious crimes, shedding light on the psychological factors that shaped their paths. With a suspenseful twist, the identities of these individuals won’t be unveiled until the end of each episode. ‘The Catalyst’ will unravel the complex narratives behind these disturbing cases and try to understand what triggered them.

Duration:00:37:27

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S4 Ep5: Winnie Ruth Judd: The Trunk Murderess

3/25/2024
When luggage leaking blood arrived at a Los Angeles train depot in 1931, the woman who'd traveled with the items feigned ignorance -- and then disappeared, leading to a nationwide manhunt that captivated the nation. Because one of the two victims found inside the Winnie Ruth Judd's trunks had been dismembered -- and because both she and the victims were beautiful women -- the case generated hundreds of headlines and a memorable moniker: The Trunk Murderess. But were prosecutors' theories about the Phoenix, Arizona, deaths really true? Or did Judd take the fall for a well-connected accomplice? "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode sponsors: • Hiya Health Products. Get 50% off your first order of Hiya Health’s best-selling children’s vitamin by going to hiyahealth.com/COTC • Field of Greens. For 15% off your first order plus free rush shipping, visit FieldofGreens.com and use promo code COTC. • Factor Meals. Head to factormeals.com/COTC50 and use code COTC50 to get 50% off.

Duration:00:45:09

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S4 Ep4: The Texas Tower Sniper

3/18/2024
The morning of Aug. 1, 1966, 25-year-old Charles Whitman called his wife's boss to say she'd be out, then did the same for his mother. After killing the two women, he climbed atop the observatory tower at the University of Texas and relentlessly began picking off pedestrians below in an attack unlike any before witnessed in America. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: • Rocket Money - Stop wasting money on things you don’t use. Cancel unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/COTC. Caden LaneCadenLane.com/COTC

Duration:00:35:46

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S4 Ep3: The Cold-Blooded Killing of the Candy Man

3/11/2024
Every parent has worried about their children hauling home tainted candy on Halloween, but not everyone knows where that fear originated. On Halloween in 1974, an 8-year-old boy named Timothy O’Bryan was granted one pick from his basket before bed — and soon after downing the contents of his Pixy Stix, he went limp in his father’s arms. The investigation threw parents into a panic, prompting tons of candy to be taken to sheriff’s offices for inspection. As horrifying as the case appeared to be at first, what police uncovered was far more sinister than anyone had imagined. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: • Dipsea - Hundreds of short, sexy audio stories designed by women for women. Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/COTC. • Smalls - Protein-packed, preservative-free cat food. Use promo code COTC for 50% off your first order PLUS free shipping at smalls.com/cotc. • Ritual - Ritual and Synbiotic+ support the relief of mild digestive issues. Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/cotc.

Duration:00:45:31

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S4 Ep2: The Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa

3/4/2024
Notorious labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa had for decades been a polarizing figure, with his ties to organized crime investigated as early as 1957 by future U.S. Attorney General Bobby Kennedy. A jury tampering conviction eventually took him out of official power, but Hoffa worked tirelessly behind the scenes to reclaim his position -- until his disappearance in 1975. Despite countless theories about what happened to him, Hoffa's fate remains one of the most infamous unsolved mysteries in American history. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: • Athena Club - Upgrade your shaving experience. Go to AthenaClub.com (http://AthenaClub.com) and use code COTC to get 20% off your purchase. • Cerebral - Online professional therapy and medication management support. Go to cerebral.com/podcast (http://cerebral.com/podcast) and use code COTC to get 15% off the first month of online therapy, medication or both. • Laundry Sauce - The world’s best smelling laundry detergent. Go to laundrysauce.com/cotc (http://laundrysauce.com/cotc), promo code COTC, to get 15% off your order.

Duration:00:40:42

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S4 Ep1: Dr. Satan of Occupied Paris: Marcel Petiot

2/26/2024
Living in Occupied Paris during World War II was utter chaos, with the Gestapo police constantly changing rules, kidnapping people from the streets and sidelining the Parisian police. A physician named Marcel Petiot claimed to be among the brave men and women working for the Resistance — a group determined to help smuggle endangered people to safety, far from the reach of the Third Reich. But when neighbors reported a fire at a townhouse Petiot owned, police arrived to uncover a scene so horrific, it managed to bury news about the war in newspapers worldwide. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: • Caden Lane - Your one-stop shop for all your newborn, infant and toddler apparel. Head to CadenLane.com/COTC and use code COTC for 20% off your order. • Dipsea - Hundreds of short, sexy audio stories designed by women for women. Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/COTC. • Rocket Money - Stop wasting money on things you don’t use. Cancel unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/COTC. . Grab Bag Collab - An egalitarian podcast network that provides a hodgepodge of shows available for $5 and up at Patreon.com/grabbagcollab.

Duration:00:44:17

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From Grab Bag Collab: Introducing The Catalyst

2/23/2024
Random offenses, Institutions and Orange Socks. This is the story of The Drifter. Dive deep into the upbringing and backstories of individuals who committed history's most notorious crimes, shedding light on the psychological factors that shaped their paths. With a suspenseful twist, the identities of these individuals won’t be unveiled until the end of each episode. ‘The Catalyst’ will unravel the complex narratives behind these disturbing cases and try to understand what triggered them.

Duration:00:39:00

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S3 Ep42: Uncovering the True Story of the Tulsa Massacre

2/11/2024
For years, the violence that occurred in the area known as "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921 was remembered as the "Tulsa Race Riot" - when it was even remembered at all. But that name, promoted by the media and government officials, was at best a misleading description of what we've now started to reveal over the past few decades as a massacre perpetrated on a thriving Black community that took generations to recover. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: For Wellnesswww.ForWellness.com/COTCStitch Fixwww.StitchFix.com/COTCWildgrainwww.wildgrain.com/COTC

Duration:00:42:30

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S3 Ep41: The Death of Bob Crane: A Television Star's Secret Life

2/5/2024
Handsome and charismatic, the actor Bob Crane led the cast of the hit sitcom "Hogan's Heroes" for six seasons from the mid-sixties into the beginning of the next decade. The show ended in 1971, and Crane began traveling the country in a touring play. When he was found dead in his hotel room in Arizona in 1978, was it due to a secret life that he kept hidden from public view? "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: Ritual www.ritual.com/COTC3 Day Blindswww.3DayBlinds.com/COTCCerebralwww.cerebral.com/podcastSmallsSmalls.com/COTC

Duration:00:48:44

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S3 Ep40: Anna Marie Hahn: Cincinnati's "Angel of Death"

1/29/2024
Her story seemed innocent at first, if not charming. A young immigrant woman from Germany befriending older gentlemen in Cincinnati's German community and providing them memories of home with her Old World cooking. But as these men fell ill - or worse, starting dying - the motives behind Anna Marie Hahn's friendly overtures proved to be far more devious. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: Caden Lanewww.CadenLane.com/COTCDipseawww.DipseaStories.com/COTCRocket Moneywww.RocketMoney.com/COTCWildgrainwww.wildgrain.com/COTC

Duration:00:41:45

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S3 Ep39: The Lincoln Assassination's Forgotten Conspirators

1/22/2024
It's a story every American grade school student learns - how the actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln in his box at the Ford's Theater, jumped down to the stage, and fled Washington DC until he was killed by the authorities in a barn in rural Virginia. But it's not widely known that Booth wasn't acting alone, and that President Lincoln was only one of several targets he and his conspirators planned to murder on the night of April 15, 1865. In today's episode, we tell the story of the others involved and their plot to assassinate multiple members of Lincoln's administration and throw a country just starting to recover from the Civil War into chaos. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from the Obsessed Network exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: Beis www.beistravel.com/COTCFor Wellnesswww.ForWellness.com/COTCStitch Fixwww.StitchFix.com/COTC

Duration:00:42:59

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S3 Ep38: The Defeo Murders: Behind the Amityville Horror - Part 2

1/15/2024
After the murder of the Defeo family, the house known as "High Hopes" where the murders occurred was purchased by the George and Kathy Lutz. But the Lutz family soon fled the property, claiming frightening paranormal activity. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren arrived and began studying the scene. But did they find evidence of supernatural occurrences - or were they perpetrating a fraud on a too-credulous public? "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from the Obsessed Network exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - COMING JANUARY 16, 2024! Preorder today at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: SmallsSmalls.com/COTCCerebralwww.cerebral.com/podcastBeis www.beistravel.com/COTC

Duration:00:42:29

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S3 Ep37: The Defeo Murders: Behind the Amityville Horror - Part 1

1/8/2024
The word "Amityville" has practically become synonymous in popular culture with the eerie and supernatural. But behind the books and movies is a true story of the Defeo murders, and in today's episode, we're joined by fellow Obsessed Network podcaster Daisy Eagan to tell their story. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from the Obsessed Network exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - COMING JANUARY 16, 2024! Preorder today at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: Ritualwww.ritual.com/COTCRocket Moneywww.RocketMoney.com/COTCWildgrainwww.wildgrain.com/COTC

Duration:00:39:27

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S3 Ep36: American Black Widow Sharon Harrelson

1/1/2024
Having one husband die under suspicious circumstances may not cause alarm bells to ring, but what if a second husband also meets an unfortunate fate? The so-called "American Black Widow" Sharon Harrelson may have considered herself cursed when it came to love, but in today's episode we dive into her story of deception, betrayal, and ultimately murder. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from the Obsessed Network exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: 3 Day Blindswww.3DayBlinds.com/COTCBeis www.beistravel.com/COTCFor Wellnesswww.ForWellness.com/COTCStitch Fixwww.StitchFix.com/COTC

Duration:00:39:33