Craving Crimes

David Kroupa, also known as Dave, is a recently single father of two. He moved to Omaha Nebraska to become close to his children. Since he is single, he is so ready to mingle. So, he signs up for online dating. Soon, he is matched with Liz Goylar, a single mother of two. Dave is not looking for anything serious and Liz is seemingly okay with that. However, this relationship fizzles out. He soon meets Cari Goylar at his mechanic dealership. She is also on the same dating site as Dave. They click instantly and he even invites her to his apartment. Then, a knock on his door changes everything.

Come along with me as we explore the infamous case known as the University of Idaho murders. In this episode, we'll delve into the lives of the four victims: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. We'll dissect the chilling details that led up to the tragedy on November 13, 2022, unravel how the perpetrator, 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, a PhD Criminology student, was caught, and so much more. Stay tuned for an in-depth exploration of this unsettling series of events. Listen to Craving Crimes, a podcast by the Criminology and Criminal Justice Collective at the University of Michigan Dearborn.

In this episode of the Craving Crimes Podcast, we explore the haunting tale of the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified serial murderer who terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. We discuss the elusive killer's uncertain origins, the captivating yet frustrating police investigation, and the enduring mystery of the case. Learn about the various theories surrounding the Zodiac Killer's identity and the profound impact of these crimes on popular culture and the world of true crime. Join us as we unravel one of the most enigmatic and chilling criminal cases in history, including how the Zodiac Killer targeted teen couples, adding an even more sinister dimension to his crimes.

Some high heels are “to die for,” but for this South Dakota man, they’re “to kill for”. Jerome “Jerry” Brudos had a deep fascination for women’s footwear and undergarments that he would follow women and sexually assault them. Then, he murdered four women between the years of 1968 and 1969. He would dress their dead bodies in undergarments and take photos of them. Then, he would cut off a body part to leave as a trophy for himself. After, he would tie their body parts to a car part and toss them into the Long Tom River in Oregon where he was residing. His obsession with high heels gave him the nickname, “The Shoe Fetish Slayer.”

The Black Dahlia Murder is a term that refers to the unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, a young woman who was found brutally killed and mutilated in Los Angeles in 1947. Her body was discovered on January 15, 1947, in a vacant lot in the Leimert Park neighborhood. The body was cut in half, drained of blood, and posed in a provocative manner. The murder of Elizabeth Short became one of the most sensational and widely publicized crimes of the 20th century, with media coverage and speculation surrounding the case continuing to this day. The crime scene was thoroughly investigated, and numerous suspects were questioned, but no one was ever charged with the murder. The case has also become a subject of fascination for true crime enthusiasts and amateur investigators, who continue to analyze and speculate about the identity of the killer.

"The Dating Game". A popular American television show where bachelorettes choose between three available men that are looking for love to go on a date with and, hopefully, find something more. Except, what happens when one of the striking bachelors turns out to be a convicted murderer? Rodney Alcala appeared on (and won) "The Dating Game" in 1978, after having committed the murders of two women and taking the lives of multiple more. His reign of terror certainly does not make him a very appealing bachelor anymore.

Molly was dropped off by her mother Magi to begin her eighth day of work as a lifeguard at Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, the first of the children and their parents arrived for swimming lessons. They noticed that Molly was not at her post. Molly's water bottle, sandals, beach chair, whistle, police radio, and first aid kit where left behind. A search of the area did not reveal what happened to her; she had disappeared without a trace.

Joe “The Cannibal” Metheny raped and butchered at least 10 people through the 1990s, targeting sex workers and the homeless. In addition to the murders, he saved the meatiest parts of the victims from being mixed with beef and pork, which were made into hamburgers. These were sold to unsuspecting passersby at his barbecue pit stand outside his home. According to Metheny, the human body tasted very similar to pork; if you mixed it together, no one could tell. For what he has done, he expressed no remorse.

Brandon Swanson, the man who allegedly disappeared into thin air. Brandon Swanson disappeared the night of May 14th, 2008. Extensive searches have found no body to this day or any trace of the college student who allegedly left a party with his friends that night. With no physical evidence, dead ends, and no leads, one question remains: Where is Brandon Swanson?

On May 6, 1996, Sherri Dally dropped her kids off at school and then went to run some errands at her local store. Little did she know, she would never make it home. Behind her she left her purchases, van, purse, and a trail of unanswered questions. The only suspects? Her husband and his apparent mistress. Who could do such a thing to an innocent mother. The answer might be closer than you think.

Steven Allan Avery, was born in Wisconsin in July 9, 1962. He was wrongfully convicted of rape and attempted murder in 1985. He was sentenced 32 years in prison, but was released in 2003 due to new DNA testing and technology. Avery was then arrested along with his nephew in 2005 for the murder of Teresa Halbach. He remains in prison to this day while many across the nation fight to prove him innocent, once again.

Leonarda Cianciulli was a successful soap maker in Correggio, Italy. Though she was popular and well liked by her neighbors, she held a dark secret. While they thought nothing of the strange aromas coming from her kitchen, she was boiling her victims into soap and baking their blood into tea cakes. In this episode, find out how a grieving and desperate mother exercised human sacrifice to save her army-bound son.

Ken Rex McElroy was born on June 1st, 1934 in Nodaway County, Missouri. He was the second youngest of sixteen kids all raised by married couple, Tony and Mabel McElroy. McElroy would be accused of committing several crimes throughout his life including theft, burglary, arson, and assault. McElroy was located in the D&G Tavern with his wife, Trena when the townspeople followed him in, completely surrounding him. The crowd then followed him, blocking his way out and on June 10th, 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was shot several times, two bullets hitting him, and was killed in his pickup truck. But who killed him?

In 1971, John List, a supposedly good father, disappeared in the country after killing his entire family composed of his wife, mother, and three kids. The bodies took over a month to be discovered and only with the help of a neighbor. A manhunt began, with questions arising: where was he and why did he do this? It took the United States police over twenty years to track him down, but only with help from a very unlikely source.

On November 16, 1957 hardware store owner Bernice Worden went missing after an everyday interaction with a not-so-everyday man, named Ed Gein. Ed Gein had a fascination with his late mother due to the abuse he suffered as a child, and this fascination would lead him to taking the body parts of women who apparently looked like her, in order to fashion a flesh suit Gein could wear. To this extent he would go to the graves of women and exhume their parts, with, in his opinion, the "less-useful" parts becoming furniture in his house, such as bowls, chairs, soap containers, etc. What he would do to her, and Mary Hogan, another missing woman, were some of the most graphic and heinous acts known to man–that would later go on to inspire several famous horror movies.

In 1974, the cult known as Heaven's Gate was formed, and for the next twenty years they remained hidden away, preparing for what they believed to be the "next level" above humankind. Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite, the leaders of Heaven's Gate, appeared to keep the activities of the cult peaceful, but the 39 total deaths at the end of the cult proved otherwise.

December 26, 1996. 5:52 am. Boulder County Police in Colorado received a frantic call from a mother claiming her six year old daughter had been kidnapped. JonBenét Ramsey was only reported missing for seven hours before her brutally murdered body was found on the floor of the Ramsey family's basement. Her case became nationwide news as the world tried to uncover the truth behind the tangle of evidence. Who really killed JonBenét Ramsey? And were they closer to her than we think?

Between 1967 and 1969, several young women were brutally tortured and killed in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area of Southeastern Michigan. All of them were last seen with a young college kid, John Norman Collins. From an abusive childhood, to an average high school jock, to a serial murderer, what exactly makes the Ypsilanti Ripper tick?

Nathanial "Bodie" Barksdale was an infamous drug pin located in Baltimore during the 80s. He had started his multi-million dollar drug empire at an extremely young age and wound up indicted through a wiretap investigation all before the age of 25. His story was so engaging, HBO produced a, now famous, crime drama series dramatizing the events entitled The Wire. The show centers around the criminal justice department in Baltimore and was heavily inspired by Barksdale's life, however when it comes to the real Avon Barksdale, the truth can be much more unsettling.

In April of 2008, ten patients at DaVita Dialysis Clinic in Lufkin, Texas experienced alarming complications during their routine treatments. Further investigation revealed the suspicious and unsettling behavior of one of their nurses, Kimberly Clark Saenz. Eyewitnesses stated they saw the nurse injecting bleach into the dialysis ports of different patients, particularly those she expressed disdain for. Learn how a disgruntled nurse and a bottle of bleach led to a creation of a healthcare killer.