True Crime Campfire

In the 1970s in Missoula, Montana, there was a brief epidemic of unsolved violent murders that shocked the small city down to its roots. A dark rumor spread quickly—the deaths must be the work of some sinister Satanic cult, secret rituals performed in the service of demonic powers. This was not the case. The murders were unconnected, the motives behind them having nothing to do with the big bad devil… except for one, in which the killer proudly declared his occult allegiance to anyone who asked. But that was just a cover for overpowering violent fantasies that this weak, strange man would never try too hard to resist. After this first murder, he’d kill again and again.

Join us live at Wet Hot Bad Magic Summer Camp in Equinunk,
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Tickets are on sale now for CrimeWave 2.0! Visit crimewaveatsea.com/CAMPFIRE to get your discount code for $100 off your cabin and a private meet-and-greet with us! The cruise is Feb. 8-12, 2027.

Sources:

John Coston, To Kill and Kill Again

https://archive.is/Yxz4J#selection-4661.90-4661.114

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/cold-case-research-yields-id-of-1984-murder-victim/article_a01dbe0d-5c2d-5181-9927-460950a1ddd1.html

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/homicides-and-sexual-assaults/richard-william-davis

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Our homes are supposed to be where we’re the safest. It’s where we’re our most vulnerable. Last week, we told you about someone who would use that vulnerability to his advantage. This week, as the story continues, his monstrous intentions will focus on two women and destroy their families' senses of safety forever. Join us for part 2 (the final part) of the story of Russell Williams.

Sources:

Appleby, Timothy. A New Kind of Monster: The Secret Life and Shocking True Crimes of an Officer . . . and a Murderer

The Fifth Estate, episode Above Suspicion

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2021/03/09/women-belong-in-the-kitchen-burger-kings-international-womens-day-tweet-goes-up-in-flames/

https://globalnews.ca/news/7411289/jessica-lloyd-russell-williams-sentenced-10-years/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-11801857

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/williams-military-uniform-burned-1.924008

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/col-russell-williams-timeline-1.913312

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In the military, a “gray man” refers to a service member who neither outperforms or underperforms his or her comrades. Someone who seamlessly fits into the group and gets the job done and doesn’t get unwanted attention while doing it. In that line of work, that can be a talent. In today’s story, we’re talking about a man who made a career out of being unnoticed, whose entire personality could be described as “gray,” and yet, had a violent and hateful nature resting just under the surface. When all was said and done, two women would be dead and countless others would never feel safe in their homes again.

Join us live at Wet Hot Bad Magic Summer Camp in Equinunk, PA, September 10-13th! Visit ⁠badmagicproductions.com⁠ for more info and to buy tickets.

Tickets are on sale now for CrimeWave 2.0! Visit crimewaveatsea.com/CAMPFIRE to get your discount code for $100 off your cabin and a private meet-and-greet with us! The cruise is Feb. 8-12, 2027.

Visit quince.com/campfire for free shipping and 365 day returns on summer essentials for your closet and your home.

Sources:

Appleby, Timothy. A New Kind of Monster: The Secret Life and Shocking True Crimes of an Officer . . . and a Murderer (Function). Kindle Edition.

The Fifth Estate, Above Suspicion

 https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna39556963

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I don’t know about you, campers, but I like to have emergency plans for any eventuality. For example, what if I find myself in the center of a maze with only my wits to get out? What would I do? Of course, the secret to escape a maze is to keep your hand on one wall while you walk and eventually, you’ll find yourself at the exit. This case is a little bit like a maze. Every time the investigators thought they had a break in the case, they found themselves at yet another dead end, but luckily, they kept pushing forward and eventually found sunlight. This story is about betrayal and loss and family.

For elevated essentials without the luxury price tag, visit Quince--use our code for free shipping and 365-day returns: quince.com/campfire

Join us live at Wet Hot Bad Magic Summer Camp in Equinunk,
PA, September 10-13th! Visit ⁠badmagicproductions.com⁠
for more info and to buy tickets.

Tickets are on sale now for CrimeWave 2.0! Visit
crimewaveatsea.com/CAMPFIRE to get your discount code for $100 off your cabin and a private meet-and-greet with us! The cruise is Feb. 8-12, 2027.

Sources:

Military Justice For All: https://militaryjusticeforall.com/tag/remano-campbell/#:~:text=Remano%20served%20seven%20years%20in,after%20his%20home%20caught%20fire.

AL.com: https://www.al.com/live/2014/04/prosecutors_allege_boyfriend_o.html

https://www.al.com/live/2014/03/iraq_combat_veteran_killed_in.html

The Cinemaholic: https://thecinemaholic.com/remano-campbell-murder-where-are-eugenia-campbell-and-alexander-williams-now/

Investigation Discovery's "Diabolical," S2 E8

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People can be pretty strange. And not just people—as we’ll see in one story of this week’s episode, you can add all our extended family of primates to that. If you have a big brain and opposable thumbs, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting up to shenanigans. But as we’ll see in our other story, human beings still wear the crown for weird, ridiculously confident nonsense.

Join us live at Wet Hot Bad Magic Summer Camp in Equinunk, PA, September 10-13th! Visit ⁠badmagicproductions.com⁠ for more info and to buy tickets.

Tickets are on sale now for CrimeWave 2.0! Visit crimewaveatsea.com/CAMPFIRE to get your discount code for $100 off your cabin and a private meet-and-greet with us! The cruise is Feb. 8-12, 2027.

Sources, Monkey Invasion case:

Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-170-wild-monkeys-escaped-from-a-jungle-camp-and-terrorized-new-york-180985537/

NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1935/08/23/archives/monkey-runaways-still-number-111-32-simian-flagpole-sitters-are.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1935/08/22/archives/150-monkeys-flee-camp-stop-train-simians-escape-from-frank-bucks.html

Farmingdale Local History Blog: https://farmingdalelocalhistory.blogspot.com/2018/07/frank-bucks-jungle-campmassapequa-zoo.html

https://omeka.hofstra.edu/exhibits/show/long-island-business-and-indus/frank-buck-collection--1935-19

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1935/08/30/issue.html

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-174-monkeys-skip-jail/159743530/

https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84026749/1935-08-24/ed-1/?sp=1&q=MASSAPEQUA&r=0.241,0.976,0.311,0.229,0

Sources, Alison Gu case:

U.S. Court of Appeals filings: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-2nd-circuit/2140129.html

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/6943f1bbcfa51735e29ca3b7

Bennington Banner: https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/former-winhall-woman-back-in-court-more-fraud-charges/article_f37d8ad2-dd24-11ec-94e0-4f8b05aedbae.html

"Lowering the Bar," Kevin Underhill: https://www.loweringthebar.net/2025/07/defendant-recruited-seven-actors-to-testify-in-fraud-trial.html

Manchester Journal: https://www.manchesterjournal.com/local-news/former-winhall-woman-headed-back-to-prison/article_63203790-1e66-11ed-ba8a-77d4d5eff5ee.html

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