True Crime Creepers

Originally released on our Patreon in January of 2022.

In the summer of 2000, a drug debt set off a chain of events that no one could take back.

Ben Markowitz owed money to a local dealer named Jesse James Hollywood. Jesse believed Ben was blowing him off, and what started as frustration quickly turned into something more volatile. Jesse wanted control. He wanted leverage.

Then he saw it.

While driving around with friends, Jesse spotted Ben’s 15 year old brother Nick walking alone. Jesse told the driver to pull over and they grabbed Nick, forced into the van, and drove away.

Instead of being hurt, Nick was taken to Santa Barbara and absorbed into Jesse’s circle. For nearly three days, they partied. Nick was given drugs and alcohol. The atmosphere felt temporary, almost casual.

Everyone believed Nick would eventually be taken home. That this was nothing more than a scare tactic.

They were wrong.

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Sources:ArticlesWikipedia | Woodland HillsThe Los Angeles Times | The Last Days of Nick Markowitz (Sue Fox)Fresh Edits | A Stolen Boy: The Real Story Behind the Film Alpha Dog (Noam Heller)

BooksMy Stolen Son: The Nick Markowitz Story (Susan Markowitz)
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Originally released on Patreon in August of 2023.

How do I even begin to describe this episode? Today, we're exploring the age old question: What happens when your college roommate's dad gets out of prison, needs a place to stay, moves in to your dorm room, and starts a cult in your living room? 
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He was charming, successful, attentive... and seemed almost too good to be true. And for a lot of women across the country, that’s exactly what he was.

What started as an online romance quickly turned into whirlwind relationships filled with luxury hotels, expensive dinners, big promises, and a man who always seemed to swoop in at just the right moment. But behind the tailored suits, military uniforms, and impressive résumés was something far darker.

As cracks began to form, women started asking the same question: Who is this man, really? What they uncovered was a shocking pattern of deception, stolen identities, and financial devastation—often carried out when his victims were at their most vulnerable.

In this episode, we follow the trail of lies, the red flags that were easy to miss in real time, and the women who eventually connected the dots. It’s a story about trust, manipulation, and how one “perfect man” managed to vanish again and again—until he couldn’t anymore.

Sources:

The Perfect Man Who Wasn't

Minn. man sentenced in Texas for aggravated identity fraud | AP News

Derek Alldred’s St. Paul hotel swindle reveals long history of deception – Twin Cities
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When a mangled car is found slammed into an industrial building in a Cleveland suburb, it leaves two young men dead and their 17-year-old friend, Mackenzie Shirilla, as the only survivor. As investigators dig in, they uncover chilling speed data, strange social media posts, a history of threats, and a hospital interview where Mackenzie literally tries to speak in code, all of which leave investigators wondering - was this a one-car-accident? Or had Mackenzie done this on purpose...

Sources:

Cite as State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674.

Obituary, Visitation & Funeral Information | Davion Flanagan

Killer Cases Season 4 Episode 12: Murder on Wheels

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This week, we’re headed to Dublin, where a silent teenage girl appears out of nowhere on the steps of the GPO. She was shivering, terrified, and seemingly too traumatized to even say her own name. As police scramble to figure out who she is, they uncover drawings that hint at something horrific… and a trail that stretches far beyond Ireland.

What starts as a heartbreaking mystery about a possible trafficking victim turns into the twisted, globe-trotting story of Samantha Azzopardi: a woman who slips in and out of identities like costumes, leaving devastated families, terrified teenagers, and baffled authorities in her wake. How does someone build an entire life out of lies, and what does she really get out of it? We’re digging into the many lives of “Con Girl” and the very real damage left behind.

Sources:

Samantha Azzopardi: Australia's notorious con artist sentenced for child theft

The Many Faces of Samantha Azzopardi | by Nikki Young | Medium

How global fraudster Samantha Azzopardi duped Melbourne families

Samantha Azzopardi - Wikipedia

Compelling story of the GPO girl – a master of manipulation and mind games

Mystery Australian woman flying home after leaving Irish hospital

Podcast: Casefile 

The many, many lives and bizarre crimes of ‘Con Girl’ Samantha Azzopardi

How global fraudster Samantha Azzopardi duped Melbourne families

A global conwoman’s wild lies and the victims she’s left behind

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