Murder Coaster

Episode 32: GATOR and the Horrific Death of Jessica Bergsten

The story of professional skateboarder Gator is a distinctly American tale about a rocket to success and a tumble to disgrace. It is also a story about the history skateboarding and Southern California culture, a story of celebrity and fame, of bizarre religious mania, sexual sadism and murder.Mark Rogowski was just a child when his mother brought him from Brooklyn to San Diego, and beach culture, which involved surfboards and expensive clothing, seemed unobtainable to him, something out of his grasp.But he'd go on to be one of the greatest skateboarders in the world at the time, and come to personify the California sexiness and wild punk spirit of skateboarding, having an entire clothing line modeled after him. He'd also be a symbol of rockstar lawlessness and debauchery.But after a drunken decline, he fell into a strange combination of religion, alcohol and hard drugs, resulting in the brutal assault and murder of an innocent girl.Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the story of Gator and the horrific and utterly tragic death of Jessica Bergsten told in five chapters.And be sure to check out I'LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU'RE DEAD's Indigogo campaign, links:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=f5d68533https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=3a92ebadMURDER COASTERWebsite: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.References:THRASHER MAGAZINE June 1984, April 1986, June 1986, July, 1987, and November 1987,TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING MAGAZINE October 1987STOKED: The Rise and Fall of Gator documentary film directed by Helen SticklerMark "Gator" Rogowski: Free Fallin' - The Village VoiceSHATTERED Television Show, Season Two Episode 6: The DarksideParole grant reversed for 'Gator,' former skateboard superstar convicted for 1991 rape, murder - The San Diego Union-Tribune (sandiegouniontribune.com)

BONUS: STARKWEATHER An Interview with Award-Winning Author Harry N MacLean

New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award winning author Harry N MacLean joins us to discuss his new true crime book STARKWEATHER: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree That Changed America.In late 1957 and early 1958 nineteen-year-old Charles Starkweather went on a spree of crime and murder through the American heartland, much of it accompanied by his fourteen-year-old girl friend Caril Ann Fugate, that would leave eleven dead, including Caril’s own parents and toddler sister.The crimes sent shock waves throughout the world and became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring numerous films and songs, including Natural Born Killers, Badlands, and the song "Nebraska" by Bruce Springsteen.Most saw them as a murderous and callous Romeo and Juliet, hellbent juvenile delinquents in love, both complicit. Starkweather received a death sentence and died in the electric chair, Caril Anne was convicted of first-degree murder and would spend nearly two decades behind bars. But there were a flurry of unanswered questions, such as, how complicit was Caril Ann in the crimes? Was it justice that was sought or vengeance? And was a not only completely innocent teenage girl, but an actual victim, found guilty of crimes she didn’t commit?New York Times bestselling author and Edgar Award winner Harry N MacLean set out to answer these questions with his new book STARKWEATHER: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree that Changed America. Harry grew up in Lincoln Nebraska where the crimes took place and had ties with the victims as well as Starkweather and Fugate, and today we are delighted to have him on the show to discuss these crimes, their cultural ramifications and the complicity of Carol Ann Fugate.STARKWEATHER: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree That Changed America goes on sale November 28, 2023 everywhere you get books, pre-orders available now.And be sure to check out amazing horror movie in production I’LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU’RE DEAD‘s Indigogo campaign, links:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=f5d68533https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=3a92ebadMURDER COASTER PODCASTWebsite: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

Episode 31: FANG and the tragic death of Dixie Lee Carney

PUNK ROCK. It was a battle cry for alienated and disaffected youth around the world. Outsider kids who wanted to go wild in a cruel world where they saw no future. The rejected, the misfits, banding together and causing chaos. And in many ways, no band reflected the anarchistic spirit of the hardcore punk movement better than Fang, from Berkley California. Fang would become infamous for their hedonism and drug-fueled debauchery while writing legendary that songs would go on to be covered by Nirvana, Metallica, Green Day, Mud Honey and the Butthole Surfers, among many others. But the story of Fang is more than free-spirited punks going wild in the streets, it is a story of drugs and addiction, of forlorn love, broken friendships, shattered trust, betrayal of a code, innocence lost, and murder. The cruel and senseless murder of Dixie Lee Carney sent shock waves across the punk community and beyond, leaving a trail of horror, strange accusations and devastated friendships in its wake.Ladies and gentlemen, today we bring you the story of Fang and the tragic death of Dixie Lee Carney, told in four acts.And be sure to check out amazing horror movie in production I’LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU’RE DEAD‘s Indigogo campaign, links:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=f5d68533https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=3a92ebadWebsite: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.References:Maximum RocknRoll #77, October 1989GIMME SOMETHING BETTER: The Profound, Progressive and Occasionally Pointless History of Bay Area Pun from Dead Kennedys to Green Day compiled by Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor(298) "Death of a Groupie" - A Current Affair (1990) Sammy of Fang - YouTubeWelcome To Sammy Town Documentary: https://youtu.be/mCb3MQO5878?si=EUNtu-37XI9oCbVC(298) Talkin' Schmit 114: SAMMYTOWN of FANG - YouTube(298) FANG SAMMY INTERVIEW 2021 - YouTube(298) Murder of Dixie Carney by Fang singer Sammytown McBride - YouTube(298) SAM McBRIDE of FANG and SAMMYTOWN interview 1/19/20 with REV DEREK MOODY & SISTER TRACY - YouTube

Episode 30: The Black Dahlia

The Black Dahlia. Just the name itself evokes mystery and intrigue, conjuring images of a raven-haired and gothic beauty tragically slain at the zenith of her youth, of a gritty 1940s Los Angeles straight from a hard-boiled True Detective magazine, revealing the dark underbelly of old-school Hollywood.Indeed, the Black Dahlia murder is one of the most enduring murder mysteries in the history of true crime, and one of the most gruesome as well. The savage killing of beautiful and enigmatic Elizabeth Short in 1947 sent shockwaves through Los Angeles and beyond, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and unsettling theories in its wake.Today we take a deep dive into this infamous murder mystery. We detail the life of Elizabeth Short, her childhood and formative years, her move to Hollywood and her short life there. Then we explore the suspects and narrow them down to a terrifying and incredibly disturbing, figure in the 1940s Los Angeles avant-garde world, and in the end, we ask, could the death of this beautiful girl be more than an act of brutal homicide, but be a disgusting and deviant attempt at surrealistic art?Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen, and prepare for a wild ride, as we bring you: The Black Dahlia Murder, a mystery in five acts.And be sure to check out I'LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU'RE DEAD's Indigogo campaign, links:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=f5d68533https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=3a92ebadWebsite: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.References:Black Dahlia: The Story of America’s Most Gruesome Murder by Roger HarringtonBlack Dahlia Avenger by Steve HodelThe Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia a podcast produced in partnership between Cadence13 and TNTSevered: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder by John Gilmore by John GilmoreBlack Dahlia — FBIFamed Surrealist Artist/Photographer Edmund Teske on the Black Dahlia Sowden/Hodel Residence; "Women were tortured for sport there. Murders happened there. It's an Evil Place." - Steve HodelInvestigative Handwriting Comparisons George Hodel - Steve Hodel

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: Wendigo Crimes, Trials and Murders

The Wendigo. Today we will examine the origins of the mythological beast, and explore three cases of supposed Wendigo possession that ended in madness, murder and cannibalism. Swift Runner was a Cree Native American in Saskatchewan who is said to have succumbed to the Wendigo spirit and butchered and ate his entire family during the harsh winter of 1878. He would become the first person legally executed in the Canadian Northwest Territories. The Suker were the last indigenous peoples in North America to still be living by their own laws and customs. That would all change when their shaman and leader Jack Fiddler was arrested for the murder of a suspected Wendigo and brought to trial. In 2008 Tim McClean was riding a Greyhound Bus through the lonely prairies of Saskatchewan, prime Wendigo territory, when the passenger next to him suddenly erupted into violence, stabbing him to death, beheading him, and eating his eyes, heart and flesh. Was it the spirit of the Wendigo? Happy Halloween, Merry Samhain, folks, here are the links to the horror movie I’LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU’RE DEAD’s Indiegogo campaign, definitely check them out, guys!! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=3a92ebad https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2818884/x/31547703?secret_perk_token=f5d68533 Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.References: Dangerous Spirits the Wendigo in Myth and History by Shane Smallman The Rural Gothic in American Popular Culture: Backwoods Horror and Terror in the Wilderness by Bernice M. Murphy The Terrifying Tale Of Swift Runner And The Wendigo - KnowledgeNuts Beware the Wendigo, the Frostbitten Flesheater of North America’s Chilly Heartland - Atlas Obscura Wendigo (Folklore) - Terrifying Monster | Mythology.net Jack Fiddler - Wikipedia Jack Fiddler - The Last Wendigo Hunter (anomalien.com)

Episode 29: True Crime Werewolf Madness

What does Hitler, Russia’s most prolific serial killer, and a Florida frat-boy cannibal have in common? They’re all werewolves!!! Hitler was obsessed with wolves and werewolves. The name Adolf literally means “noble wolf” and Hitler often called himself Father Wolf. He also deployed not one, but two Werewolf Battalions during the nightmare of World War II. Mikhail Viktorovich Popkov is Russia’s most prolific serial killer. He was also a policeman, who used his badge to lure unsuspecting women into his police car. His acts of murder and sexual sadism were so brutal and savage, he was branded the Werewolf of Angarsk. Austin Harrouff was a clean-cut, all American frat boy going to college in Florida, but on August 15, 2016 he transformed into a monster, attacked a couple, killing them both, and in a barbaric act of cannibalism, ate the man’s face. And in 2020 he was formally diagnosed as suffering from clinical lycanthropy. Today we will cover all three of these topics, as Werewolf October continues. Happy Spooky Season everyone and be sure to tune in on Halloween for a special surprise episode!! Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.References: The Nazi Werewolves Who Terrorized Allied Soldiers at the End of WWII | History| Smithsonian Magazine Werewolf Killer: The True Story of a Russian Cop Turned Serial Killer by C.L. Swinney https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-serial-killer-policeman-mikhail-popkov-werewolf-angarsk-murders-irkutsk/ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/russias-deadliest-serial-killer-known-22473536 New Case of Lycanthropy From an Accused Man-Beast | Center for Inquiry Austin Harrouff: Killer Who Tried to Eat Victim's Face Spared Prison (people.com) Who is cannibal Austin Harrouff and where is he now? | The US Sun (the-sun.com)

BONUS: Horror Writers on Werewolves

Horror writers on werewolves! From huge, mainstream, bestselling authors, to underground indie writers of extreme horror and splatter punk, we have curated an amazing collection of horror authors to give us their take on what the werewolf means to them. The authors featured on today's episode are:Richard Chizmar, New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Boogeyman and Gwendy’s Button Box, winner of two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild Awards, and the Horror Writers Association Board of Trustees award. Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, My Heart is a Chainsaw and Mongrels. Winner of the Ray Bradbury Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the Shirley Jackson Award. Jeff Strand, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of over fifty books, including Blister, Autumn Bleeds Into Winter, and Dweller. Gwendolyn Kiste, three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens, Reluctant Immortals, and Boneset & Feathers. Lauren Elise Daniels, awarded poet, senior editor, bestselling author of Serpent’s Wake: A Tale for the Bitten.Richard Thomas, award-winning author of four novels, including Breaker, four short story collections, and editor of four anthologies. Chad Lutzke, author of OF FOSTER HOMES & FLIES, and THE NEON OWL , as well as contributor to Famous Monsters of Filmland, Rue Morgue, Cemetery Dance, and Scream magazine.. Mark Matthews, Shirley Jackson Award nominated author of On the Lips of Children, and Milk-Blood, as well as the editor of Lullabies for Suffering. Duncan Ralston, author of WOOM and GHOSTLAND. Kevin J. Kennedy, horror author, editor, anthologist and owner of KJK Publishing. David L Tamarin author of Hurting My Toys. He is also a non-fiction writer whose work has appeared in publications such as Rue Morgue, Girls and Corpses, and Serial Killer magazine. Doug Brunell, writer of depravity, author of Black Devil Spine. Aaron K. Crocker, actor, filmmaker, award-winning author of Synchronicity. Christa Carmen, Stoker Award-nominated author of Something Borrowed, Something Blood-soaked, and Daughters of Block Island Matthew Brockmeyer, award-winning author of Kind Nepenthe and Under Rotting Sky.For more on these writers, including links to their works, see the show notes on our website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

Episode 28: Albert Fish the Werewolf of Wysteria

Albert Fish is one of the most terrifying and notorious figures in the history of true crime. A cannibal and child killer, he was both a sadist and a masochist whose sexual perversions knew no bounds.Albert Fish was the original Boogeyman. For decades he roamed the country, a shadowy figure, abducting children and eating them. Not unlike the Slenderman of internet lore, he would appear and then mysteriously be gone, taking a child with him. Only Albert Fish was very, very real. When witnesses were asked to describe him, they would call him, simply, The Gray Man.His disgusting and infamous legacy was made famous by many things, how an x-ray showed he had inserted 28 needles into his groin as part of his masochistic love of pain, how, when being told he was to die in the electric chair, he exclaimed what a thrill it would be, and most notoriously, the foul and terrible letter he wrote to the mother of one of his victims, explaining in detail how he'd murdered her, dismembered the corpse, and eaten her.We will read that entire letter to you today, dear listeners, as well as other writings of this deeply disturbed psychopath.From his birth in 1870 to his execution in 1936, we chronicle the life of a man who became known as the Moon Maniac, the Brooklyn Vampire and the Werewolf of Wysteria.Happy Spooky Season everyone, it's true-crime werewolves all the way up to Halloween day, and this one is a doozy.Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.References:Albert Fish In His Own Words: The Shocking Confessions of the Child Killing Cannibal edited by John BorowskiDeranged: The Shocking True Story of America's Most Fiendish Killer! by Harold SchechterCannibal: The Case of Albert Fish by Mel HeimerConfessions Of A Cannibal: The Shocking True Story Of Depraved Child Killer Albert Fish by Robert KellerJoe Coleman (painter) - WikipediaBabies in Jars, Death Masks, and Ponytails: My Induction to the Odditorium (vice.com)Interview with Joe Coleman – Joe Coleman

Episode 27: Fritz Haarmann The Wolf Man of Hanover

World War I caused astounding economic and social ramifications in Germany. Severe reparations led to an extreme economic crisis marked by hyperinflation, unemployment, and widespread poverty. The social fabric of Germany was torn apart, allowing a vast criminal underground to flourish. And one of these criminals was a werewolf, prowling the city of Hanover at night, ripping the throats out of his innocent victims with his bare teeth. Today, ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the tale of Fritz Haarmann, the Wolf Man of Hanover. His acts of sexual depravity, coldblooded murder and cannibalism would shock the world. We delve deep into the childhood and upbringing of this infamous serial killer, exploring what it was that helped turn him into a terrifying monster that laid siege to an entire city. We also explore a corrupt police force that allowed him to flourish. Fritz Haarmann was, among other things, a grave robber and underground butcher, selling choice pieces of meat on the black market where, because of post-war food rationing, it fetched a high price. But what exactly was this meat the strange man peddled in the streets of Hanover as pork? From his birth, to his infamous last words spoken as he was led to the guillotine, we bring you the tale of one of the world’s most terrifying mass murderers. So strap into the Murder Coaster, and prepare for a wild ride, as we explore famous true crime werewolves of history all month long, right up to Halloween day. Happy spooky season everyone, be safe and watch out for all those damn werewolves!! Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/ Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks. References: Butcher of Hanover: Fritz Haarmann by Alan R. Warren Butcher Biter Spy by Ryan Green Monsters of Weimar: Haarmann, the Story of a Werewolf by Theodor Lessing Cannibalism: The Last Taboo! by Brian Marriner The Southeast Missourian - Google News Archive Search Fritz Haarmann - Wikipedia

BONUS: The History of the Werewolf Film

Mark and Jim from the Horror Movies and Shit podcast join us today as we cover the long history of the werewolf in cinema!Unlike vampires, which entered the realm of cinema with an established mythology, the modern werewolf is a creature almost entirely created by Hollywood. Today we’ll explore how film shaped and influenced our notions of lycanthropy.Along the way, we’ll let you know which werewolf movies are the best, which are the worst, which ones you have to see and which one you can skip. So bring a pen and paper and prepare to take some notes, as we lay at all out for you.From the very first werewolf film in 1913 to the Universal classic age of the Wolf Man in the 1940s, to modern masterpieces like An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, to comedies like Teen Wolf, we’ll take a look at over a hundred werewolf movies, the various genres and styles, and the poetic and metaphorical implications as well.Join us for a howling good time, as we take on, the werewolf movie!!!Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.comFacebook: Murder CoasterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.References:Under A Swastika Moon: 80 Years Of THE WOLF MAN - FANGORIA12 Howling Facts About ‘The Wolf Man’ | Mental FlossWerewolf Legends (history.com)How Hollywood Changed Werewolf Lore Forever | Den of GeekBeware the Full Moon: The History of Werewolves in Film - Bloody Disgusting (bloody-disgusting.com)