True Crime Brewery

On the day she died, Patricia Blakely Kimble was both in love with and afraid of her husband Ted.  After years of loving him and hoping for his love in return, the two were married in the spring of 1994. Ted’s father, a Baptist pastor, officiated.  It was the happiest day of Patricia’s life, but for Ted the marriage was only a necessary step to further his career.  His boss had told him that he could take over his business once he found a wife and settled down.Just over a year into the Kimble marriage, Ted had already checked out.  He wasn’t affectionate and he began purchasing life insurance on Patricia without her consent.  Deeply religious, Patricia was torn between her devotion to her wedding vows and the concerns she had for her safety.Join us at the quiet end for In the House of the Holy. Two days after his wife perished in a house fire, Ted tried to collect on her life insurance.  When he was turned away because Patricia had never taken the required medical exam, he was enraged.  The police took note o

It was a frigid December afternoon in 1986 when Jerry Tobias was found dead in the back of his pickup. The 31-year-old oil field worker was curled up in the fetal position on the truck bed’s bare metal floor, wearing only blue jeans, a flannel shirt, and cowboy boots. Join us at the quiet end for False Witness. Jerry’s death was a mystery. The first clue was inside the cab of his truck, where police found a fresh package of expensive steaks from a local butcher shop. Not much of a lead. But, from that day forward, the investigation into the death of Jerry Tobias was shady. With multiple conflicts of interest, incompetent forensics experts, and a psychotic star witness, the prosecution’s case was often absurd. In fact, it would have been comical, if not for the many lives that were ravaged by it.

In 2017, 45-year-old Lloyd Neurauter told his 19-year-old daughter, Karrie, that he couldn’t afford to pay child support to her mother, Michele, anymore. He shared his plan A and plan B with Karrie: He could either murder Karrie’s mother or he would take his own life. Lloyd was definitely leaning toward murdering Michele. But he couldn’t do it alone. He needed help.Join us at the quiet end for The Good Daughter. Karrie Neurauter was a successful college student, due to graduate in just one year, when she agreed to help her father get away with the murder of her mother. She assisted in the set-up, an alibi, the cover-up, and getting her 14-year-old sister out of the way. Today we’re talking about the Neurauter family dynamics, Lloyd’s cold-blooded plans, and the reasons why Karrie made the choices she did.

In the early morning hours of June 19, 1982, Virginia and James Campbell were sound asleep when intruders entered their home through a window and entered their bedroom. As their grandsons slept nearby, six rounds were fired into the defenseless couple. The two young boys ran to their live-in housekeeper’s room for help and she called 911.When first responders arrived at the Campbell home in Houston, Texas, the intruders had gone and Virginia and James were dead. Everyone who knew the Campbells’ peculiar daughter, Cindy, suspected that she was somehow involved, but the evidence was scarce. Cindy attended her parents’ funeral, but she was not welcomed with any enthusiasm from the family. She further implicated herself when she did all she could to collect on her inheritance. Join us at the quiet end for Betrayal in Blood. As Cindy focused on legal maneuvers to get her parents’ possessions and money, other family members hired a private investigator to get to the truth. The PI quickly saw Cindy’s boyfriend,

Kirsty Grabham died in a brutal act of domestic violence perpetrated by her husband, Paul, in 2009. Her death is all the more heartbreaking for her family because Kirsty had fallen into a life of drug addiction, prostitution, and violence, months earlier.  They could see that Kirsty was in danger and they were helpless to save her.Kirsty’s mother, Cathy, and her sisters, Sonya and Hayley, were devastated when Kirsty went missing.  She had last been seen at a nightclub, arguing with her husband.  Paul claimed that Kirsty had left him and run off, but her family knew better.Join us at the quiet end for Casualties: The Lost Lives of Hayley & Kirsty.  Losing a child, especially to violence, is one of the worst things a human being can experience.  But sometimes, we forget about how the murder of a loved one damages and changes a family forever.  In Cathy’s case, the death of Kirsty set off a series of painful experiences and additional loss from which she would never fully recover.

On December 27, 2011, in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri, Russ Faria called 911. His wife, Betsy, was lying in a pool of blood, dead, with a kitchen knife protruding from her neck. The house was in disarray, with shopping bags and Christmas decorations scattered on the floor. Russ had been at game night with some friends that evening. When he returned home to the horrific, heartbreaking scene, Russ said, his first thought was that Betsy had taken her own life. Considering Betsy’s history of depression and her prolonged battle with cancer, it was the only thing that made any sense to him. But then, first responders found over 50 stab wounds in Betsy’s body. A search of the house turned up a pair of Russ’s slippers in the bedroom closet, stained with Betsy’s blood. This was a homicide. And Russ Faria was the prime suspect.Join us at the quiet end for Pam’s Path to Prison. As it turns out, Betsy Faria’s murder was just the beginning in a chain of bizarre events involving Betsy’s friend, Pam Hu

Christine Paolilla was an outsider at Clear Lake High School. Looking different and lacking self-confidence, she was brutally teased and bullied. Christine was awkward, near-sighted, and she had alopecia, requiring her to wear thick glasses and wigs. But then, Christine was befriended by two pretty, popular girls: Rachael Koloroutis and Tiffany Rowell. They helped Christine improve her appearance and she seemed like a new person with a new lease on life. In 2003, she was voted “Miss Irresistible” by her classmates. But on July 18, 2003, Christine’s helpful new friends, Rachael and Tiffany, were gunned down, along with two young men, at Tiffany’s house. At first, it appeared to be a drug-related mass murder, but law detectives saw indications of a crime fueled by intense hatred and jealousy. Join us at the quiet end for A Malignant Envy. These murders went unsolved for years before any arrests were made. By then, Christine was in a dysfunctional relationship with a heroin addict she’d met in rehab. Wh

Beth Lochtefeld was smart and hardworking. By the time she reached her 40s, she had good friends, she had travelled the world, and she was professionally successful. All that was missing was a partner with whom to share her life. Enter Tom Toolan III. At age 37, Manhattanite Tom was well-educated, handsome, and appeared successful in his own right. But he had secrets. His life was spiraling out of control and he would try to pull Beth into that spiral with him.By the time Beth broke up with Tom Toolan, it was too late for her to escape him unscathed. He went into an alcohol-enhanced rage and held her against her will in his apartment overnight before she was able to escape while he slept.Join us at the quiet end for No Safe Harbor. After fleeing Toolan’s New York apartment, Beth fled to Nantucket and stayed at her brother’s house on the island, hiding from him. Once she felt like the coast was clear, she took refuge in her own Nantucket rental. But once she entered, she would never be seen alive again.

Robert and Benjamin Moore were best friends and brothers who spent most of their time together. They were smart and good-looking and both were naturally funny. In fact, it was rare to see either of them without a smile on his face. Like most boys their age, they liked to tease their little sister, play video games, and ride their bikes.When Robert and Ben disappeared on the morning of August 30, 1993, their mother Roberta had left the house to care for her elderly father who lived nearby. The boys’ father, John Moore, was home with their three children. When John called Roberta to tell her that the two boys were missing, she rushed home. From that day forward, her life was a daily struggle with the deep visceral pain of loss and confusion.Join us at the quiet end for Close to Home: The Disappearance of Robert and Benjamin Moore. John Moore’s behavior that day and his recollections of what happened should have been a cause for concern and suspicion by investigators, but they somehow accepted implausible

When Joanne Witt was brutally murdered in her own home, she had been working as a civil engineer, supporting her daughter on her own. Being a single mother to a rebellious young teen is not easy, but Joanne was devoted, hardworking, and loving. After all, her daughter Tylar was the center of her world.Join us at the quiet end for Tylar Witt’s Diary. Tylar, at age fourteen, was angry and out of control. When she entered into a sexual relationship with an older man, Joanne tried everything she could think of to stop it and help her daughter make better decisions. But Tylar’s relationship with nineteen-year-old Steven Colver was like a runaway train. No amount of parental love or discipline could derail it. Focused on saving her daughter, it was Joanne who paid the ultimate price for love.

Doug Benton was a welder living in Colbert, Georgia. Considered a friendly and helpful neighbor, he was known for raising and selling exotic birds from his house, lifting weights, and riding a Harley. When Doug met police deputy Tracy Fortson, the two had an instant attraction. They began to spend most of their time together.But Doug disappeared on June 4, 2000. Tracy cooperated with the police. She was the last person known to have seen him. She admitted to having an argument with Doug that day and said that they had broken up. Join us at the quiet end for A Concrete Grave: The Murder of Doug Benton. When Doug’s body was found, his manner of death and the disposal of his body did not appear to be the work of an ex-girlfriend. The relationship between Doug and Tracy was volatile, but Doug also had a bit of a past. When the investigation began, evidence began to pile up, pointing to Tracy as Doug’s killer. But Tracy had information to share about her position at the police force and a possible plot to frame

Robin and Margaret Bain and three of their children were killed on June 20, 1994, in their New Zealand home. This was familicide; a mass murder where one member of the family killed the others. Ever since the oldest son David returned home from his paper delivery route and called the police that morning, there has been debate over who was responsible. David Bain was 22-years-old, a music student and aspiring opera singer living with his family. When he got home early that morning, he found all five of his family members dead: his father Robin, his mother Margaret, his two sisters Arawa and Laniet, and his brother Stephen. At first glance, it appeared that the father, Robin, was responsible, and that this was a murder-suicide. But that would change.Join us at the quiet end for The Only One Who Deserved to Stay: David Bain. Familicide is rare. But when it happens, the father is nearly always responsible. Research has shown that these “family annihilators” are either angry or in a state of prolonged despair.

On November 18, 2012, 13-year-old Dylan Redwine traveled from his mother Elaine’s house in Colorado Springs to visit his father Mark in Vallecito, Colorado for a court-ordered visit. According to Dylan’s big brother, Cory, Dylan was not looking forward to visiting his father.  A while back, Dylan had accidentally come across compromising and disturbing photos of his father.  The photos disgusted him and he planned to confront Mark.Mark Redwine picked up Dylan at the airport.  On the way to Mark’s house, they stopped at Walmart and picked up fast-food at McDonalds. Throughout his trip, Dylan had been communicating with his Durango friends and making plans to see them. Text messages indicated that Dylan tried to make plans to stay with a friend nearby rather than with his father.  When Mark said no to that plan, Dylan made plans to see his friend at six-thirty the next morning.Join us at the quiet end for Dylan Redwine’s Last Visit.  Dylan’s last phone activity was at 9:37 p.m. on November 18.  He failed to sho

The rural Oklahoma home of Kathy and Danny Freeman went up in flames in the frigid early morning hours of December 30, 1999. Kathy and Danny’s bodies were found inside, both killed by gunshots to their heads. Their 16-year-old daughter, Ashley, and her best friend, Lauria Bible, who had been there for a sleepover, had disappeared from their beds. Years of searching for the two girls came up empty. The search extended into Mexico and Canada, but rumors in the small community pointed to local lowlifes as the killers and kidnappers. Join us at the quiet end for Gone in the Night. The Freemans should have felt safe in their humble country home, but the formally beautiful landscape of Welch, Oklahoma, was immersed in drug culture and the local police were appallingly ineffective, demonstrating shocking levels of negligence and corruption.

Nelson Hart was charged for the murders of his twin 3-year-old daughters, who died of drowning on August 4, 2002. He claimed that he had taken his girls, Karen and Krista, to the wharf at Little Harbour to play on the swing set. When Krista fell off of the wharf, Nelson got scared and ran for help. He didn’t know how to swim.Nelson drove home for help. His wife Jennifer returned with him to the wharf. By the time they got there, both of their daughters were in the water. Karen was already dead and Krista died hours later in the hospital. This was a tragedy, but the Canadian police believed it was also a crime.Join us at the quiet end for Into Gander Lake. Months after Krista and Karen’s deaths, a Mr. Big operation began with the goal of getting a confession from Nelson Hart. The first contact between Nelson for the Mr. Big sting was when one of the operatives offered to pay Nelson to help find a missing person. After that, he was asked to make deliveries on a regular basis. Nelson, who had lived his entire

Penny Scaggs had been married for 35 years when she sat down to play her piano on the evening of March 6, 1996.  Her husband, Roger, had just left the house after dinner to return to his office.  Normally, Penny would have washed the dishes right after dinner, but, with Roger away, she took advantage of the time alone to enjoy her music.Penny must have been startled when she heard the unexpected sound of footsteps approaching her from behind.  A steel pipe crushed the right side of her face, breaking her jaw.  When Roger returned home, he called 911, telling the operator that he found his wife on the floor in a puddle of her own blood.Join us at the quiet end for A Good Marriage: The Murder of Penny Scaggs.  Penny devoted her life to her marriage, which she saw as a bringing together of three: Roger, herself, and God.  But over the years, Roger appeared less devoted to this sacred union.  Stories of infidelity and dishonesty circulated around their neighborhood and church community.  He would become a predict

When Noura Jackson was a child, her mother’s life revolved around her.  Noura’s parents had divorced when she was just a baby and she rarely saw her father, so the mother-daughter relationship was strong.  But then Noura became a teenager.Most teenage girls argue with their mothers, but Noura and Jennifer’s situation was more extreme than most.  Noura was distant and critical with her mother.  She was drinking, using drugs, and failing academically.  It seemed that the more Jennifer tried to control her daughter, the more she rebelled.Join us at the quiet end for Memphis Matricide? Early in the morning of June 5, 2005, 18-year-old Noura called 911.  Jennifer had been stabbed 50 times.  A wicker basket had been placed over Jennifer’s head, leading the police to believe that Jennifer had known her killer. At a time in her life when most people are graduating from high school and enrolling in college, Noura went on trial for the brutal murder of her own mother. But the question remains: did Noura Jackson commit

The image of young married couple April and Justin Barber taking a moonlight walk on a warm Florida beach sounds ideal. They were supposed to be celebrating their third wedding anniversary. But within hours, everything changed.A passing motorist made a call to 911. Justin was found bleeding and slumped behind the wheel of his SUV. He said that he and his wife had been attacked by an unknown gunman. First responders went to the beach to search for April while Justin was airlifted to a trauma center in nearby Jacksonville, Florida.Although he had been shot four times, Justin recovered quickly. He cooperated with police interviews, claiming to love his wife, despite his multiple infidelities and April’s friends’ claims that April had been planning to leave her husband. This is a chilling and tragic story of love, greed, and loss. Join us at the quiet end for He Used to Love Her, the April Barber story.

Among the thousands of vacationers who traveled to Ocean City, Maryland, on Memorial Day weekend, 2002, were two couples whose paths crossed with horrific results. The first couple, Joshua Ward and Geney Crutchley, were good people looking for a relaxing weekend. But the second couple, Erika and Benjamin Sifrit, had much darker plans. Join us at the quiet end for Bad Romance. At first glance, Erika and Benjamin appeared to be a typical young married couple, but they were a deadly match. They were big partiers, always looking for a bigger thrill. When drinking and drugs were no longer enough to satisfy them, they moved on to burglarizing businesses and carrying loaded guns. Then, one dreadful night, the Sifrits played a twisted game of murder and mayhem, showing their gravitation towards violence and their complete lack of human empathy.

Early in the morning of March 1, 2008, two men entered the Caffey family home in rural Alba, Texas. Terry Caffey and his wife Penny had been living a quiet, peaceful life in their modest country home with their three children, Erin, Matthew, and Tyler. A violent break in was the last thing the family could have ever expected. After family members were attacked by armed assailants, their home was set on fire. 41-year-old Terry was shot five times, but he somehow managed to crawl to his only neighbor, about 400 yards away, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.Join us at the quiet end for Daddy’s Little Girl. A home invasion and mass murder were not something the tiny Texas town of Alba had ever seen before. When 16-year-old Erin Caffey was found alive, she appeared to be in a state of shock. But right away, investigators wanted to know what Erin knew about the attack. Her father Terry rejected that idea that Erin could have any knowledge of the crime against her own family members, but he believed her olde