Scream and Sugar: True Crime Coffee Hour

Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today we are covering part 2 of the Rebecca Zahau tragedy.  What unfolded after Rebecca Zahau’s body was found only deepened the mystery. From the very beginning, investigators leaned toward calling her death a suicide. But the crime scene itself told a much stranger story. Rebecca was discovered bound, gagged, and hanging from a second-floor balcony at the Spreckels mansion. Her hands were tied behind her back, her ankles bound, and a T-shirt had been forced into her mouth. Words painted on the door only raised more questions—was it Rebecca’s handwriting, or someone else’s attempt to stage the scene? Family members immediately disputed the idea that Rebecca would have taken her own life in such a humiliating and elaborate fashion. They described her as devout, hopeful, and determined to help Max recover. Experts in crime scene investigation also questioned the bindings—how could she have tied herself up so completely and still managed to hang herself? Despite these doubts, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department closed the case in 2012, ruling it a suicide. This decision ignited a firestorm of criticism, leading Zahau’s family to file a wrongful death civil suit.  The Zahau case remains one of the most debated true crime mysteries of the last decade. What are your thoughts?  Bounding reinactment by SDSO: https://youtu.be/600qq5O5qwk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=600qq5O5qwk] Link to Mary's book: https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Knots-Sisters-Relentless-Justice-ebook/dp/B0F18YMTXK Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Welcome back, spooky squad to another episode of your favorite true crime coffe hour. We missed you! Today's episode is a doozy. In July of 2011, a tragedy unfolded inside one of Coronado’s most exclusive mansions. Six-year-old Max Shacknai suffers a mysterious fall, and just two days later, Jonah Shacknai’s girlfriend, 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau, is found hanging naked from a balcony—her hands and feet bound, a cryptic message painted on a bedroom door.  Authorities ruled it a suicide. Her family insists it was murder. In this first part, we dive into the days leading up to Rebecca’s death: who she was, the key players in her life, Max’s devastating accident, and the chilling morning Rebecca was discovered. From the bizarre crime scene to the immediate questions about how investigators handled it, this case still sparks fierce debate over what really happened in that mansion. Grab your coffee and settle in—it’s time to unravel the first half of a case that blends mystery, scandal, and heartbreaking loss. Stay spooky, ya'll! Case notes: Unravelling the Knots: Mary’s book https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Knots-Sisters-Relentless-Justice-ebook/dp/B0F18YMTXK [https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Knots-Sisters-Relentless-Justice-ebook/dp/B0F18YMTXK]Coroners' report, Rebecca: https://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Other/zahau,%20rebecca_report.pdf [https://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Other/zahau,%20rebecca_report.pdf]Coroners' report, Max: https://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Other/shacknai,%20max_report.pdf [https://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Other/shacknai,%20max_report.pdf]Incredibly detailed review: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/7w8uhi/unexplained_death_part_2_rebecca_zahau_murder_or/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/7w8uhi/unexplained_death_part_2_rebecca_zahau_murder_or/]Death at the Mansion TV Series: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07S7TMRRT/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07S7TMRRT/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Welcome back, Spooky Squad, to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour.  Grab onto your booty because this one's a doozy. In September 2006, 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart was housesitting for her aunt and uncle in Pocatello, Idaho—completely unaware that two of her classmates had sinister plans. What was supposed to be a quiet weekend turned into a real-life horror movie, inspired by their obsession with slasher films. In this episode of Scream and Sugar, we dive deep into the events leading up to Cassie’s brutal murder, the chilling video footage left behind by her killers, and the trial that shocked a community. We’ll explore the twisted psychology behind the crime, how the investigation unfolded, and the lasting impact on Cassie’s loved ones.  Remember to stay spooky, and stay safe.  Case Notes:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOWWQ1NzyKk Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Welcome back, Spooky Squad, to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today's case was suggested to us, and it's a wild one. In April 1943, four boys trespassing in Hagley Wood stumbled upon something horrifying inside a hollow wych elm tree: the skeletal remains of a woman stuffed tightly into its trunk. What followed was a bizarre investigation tangled with witchcraft, wartime espionage, coded graffiti, and occult rumors. In this episode of Scream and Sugar, we unravel the enduring mystery of "Bella"—a woman with no official identity but whose ghost still lingers in chalked messages on brick walls: Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? Was she a Nazi spy? A victim of dark rituals? Or someone forgotten by history, hidden in plain sight? Grab your coffee and your curiosity—this one is a trip into the eerie unknown. Stay spooky, babies! Case Notes:  https://topbeercrew.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/a-brief-history-in-time-halesowen-pubs/#:~:text=The%202nd%20half%20of,High%20St%20and%20Whitehall%2C%20Halesowenhttps://topbeercrew.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/a-brief-history-in-time-halesowen-pubs/#:~:text=The%202nd%20half%20of,High%20St%20and%20Whitehall%2C%20Halesowen [https://topbeercrew.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/a-brief-history-in-time-halesowen-pubs/#:~:text=The%202nd%20half%20of,High%20St%20and%20Whitehall%2C%20Halesowen]https://calgarycitizen.com/p/rose-and-crown-history [https://calgarycitizen.com/p/rose-and-crown-history]https://crimereads.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/#:~:text=fate%20as%20he%20was%20executed,Berlin%20hospital%20in%20December%201942 [https://crimereads.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/#:~:text=fate%20as%20he%20was%20executed,Berlin%20hospital%20in%20December%201942]https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2023/05/bbc-investigator-asks-museums-for-help-tracing-remains-of-murder-victim/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%E2%80%99re%20hoping%20to%20be%20able,%E2%80%9D [https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2023/05/bbc-investigator-asks-museums-for-help-tracing-remains-of-murder-victim/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%E2%80%99re%20hoping%20to%20be%20able,%E2%80%9D]https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-07/mystery-over-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm-/102171844 [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-07/mystery-over-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm-/102171844]https://crimereads.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/ [https://crimereads.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/]https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/is-this-the-bella-in-the-wych-elm-unravelling-the-mystery-of-the-skull-found-in-a-tree-trunk-8546497.html [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/is-this-the-bella-in-the-wych-elm-unravelling-the-mystery-of-the-skull-found-in-a-tree-trunk-8546497.html]https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/features/mystery-murder-and-half-a-century-of-suspense-745330.html [https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/features/mystery-murder-and-half-a-century-of-suspense-745330.html]https://www.thefreelibrary.com/%27Bella%27+murder+mystery+returns+to+haunt+village.-a060491738#:~:text=The%20unidentified%20woman%20was%20dubbed,of%20a%20black%20magic%20execution [https://www.thefreelibrary.com/%27Bella%27+murder+mystery+returns+to+haunt+village.-a060491738#:~:text=The%20unidentified%20woman%20was%20dubbed,of%20a%20black%20magic%20execution]https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-07/mystery-over-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm-/102171844 [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-07/mystery-over-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm-/102171844] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. In one of the most bizarre and twisted cases in American true crime history, Brian Wells walked into a bank wearing a collar bomb, and what followed was a deadly, real-life scavenger hunt that stunned the nation. This episode delves into the infamous "Pizza Bomber Heist" of Erie, Pennsylvania —the shocking events of August 28, 2003, the tangled web of suspects, and the question that still haunts many: Was Brian a willing participant or an unsuspecting pawn in a murderous game? Join us as we break down the chilling timeline, the manipulative mastermind, and the jaw-dropping aftermath that inspired a Netflix documentary and continues to captivate armchair detectives. And remember, stay spooky, y’all. Case Notes:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/murder-in-america/id1547409175 Evil Genius Docuseries: https://www.netflix.com/title/80158319 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].