H is for Homicide

Ep 8 The Case Of The Toxic Tea Lady

Hi, and welcome to the H is for Homicide podcast where we talk about all things true crime ranging from sinister to psychotic stories worldwide. In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing the case of the toxic tea lady, Carrie Grills.  Caroline Grills was a most unlikely multiple murder suspect, being a 63-year-old mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was charged with having murdered, by poison, four distant relatives, using what was then the virtually untraceable thallium. The method was not uncommon in the 1950s - the mother-in-law of prominent Balmain rugby league footballer Bobby Lulham was acquitted of poisoning him. It had made him very ill but did not kill him. Grills was born to George Michelson and Mary (née Preiers) in Balmain, Sydney, at some point between 1888 and 1890.[1][3] She married Richard William Grills on 22 April 1908, with whom she had four sons.[3] She first became a murder suspect in 1947 after the deaths of four family members: her 87-year-old stepmother Christine Mickelson; relatives by marriage Angelina Thomas and John Lundberg; and sister-in-law Mary Anne Mickelson. Authorities tested tea [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea] she had given to two additional family members (Christine Downey and John Downey of Redfern [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redfern,_New_South_Wales]) on 13 April 1953, and detected the then-common household rat poison [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_poison], thallium [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thallium]. At the time, thallium was easy to buy over the counter [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_counter] in New South Wales.[3] Mickelson had inherited from Grills' father a house in Gladesville [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladesville,_New_South_Wales], and Grills was speculated to have murdered her to inherit it. **Continue Listening To Know More** Information sources: Murderpedia.org: https://murderpedia.org/female.G/g/grills-caroline.htm#:~:text=Thallium%20poison%20case%20in%201953,then%20the%20virtually%20untraceable%20thallium. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Grills What are your thoughts on this case? Do let us know on our Instagram @h_isforhomicide or on our email hisforhomicidethepodcast@gmail.com. If you liked the episode please rate the podcast on whichever stream platform you're currently using. As always, we’ll see you next month at 11:11 pm Indian standard time with new cases from another continent! Till then goodbye

Ep 7. The Bodies in Barrels Murders (Australia)

The Snowtown murders (also known as the bodies in barrels murders) were a series of murders committed by John Justin Bunting, Robert Joe Wagner and James Spyridon Vlassakis between August 1992 and May 1999, in and around Adelaide, South Australia. A fourth person, Mark Haydon, was convicted for helping to dispose of the bodies. The trial was one of the longest and most publicised in Australian legal history. Most of the bodies were found in barrels in an abandoned bank vault in Snowtown, South Australia, hence the names given in the press for the murders. Only one of the victims was killed in Snowtown itself, which is approximately 140 kilometres (87 miles) north of Adelaide, and neither the twelve victims nor the three perpetrators were from the town. Although the motivation for the murders is unclear, the killers were led by Bunting to believe that the victims were paedophiles, homosexuals or "weak". In the case of some victims, the murders were preceded by torture, and efforts were made to appropriate victims' identities, social security payments and bank accounts. ***To Know More Continue Listening*** let us know if you liked the episode by rating the podcast on whichever streaming platform you use or reach out to us on our Instagram- @h_isforhomicide or email us feedback, reviews, etc on our mail hisforhomicidethepodcast@gmail.com We’ll see you soon with another case this month at 11:11 PM ist, till then goodbye!

Ep 6- The Borden Family Axe Murders (North America)

Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks and  when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. What you just heard is a nursery rhyme written for kids about the 1892 Borden axe murders. Rhymes from the early 18 and 1900s often have unsettling meanings behind them. But the lyrics of this specific poem unveil an extremely dark and sinister truth about one of the most famous yet forgotten cases of early-era true crime. Today we’re going to be discussing the case of the axe murders of Lizzie Borden. So Let’s start from the beginning of this story… Lizzie Andrew Borden was born July 19, 1860, in Fall River Massachusetts, to Sarah Anthony Borden and Andrew Jackson Borden. Her father, who was of English and Welsh descent and grew up in very modest surroundings and struggled financially as a young man, despite being the descendant of wealthy and influential local residents. Andrew eventually prospered in the manufacture and sale of furniture and caskets and then became a successful Property Developer. He was a director of several textile mills and owned considerable commercial property; he was also president of the Union Savings Bank and a director of the Durfee Safe Deposit and Trust Co. At his death, his estate was valued at $300,000 (equivalent to $9,000,000 in 2021 and $9,630,000 in 2022). Which is definitely a lot of money But Despite his wealth, Andrew was known for his frugality and simplicity. For instance, the Borden home lacked indoor plumbing although, at the time, it was a common accommodation for the wealthy. It was in an affluent area, but the wealthiest residents of Fall River, including Andrew's cousins, generally lived in the more fashionable neighbourhood, "The Hill", which was farther from the industrial areas of the city. ***to know more continue listening*** That was it for this case, let us know if you liked it by rating the podcast on whichever streaming platform you use or reach out to us on our Instagram @h_isforhomicide or email us feedback, reviews, etc on our mail hisforhomicidethepodcast@gmail.com [hisforhomicidethepodcast@gmail.com] And don’t forget We’ll see you next month with fresh cases from another continent at 11:11 pm ist. Till then goodbye!

EP 5- The case of the 6 Year old Pageant Queen Jonbenét Ramsey (North America)

JonBenét Ramsey was born on August 6, 1990, in Atlanta, Georgia, the younger of two children of Patricia "Patsy" Ramsey and John Bennet Ramsey. She had an older brother named Burke. JonBenét's first name combines her father's first and middle names, and her mother's first name was used as her middle name. She was enrolled in kindergarten at High Peaks Elementary School in Boulder, Colorado. Many Internet sleuths pointed out, the narcissistic characters of the parents by naming their child after themselves JonBenét's body was found on December 26, 1996, in her family's Boulder residence. She was buried at St. James Episcopal Cemetary in Marietta, Georgia, on December 31. JonBenét was interred next to her half-sister Elizabeth Pasch Ramsey, who had died in a car crash nearly five years earlier at the age of 22. According to statements that Patsy gave to authorities on December 26, 1996, she realized that her daughter was missing after she found a two-and-a-half-page handwritten ransom note on the kitchen staircase at the Ramsey family's Boulder residence. The note demanded US$118,000 (equivalent to $203,877 in 2021). John pointed out to police first on the scene that the amount was nearly identical to his Christmas bonus of the prior year, which suggested that someone who would have access to that information would be involved in the crime. Investigators looked at several theories behind the dollar amount demanded, considering employees at Access Graphics who may have known of the amount of John's prior bonus. They also considered the possibility that the ransom demand was a reference to Psalm 118 and spoke to religious sources to determine possible relevance. The ransom note appears to echo a film dialogue. The films Ruthless People, Ransom, Escape from New York, Speed and Dirty Harry have acceptance as sources. ***To Know More Continue Listening*** Years have gone by and this case still remains unsolved, leaving crime enthusiasts for creating their own theories and alibis. What are your opinions on this case? Be sure to let us know on our Instagram at @h_isforhomicide or mail us at hisforhomicidethepodcast@gmail.com. If you liked this episode, rate the podcast on whichever streaming platform you use. (Sources- Wikipedia) We hope you liked this episode, We’ll be back soon with our next case till then, goodbye!

Ep 4. The 1973 Contract Killing of Mrs Vidya Jain

Information for the following episode is Excerpted from the book Trials of Truth: India’s Landmark Criminal Cases, Pinky Anand and Gauri Goburdhun, Shobhaa Dé Books, Penguin Random House and several news articles. The 1973 contract killing of Mrs Vidya Jain. This case came to everyone’s attention possibly because both the killer and the deceased belonged to the upper ranks of society. Somehow, when a murder takes place among well-to-do people, it has a higher impact on the public. In this case, the story revolves around Dr N.S. Jain, the personal eye surgeon of the then-Indian President, VV Giri and his family. On 4 December 1973, Dr Jain came back to his house in the posh locality of Defence Colony in New Delhi at about 7.15 p.m. He asked his wife, Vidya Jain, to get ready so that they could visit his sister who lived in the same neighbourhood. They were to go in their car, which was parked near the house next door. A few minutes later, the couple came out of the house. As Dr Jain walked towards the right side of the car to open its door, his wife proceeded towards the left. Before he could unlock the door, he noticed that his wife was nowhere to be seen. He went around to the left side of the car and saw a figure lying prostrate in the nearby drain. Just then a man jumped out of the drain, brandished a pistol at Dr Jain and ran away along with another man towards the north. A regular mugging as a person would think. But Vidya was still missing. ***continue listening to know more*** Reach us at - Instagram- h_isforhomicide. Gmail- hisforhomicidethepodcast@gmail.com