Scream and Sugar: True Crime Coffee Hour

Ep 85 - Bruce McArthur, The Killer Mall Santa

Hey Spooky Squad! Sorry for the delay. We are running on USPS time this holiday season.  Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re heading to Toronto to uncover the chilling story of Bruce McArthur—an unassuming mall Santa, landscaper, and serial killer who hid in plain sight for years. Between 2010 and 2017, men from Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community began disappearing, many of them last seen in the city’s Gay Village. Despite mounting concerns, their disappearances were repeatedly dismissed—until a shocking arrest exposed a predator who had been trusted around children, neighbors, and clients alike. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a pattern of violence, neglect, and systemic failure that allowed McArthur to continue killing unchecked. How did so many warning signs go ignored? And what does this case reveal about whose lives are prioritized—and whose are overlooked? In this episode, we examine the victims, the investigation, and the institutional blind spots that helped a killer remain invisible for far too long. Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all! Case Notes:  The Roost Cafe:   https://www.theroostreno.com/ https://www.bbc.com/bbcthree/article/01086f21-e102-4de0-8e4b-567a13c66c5c [https://www.bbc.com/bbcthree/article/01086f21-e102-4de0-8e4b-567a13c66c5c]https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47125443 [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47125443]https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16587970/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16587970/] 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]. This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised.  PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Ep 84 - The WifeSwap Murders (Half-Caf!)

Hey Spooky Squad! Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re unpacking a case that shocked reality TV audiences and true crime fans alike—the brutal murders tied to the Wife Swap family that once appeared wholesome on screen. In 2017, Jacob Stockdale murdered his mother and brother in rural Ohio, years after his family had been featured on the hit reality show Wife Swap. What initially looked like an isolated act of violence soon raised deeper questions about religious extremism, control, abuse, and what was really happening behind the cameras. As details emerged, many began to reexamine the family’s past, the warning signs that were missed, and the disturbing dynamics that may have led to this tragedy. Was this simply a sudden act of violence—or the inevitable outcome of years of psychological damage hidden beneath a carefully curated image? In this episode, we explore the murders, the trial, and the unsettling reality of how darkness can thrive even in plain sight. Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all! Case Notes:  https://www.dutchbros.com/ https://www.hulu.com/series/wife-swap-9569e2c9-2ae6-4b82-a3aa-65ce80775248 Stockdale Family Band Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEmqBw1X9Jw (we do not have ownership of this music, but are using it to enhance the understanding of the case!) 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]. This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised.  PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Ep 83 - The Mysterious Death of Ellen Greenberg

Hey Spooky Squad! Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re diving into one of the most puzzling and hotly debated cases in recent true crime history—the mysterious death of Ellen Greenberg. In 2011, the 27-year-old teacher was found dead in her Philadelphia apartment with twenty stab wounds—including ten to the back of her neck. Despite the shocking details, her death was ruled a suicide, a decision that left investigators, medical experts, and the public in disbelief. Over a decade later, Ellen’s parents continue to fight for justice, pushing to reopen the case and uncover what really happened that night. Was Ellen’s death truly self-inflicted, or is this a murder hidden beneath layers of error and cover-up? In this episode, we unravel the evidence, conflicting reports, and the ongoing battle for truth that refuses to fade. Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all! **CORRECTION TO ADD: the suicide loss survivor community has update the verbiage from "committed" to "died of". This episode was recorded prior to that correction, but it will be fixed in future episodes. We appreciate the community for letting us know and will adjust that in all future cases!** Case Notes:  Big Kitchen Cafe: https://judysbigkitchen.com/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7400770/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7400770/] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20202068/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20202068/] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3728425/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3728425/] https://www.reddit.com/r/EllenGreenberg/comments/1nzricr/timeline_vs_main_four_theories_of_when_ellen_died/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/EllenGreenberg/comments/1nzricr/timeline_vs_main_four_theories_of_when_ellen_died/]https://www.hulu.com/series/death-in-apartment-603-what-happened-to-ellen-greenberg-b0338377-2cf8-43c4-98b7-5f907e9d51d1 [https://www.hulu.com/series/death-in-apartment-603-what-happened-to-ellen-greenberg-b0338377-2cf8-43c4-98b7-5f907e9d51d1]https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/12/us/ellen-greenberg-death-philadelphia-cec-cnnphotos/ [https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/12/us/ellen-greenberg-death-philadelphia-cec-cnnphotos/]https://nypost.com/2001/07/23/models-bizarre-suicide/ [https://nypost.com/2001/07/23/models-bizarre-suicide/]https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMysteries/comments/1h8yke5/ellen_greenberg_case_updates/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMysteries/comments/1h8yke5/ellen_greenberg_case_updates/]https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/10/dr-simon-report-on-ellen-greenberg.pdf?utm [https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/10/dr-simon-report-on-ellen-greenberg.pdf?utm] 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]. This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised.  PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Ep 82 - The Murder of Brianna Denison Pt II

Hey Spooky Squad! Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re heading to our own backyard—Reno, Nevada—for a case that gripped the community and left lasting scars: the 2008 murder of 19-year-old Brianna Denison. After a night out with friends, Brianna vanished from a friend’s home near the University of Nevada campus. Weeks later, her body was found—her death linked to a string of violent assaults that had already been haunting the area. As investigators raced against time, DNA evidence became the key to exposing a predator hiding in plain sight: James Biela. How did this case change the way Reno saw safety, trust, and its college-town nightlife? And how did Brianna’s memory inspire a movement for awareness and justice? In this episode, we revisit the investigation, the trial, and the legacy that still echoes through the Biggest Little City. Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all! Case Notes: 2PhatVegans - https://www.instagram.com/2phatvegansnola/?hl=en Big Kitchen Cafe | San Diego https://share.google/uthBaXQfTzFIafqGO [https://share.google/uthBaXQfTzFIafqGO] Damning DNA — The Murder of Brianna Denison — Crime Library https://share.google/IMqxG3hhpo4z4iRp3 [https://share.google/IMqxG3hhpo4z4iRp3]Tip, DNA lead to arrest in student's slaying - CNN.com https://share.google/p1piGflOxiTLo5a0P [https://share.google/p1piGflOxiTLo5a0P] Photos: The Brianna Denison case https://share.google/5Dnto1UZOHR7wfZLp [https://share.google/5Dnto1UZOHR7wfZLp] https://open.spotify.com/episode/62aAaptGmj4TKg1K3wK83T?si=Dfux1ymfRMO0WCa3BAjEZQ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/62aAaptGmj4TKg1K3wK83T?si=Dfux1ymfRMO0WCa3BAjEZQ]  https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-6204/117740/20191002123643407_Appendix%20Exhibits.pdf [https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-6204/117740/20191002123643407_Appendix%20Exhibits.pdf] James Biela | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers  https://share.google/e3seakvBt4hMF952K [https://share.google/e3seakvBt4hMF952K] https://youtu.be/xZLPJAQRx9E?si=7oflKaSkjc0wo9MP [https://youtu.be/xZLPJAQRx9E?si=7oflKaSkjc0wo9MP] https://open.spotify.com/episode/1evjqu2JHs1dxi8gMrkXWb?si=B0qHTPWaS-OkcCAfN3DWbQ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1evjqu2JHs1dxi8gMrkXWb?si=B0qHTPWaS-OkcCAfN3DWbQ] 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]. This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised.  PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Ep 81 - The Murder of Brianna Denison Pt I

Hey Spooky Squad! Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re heading to our own backyard—Reno, Nevada—for a case that gripped the community and left lasting scars: the 2008 murder of 19-year-old Brianna Denison. After a night out with friends, Brianna vanished from a friend’s home near the University of Nevada campus. Weeks later, her body was found—her death linked to a string of violent assaults that had already been haunting the area. As investigators raced against time, DNA evidence became the key to exposing a predator hiding in plain sight: James Biela. How did this case change the way Reno saw safety, trust, and its college-town nightlife? And how did Brianna’s memory inspire a movement for awareness and justice? In this episode, we revisit the investigation, the trial, and the legacy that still echoes through the Biggest Little City.  Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all! Case Notes:  2PhatVegans - https://www.instagram.com/2phatvegansnola/?hl=en Big Kitchen Cafe | San Diego https://share.google/uthBaXQfTzFIafqGO [https://share.google/uthBaXQfTzFIafqGO] Damning DNA — The Murder of Brianna Denison — Crime Library https://share.google/IMqxG3hhpo4z4iRp3 [https://share.google/IMqxG3hhpo4z4iRp3]Tip, DNA lead to arrest in student's slaying - CNN.com https://share.google/p1piGflOxiTLo5a0P [https://share.google/p1piGflOxiTLo5a0P] Photos: The Brianna Denison case https://share.google/5Dnto1UZOHR7wfZLp [https://share.google/5Dnto1UZOHR7wfZLp] https://open.spotify.com/episode/62aAaptGmj4TKg1K3wK83T?si=Dfux1ymfRMO0WCa3BAjEZQ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/62aAaptGmj4TKg1K3wK83T?si=Dfux1ymfRMO0WCa3BAjEZQ]  https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-6204/117740/20191002123643407_Appendix%20Exhibits.pdf [https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-6204/117740/20191002123643407_Appendix%20Exhibits.pdf] James Biela | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers  https://share.google/e3seakvBt4hMF952K [https://share.google/e3seakvBt4hMF952K] https://youtu.be/xZLPJAQRx9E?si=7oflKaSkjc0wo9MP [https://youtu.be/xZLPJAQRx9E?si=7oflKaSkjc0wo9MP] https://open.spotify.com/episode/1evjqu2JHs1dxi8gMrkXWb?si=B0qHTPWaS-OkcCAfN3DWbQ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1evjqu2JHs1dxi8gMrkXWb?si=B0qHTPWaS-OkcCAfN3DWbQ] 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]. This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised.  PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.