The Family Eraser

Vault Case File 01: The Station Strangler (Norman Simons)

Welcome to the very first long-form Vault Case File Session. In this episode, we are stepping away from our shorter formats to crack open the complete, heavily researched archive on one of the most terrifying chapters in South African history: The Station Strangler (Norman Simons). Pull up a chair, grab a coffee, and get comfortable. This is a highly detailed, completely unscripted, and relaxed deep-dive into the raw research. We aren't just looking at the crimes that gripped the Mitchells Plain dunes; we are dissecting the psychology of the man convicted, the atmosphere of fear that paralyzed a community, and the lingering questions that still haunt this case decades later. No quick summaries here—just the full, unfiltered details. Listen in: Let me know your thoughts on this longer format, and don't forget to follow and leave a review if you want more deep-dives from the Vault! Search: Mrs. G: Coffee, Kids, and Crime on YouTube to see the horizontal visual version of this episode. This sets the perfect expectation for your listeners. It tells them it's relaxed, it's incredibly detailed, and it's the "full" story.

THE DARK MOTHERS KITCHEN

We end the season with a case that brings "domestic noir" to a whole new level. Mrs. G explores the story of Leonarda Cianciulli, the "Soap-Maker of Correggio." It’s a bizarre, unsettling look at the logistics of superstition, sacrifice, and a mother’s love twisted into something unrecognizable.

The MONSTER OF MONS

On the quiet streets of Belgium, a series of trash bags containing a dark secret began to appear. Mrs. G dissects the clinical, terrifyingly neat logistics of the Monster of Mons. We talk about the evidence left in plain sight and the frustration of a mystery that continues to haunt the “Mum Radar” to this day.

THE MOUNTAIN SHADOW

Today, Mrs. G investigates a case where the predator was the one supposed to be solving the crime. We look at the Sergey Tkachyov story—the “Manitogorsk Monster”—and the chilling logistics of an investigator who used his knowledge of the law to evade it. It’s a deep dive into the betrayal of trust and the long shadow cast over a community.

THE LEDGER OF THE LOST SOULS

In the frozen wilderness of Alaska, one man turned the hunt into a lethal reality. today we break down the flight patterns and the calculated movements of Robert Hansen, the “Butcher Baker.” We examine the logistics of his aerial hunting grounds and the bravery of the women who finally broke his ledger of silence.