The Gardener Who Confessed to Being New York’s Worst Killer

Michelle Blair: the children hidden in a freezer that the system never protected

The demons in the freezer of Detroit: The case of Michelle Blair A domestic freezer. Two bodies stacked. Almost three years living under the same roof while the mother continued to collect welfare for children who were already dead. The discovery was not the result of a police investigation: it was accidental, during an eviction for unpaid rent in March 2015. In this episode, we explore how a mother justified multiple homicides by claiming child abuse, while her own daughter testifies that the accusation was fabricated under death threats. We unravel the forensic investigation, the failures of the protection system that visited the house in 2002 and 2005 without intervening, and how Blair continued to collect $771 monthly in child support for children who were already frozen. Victim: Steven Gage Berry (9 years old, August 2012) and Stony Blair (13 years old, May 2013) Date: March 24, 2015 Location: Detroit, Michigan Status: Life imprisonment without parole (June 2015) - Steven Gage Berry was tortured approximately two weeks before being murdered; his body showed thermal injuries documented by late thawing. - Blair mumbled "I'm sorry" at the arrest but later stated without remorse that she would kill again, describing her children as "demons." - The surviving sister Gabi testified that Matthew repeatedly denied abuse, only "confirming" it after coercive interrogation with physical threats from the mother. - As of March 2017, Blair accumulated 28 prison warnings for violent assaults, including throwing urine and feces at officials. Michelle Blair, Detroit Michigan, child murder, freezer, homicide, 2015, mystery, investigation, forensic, true crime, criminal minds, failed justice, true crime Spanish If you want to listen to this podcast ad-free and have access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].

The Gardener Who Confessed to Being New York’s Worst Killer

Police Stop a Pickup Truck at Three AM and Discover Seventeen Bodies: The Serial Murders of Joel Rifkin A routine traffic stop on the Southern State Parkway at three in the morning turns into one of New York's darkest discoveries. Officers pull over a pickup truck without rear license plates, but what they find in the back shatters the quiet facade of a suburban gardener living a double life for four years. In this episode, we explore the shocking contradiction between Rifkin's ordinary appearance-a dyslexic gardener mowing lawns in East Meadow-and the systematic homicide investigation that connects seventeen separate murders across New York. How did a man with no violent criminal history escalate to serial killing? What role did his father's suicide play in unleashing violence he had fantasized about since age twelve? Victim: Tiffany Bresiani and 16 others Date: June 28, 1993 Location: Southern State Parkway, Long Island, New York Status: Convicted - Rifkin told arresting officers "I am the worst serial killer in the history of New York" before they even asked questions - His first victim, Heidi Balch, murdered in 1989 in the basement, was not identified until 24 years later through forensic reconstruction - Seventeen separate murder investigations across four years remained unconnected because Rifkin varied his methods-no single police unit saw the pattern - He possessed a photographic memory and kept trophies from each victim in his bedroom while living with his mother Joel Rifkin, East Meadow Long Island serial killer 1989-1993, dyslexia psychology criminal behavior, murder investigation forensic evidence homicide New York unsolved mysteries true crime English To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].

Sharon La Hechicera: the crime that forced Ecuador to recognize femicide

Sharon La Hechicera: Accident or calculated femicide?: The femicide of Rosario Bermeo Cisneros A call in the early morning asking for help. Minutes later, Sharon lies dead on the road. Her partner blames a phantom car. But her two-year-old son whispers the truth no one expected to hear: "my dad pushed my mom." In this episode, we explore the collision between two irreconcilable versions: the defense of "traffic accident" against an autopsy that reveals blows prior to impact, messages of economic extortion, and the involuntary testimony of a child who witnessed everything. How did one court convict for negligent homicide while another reclassified the crime as femicide with the same evidence? Victim: Rosario Bermeo Cisneros (Sharon La Hechicera) Date: January 3-4, 2015 Location: Highway km 2.5 via San Pablo, Santa Elena, Ecuador Status: Sentenced to 26 years in prison (confirmed January 2016) - Her partner stated "hit-and-run car"; forensic evidence proved that Sharon was pushed from the vehicle, not run over. - The first court sentenced 2 years for negligent homicide; subsequent judges reclassified it to femicide with prior evidence. - Brian, two years old, spontaneously recounted the push while his mother was dying meters away. - Text messages proved systematic economic extortion: "pay me for every year together if you want to separate." Sharon La Hechicera, Rosario Bermeo, technocumbia, femicide Ecuador 2015, forensic investigation, criminal minds, homicide, justice, suspense, true crime, true crime Spanish If you want to listen to this podcast without ads and have access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior written authorization from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].

The Family That Cried at Their Victim’s Funeral

Killer Calls Police Crying While Choosing His Next Victim: The Serial Murders of Paul Stefan January 1981, early morning. A man dials 911 sobbing, confessing to an attack he just committed. Minutes later, police find a young woman barely alive near railroad tracks. But the caller vanishes into the city, and the emergency recordings become the only evidence he exists. In this investigation, we explore the impossible contradiction at the heart of this case: a man who called police to confess his crimes in real time, who promised to stop and to kill himself, yet continued attacking for over four years. How could the same voice on multiple 911 recordings be dismissed in court? Why did an innocent man's suicide in prison give the true killer six more months of freedom? Victim: Karen Potak, Kimberly Compton, Bárbara Simmons, Denise Williams Date: January 1981 - August 1982 Location: Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota Status: Paul Stefan convicted of murder; cases legally incomplete - Killer called 911 at 3 a.m. on January 1, 1981, minutes before police found his first victim with a fractured skull and stab wounds to the neck - Before any media reported details, he called again and mentioned the ice pick used on victim Kimberly Compton, a fact only the killer could know - Kimberly Compton received 61 stab wounds; the brutality was so extreme investigators recognized it as something beyond functional attack - Stefan's ex-wife and sister independently identified his voice on the 911 tapes in court, but the judge excluded the recordings as evidence due to technical standards Paul Stefan, Saint Paul Minnesota murders ice pick 1981 serial killer emergency calls voice identification forensic investigation true crime English To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].

Stalin’s Youngest Killer: 16 Years Old, 8 Dead

Woman Shoots Her Date and Stops a Photographer's Three-Year Killing Spree: The Murder of Judy Doll, Shirley Britford, and Ruth Mercado August 1957, Los Angeles. A nineteen-year-old named Judy Doll climbs into a stranger's car for what she believes is a professional photo shoot. She never returns. What remained hidden for months was that her killer kept a toolbox filled with photographs documenting every moment of his crimes-image after image, victim after victim. In this episode, we explore the systematic predation of Harvey Glatman, a man of completely ordinary appearance who weaponized the desperation of aspiring models. We examine the contradictory witness descriptions, the rehearsal sessions with women he did not kill, and the devastating gap in information between jurisdictions that allowed a documented sex offender to operate freely in a new city. Victim: Judy Doll, Shirley Britford, Ruth Mercado Date: August 1957 - October 1958 Location: Los Angeles, California Status: Solved; Perpetrator Executed - Glatman used at least three false identities (Johnny Glenn, George Williams, Frank Johnson) within the same modeling circuit without detection - A woman named Lorraine Vigil wrestled a gun from him during a fourth attempted abduction and shot him, leading to his arrest - His home contained a toolbox with sequential photographs of each victim before, during, and after their murders - He had served five years for kidnapping and sexual assault but arrived in California with no criminal history transmitted between states Judy Doll, Shirley Britford, Ruth Mercado, Los Angeles 1957, serial killer, homicide investigation, true crime, forensic evidence, criminal predator, missing women, unsolved disappearance solved, true crime English To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].