We Would Be Dead

Case File TLDR (Amber Hagerman, AMBER alert)

WEEKLY CONTENT IS BACK!
Ever wish you knew more about the cases the rest of the world has analyzed without you? Often, when cases are fully developed and researched, there's just too much information to take in at once. It can be overwhelming! Don't worry, you've come to the right place.
Welcome to Case File TLDR! Every other week we'll provide and quick and comprehensive catch up on cases that should be in your mental library but aren't, strange stories that made a huge but quick impact, or frequently used true crime terms and tropes you meant to look up but never got around to. You'll never have to nod along again.
Have you ever wondered why it's called an AMBER alert? Have you just been pretending to know because it seems like everyone else already does? We got you. This is everything you need to know about the tragic disappearance turned unsolved murder of 9 year old Amber Hagerman, the little girl who inspired a huge change. 
 
Click to learn more
https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2021/still-searching-for-ambers-killer
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/remembering-amber-hagerman-27-years-later/
https://allthatsinteresting.com/amber-hagerman
https://amberalert.ojp.gov/
 
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A Family Affair (Steven and Katie Pladl)

On April 12, 2018, 43 year old Steven Walter Pladl, murdered his father in law Tony, His infant son Bennet and his 20 year old wife Katie, then called her mother, told her to notify the police, and turned the gun on himself. Days prior to this horrific event  Stephen's wife Katie had ended their brief marriage by way of a phone call and Stephen, it seemed had become so distraught he did the unthinkable. We've seen this sort
of nightmarish scenario before, haven't we? "If I can't have you, no one can". This case however, is a bit different. Just a short time before their tele-breakup, Stephen and his wife stood trial in a court of law, and were ordered apart by a judge. You see, 20 year old Katie wasn't just Stephen's his wife, she was also his daughter. 
 
murdered his biological daughter, 20-year-old Katie Rose Fusco Pladl, with whom he had been engaged in an incestuous relationship, and her adoptive father, 56-year-old Anthony Charles Fusco, in New Milford, Connecticut. He later committed suicide in Dover, New York. He had murdered his and Katie's seven-month-old child, Bennett Kieron Pladl, the day prior in Knightdale.
Click to learn more
 
https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/mountpleasant/obituaries/incest-case-arrangements-announced-for-three-murdered-family-members/735725/
 
https://nypost.com/2018/05/01/mom-of-incest-murder-suicide-victim-describes-fathers-abuse/
 
https://www.mamamia.com.au/genetic-sexual-attraction-personal-story/
 
https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2018/04/23/biological-mother-katie-pladl-fusco-steven-pladl-incest-deaths/541402002/
 
 
 
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Cover Girl Interrupted (The Ivory Soap Murders)

In 1937 Pin up party girl Veronica Gedeon was a fixture in the pages of many true crime magazines. Her blond hair, bright eyes and slender figure were sure to sell more copies of whatever pulp periodical cover she graced on any given week that all of its competitors combined. So, when Veronica was discovered nude and strangled to death on the bed of her New York apartment that Easter evening, the whole city began to buzz with speculation. The killer had not only killed Veronica, they also brutally murdered her mother and their young border, but things were not exactly as they seemed.
This week we take a closer look at this rollercoaster ride, crime of the century case that time has forgotten. Sometimes called "the case of the Mad Potter" or "The Beekman Hill Maniac Murders", the crimes of a strange young man named Robert George Irwin are hard to explain and even harder to forget. This week's case is the stuff of film noir dreams and beautiful young girl's nightmares. 
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https://tampabay.newspapers.com/article/cumberland-evening-times/136771383/?locale=en-US
 
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bridgeport-telegram-veronica-gedeon/3747708/
 
https://casetext.com/case/people-v-irwin-22
 
https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/who-killed-this-pretty-east-side-model-in-1937/
 
 
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Pick A Crime (St. Patrick's Day Live Campfire 2024)

Welcome to our live game of Irish True Crime Roulette! This year's St. Patrick's Day livestream featured 3 classic Irish true crime stories from the book Foster's Book of Irish Murder. All three were picked at random, live, with the help of our fiends, and as usual feature some lively color commentary. We are happy to bring you "One Sock" read by Leslie, "The Cake of Death" read by fiend favorite John Rattacasa, and "The Axe Woman of Fedamore" read by Holly. Enjoy fiends, Toast!
Click to learn more
Foster's Book of Irish Murder
 
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The Short Straw (The Horrible Fate of the Francis Spaight)

It's our Irish episode fiends, and boy did we find an eerie tale this year!
Just before Christmas in 1835 the British merchant ship, The Angerona, was on it's way from Newfoundland to Teignmouth when the captain spotted something strange. Off in the distance he saw a large vessel, ravaged by a storm, with no masts. Normally this would have signified a total loss of life, but as they got closer the captain saw something that would be burned into his brain for the rest of his life. There were men on the deck of this ruined ship, and they were jumping up and down, waving dismembered human arms and legs. The ship was called The Francis Spaight, it was an Irish transport ship from Limerick. The men aboard had been stranded for 20 days without food or water in freezing tempretures. Of the 18 original crew members, just 11 had survived... and 4 had fallen victim to an ancient tradition called: The Custom of the Sea.
Click to learn more
http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Clare/1836/JAN.html
https://www.rte.ie/radio/doconone/1314029-the-custom-of-the-sea
https://www.rte.ie/culture/2022/0812/1315357-irish-cannibals-on-the-high-seas-documentary-on-one/
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71608919
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Spaight-24
 
 
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The Big Sleepover (The Suspicious Death of Tamla Horsford)

On November 3rd 2018, 40 year old Tamla Horsford of Cumming Georgia,  attended a birthday party with nine fellow football moms. The party took place at Jeanne Meyers' Spacious 6 bedroom home in a well to do local subdivision called Quail Hollow. Since there would be alcohol at the party, everyone was invited to stay the night, everyone meaning nine white women and Tamla. 
The next morning the Forsyth County Sherrif’s office would respond to a 911 call from Jeanne Meyers at her home. She awoke that morning to find Tamla lying dead in the grass below the second floor balcony in her back yard. 
No lifesaving measures were taken, no ambulance was sent, and no immediate investigation of the scene occurred. According to the the Forsyth County Sheriff's office, a horrible accident occurred and that was that. When faced with any good evidence that this was the truth, Tamla's family, on the other hand, was not so sure.  This case is filled with conflicting information, corrupt officials, and a stunning lack of competence all of which has left us and many others wondering: Would any of this have happened if Tamla had been white?
Click to learn more
 
TamlaHorsford.net
^ Michelle's Graves's Website. She has done a ton of comprehensive work but please proceed with caution, there are unobstructed sensitive photos on this page.
Rolling Stone 1
Rolling Stone 2
Local News Article
Letter from the Horsford's Attorney
Justice For Tamla Facebook page
Sign the petition!
 
 
 
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Forever Young Love (Patricia Mann & Jesse McBane)

On February 12th 1971, young lovers Patricia Mann and Jesse McBane attended a Valentines day dance, they left at approximately 11:30 PM to go parking and never returned. The next morning's Jesse's car was discovered but there was no sign of him or Patricia anywhere. After two weeks of searching their bodies were found 3.9 miles away from their car. They had been tortured, murdered and left in a wooded area. 53 years later we're still left wondering, what happened to Patricia and Jesse and who was responsible for their deaths? 
Click to learn more
The Long Dance Podcast
https://www.newsoforange.com/news/article_b9e5fb30-377c-11e8-89de-2f9c73bd334f.html
https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/couples-abduction-torture-murder-remains-a-valentines-day-mystery-in-durham-almost-4-decades-later/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/statesville-record-and-landmark-valentin/19678272/
 
 
 
 
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The Lost Hikers of Panama (Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon)

On April 1st 2014, Dutch Students Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon hiked into the Panamanian cloud forest and never returned. Months later all that authorities would find of were a few scattered bones, a pair of shorts, and a backpack containing their cell phones and a digital camera. The story that camera told was nothing short of an ambiguous nightmare. To this day, no one knows exactly what happened to Kris and Lisanne. Theories are plentiful in this case, but simple facts are elusive and hard to uncover. Keep your wits about your fiends, because this episode is a real journey, one that I hope we all return from.
Click to learn more
https://imperfectplan.com/2021/11/21/panama-expedition-2021-complete-overview/
 
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-lost-girls-of-panama-the-full-story
 
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Let's Talk Docs (Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God)

This episode is a special one fiends, We decided to give you a little peek inside something new we're doing! Welcome to the first meeting of Let's Talk Docs, our patrons only true crime documentary discussion club! 
Once a month we'll be discussing a true crime documentary via live stream and our patrons will be invited to participate. We'd like these events to have a book club vibe where we can all deep dive, and share opinions together. It's going to be really fun, so if you liked this episode or found yourself screaming opinions at your phone, or hopefully both, you're definitely going to want to become a patron ASAP.
We decided to start off with the new Max documentary, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God so that we could give all our listeners a sneak peak, AND update the case at the same time. Remember this is all about conversation so don't be shy, for this episode's discussion, join our facebook group and let us know what you think, then hop on over to patreon so you don't miss out on the next one!
Click to learn more
5d Full Disclosure official website
Original Love Has Won website (archived)
Personal account from "Commander Buddha's" pre cult friend
Reddit Feed, Michael and Faith
Referenced article in The Independant
Reddit Feed, Jason
 
The following three articles contain all pulled quotes from Hannah Olson.
https://people.com/love-has-won-hbo-docuseries-amy-carlson-love-has-won-8407664
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-28/love-has-won-amy-carlson-hbo-director
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/11/love-has-won-mother-god-cult-amy-carlson
click for support if you or someone you know has been affected by Love Has Won
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Mother May I? (Love Has Won Cult) [REBROADCAST OF EPISODE 67]

This week, we are releasing a special episode where we discuss the new Max documentary, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God. In preparation for that episode, we are rebroadcasting our coverage of the Love Has Won cult for you all to catch up on! And if you haven't already, go watch the documentary, and then listen to Holly and Leslie have some feelings about it. 
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On April 28th 2021, Miguel Lamboy walked into the Saguache county police department and told officers that he had returned from spending a night out of town to discover a dead body in his home. The body was on and bed, it appeared to have been dead for quite some time, it was wrapped in sleeping bags and Christmas lights and covered in glitter. Miguel said that he expected the body was that of a 45 year old woman named Lia Carlson, also known as Amy Carlson, but better known as Mother God, the leader of a group he belonged to known simply as "Love Has Won".
In the investigation that followed authorities uncovered a bizarre new age cult who's beliefs combined homeopathic healing, faith healing, astrology, reincarnation theories Christianity, Buddhism, new age mysticism and every conspiracy the internet has to offer. The cult, then called "Love Had Won" used dangerous tactics to keep their members loyal, and daily YouTube live streams to recruit new followers / customers. 
This week we go down the extreme internet rabbit hole that is a modern cult, and introduce you to a frightening woman many knew only as "Mother God". 
Click to learn more
5d Full Disclosure official website
Original Love Has Won website (archived)
5D Full Disclosure official YouTube
Love Has Won Vice Documentary
Amy Carlson and family on Dr. Phil
click for support if you or someone you know has been affected by Love Has Won
 
 
 
 
 
 
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