399:  The Life & Crimes of Robert Spears w/ Jerry Jamison

399: The Life & Crimes of Robert Spears w/ Jerry Jamison

Author: Blue Ewe Media July 23, 2025 Duration: 1:46:18
"Doctor" Robert Spears was arguably one of the greatest con artists of the twentieth century, and very likely a mass murderer. In thirty nine years of grift, he had 25 aliases, 28 arrests in 20 cities, and was imprisoned close to a dozen times. He performed, without any medical degree, abortions on countless women, and in 1959 tricked his best friend into taking his place on an airplane. That plane exploded in mid-air, killing 42 passengers, and allowed Spears to briefly escape his legal woes and start a new life under yet another new identity. My guest is Jerry Jamison, and his book is called "Vanishing Act: A Crashed Airliner, Faked Death, and Backroom Abortions". He share details of this too-crazy-to-believe-but-still-true story with me on this latest episode of Most Notorious. The author's website: https://jerryjamison.com/ Jerry Jamison on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jerryjamisonauthor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step back in time and explore the darkest corners of the past with Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast. This isn't just another crime show; it's a deep dive into the historical context that shaped infamous acts and the figures behind them. From the ruthless gangsters of the Prohibition era to the chilling methods of Victorian-era murderers, each episode unpacks a story rooted in its specific moment in history. Host Erik Rivenes acts as your guide, conducting thoughtful interviews with authors and historians who have dedicated years to researching their subjects. These conversations move beyond sensational headlines to deliver nuanced narratives filled with detail and scholarly accuracy. You'll hear about forgotten tragedies, legendary outlaws, and societal disasters, all presented with a focus on understanding the why and how within the framework of the past. Tune in for a compelling blend of education and narrative, where every story is a piece of historical truth, often more fascinating and complex than fiction. This podcast from Blue Ewe Media connects the dots between crime and history, offering a rich, thoroughly researched listening experience for anyone curious about the shadows cast across different centuries.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast
Podcast Episodes
387: The Beatle Bandit w/ Nate Hendley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:25
On July 24, 1964, twenty-four-year-old Matthew Kerry Smith disguised himself with a mask and a Beatle wig, hoisted a semi-automatic rifle, then held up a bank in North York, Ontario. The intelligent but troubled son of a…
386:  America's Nazi POW Murders w/ William Geroux [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:21
The American government was faced with an unprecedented challenge: where to house the nearly 400,000 German prisoners of war plucked from the battlefield and shipped across the Atlantic. On orders from President Franklin…
385:  The 1870 Murder of A.P. Crittenden w/ Gary Krist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:03
Shortly before dusk on November 3, 1870, just as the ferryboat El Capitan was pulling away from its slip into San Francisco Bay, a woman clad in black emerged from the shadows and strode across the crowded deck. Reaching…
384:  The 1943 Murders of Dr. Roy & Mae Hunt w/ Christena Stephens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:56
On a nearly moonless night in October 1943, a single gunshot rang out in Littlefield, Texas. A prominent Texas doctor and his wife were found bound, shot, beaten, and murdered. The only witness: their five-year-old daugh…
MoNo Encore: The Murder of Carol Thompson w/ Bill Swanson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:51
(Original pub date: 3/11/20) While the Coen brothers refuse to confirm it, many believe that their movie "Fargo" was inspired by the Carol Thompson murder case. She was viciously killed in her comfortable Saint Paul home…
383: The Mysterious Disappearance  of Molly Zelko w/ Rod Kackley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:24
Molly Zelko was the crusading editor and publisher of the Spectator, a newspaper devoted to battling local gangsters operating slot machines and other rackets in Joliet, Illinois. In the late night hours of September 25,…
381: Alabama's Kilpatrick Shooting w/ Lesa Carnes Shaul [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:18
Close to midnight on May 17, 1951, four north Alabama lawmen drove to a bootlegger’s home to serve an arrest warrant. Before the clock struck twelve, the bootlegger lay dead in front of the house he shared with his wife…
380:  Murder in Blackout London w/ Amy Helen Bell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:57
My guest today is Dr. Amy Helen Bell, author of "Under Cover of Darkness: Murders in Blackout London". She shares accounts of the terror, tragedy and crime experienced by Londoners during the blackout and the blitz in 19…
379:  The Pan Am Flight 7 Seven Crash  w/ Ken Fortenberry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:37
My guest this week is award-winning journalist Ken Fortenberry, author of "Flight 7 Is Missing: The Search for My Father's Killer". He walks us through the ill-fated flight of Pan Am's luxurious "Romance of the Skies", a…