448:  Did a Tacoma Smelter Help Create a Generation of Serial Killers? w/ Caroline Fraser

448: Did a Tacoma Smelter Help Create a Generation of Serial Killers? w/ Caroline Fraser

Author: Blue Ewe Media July 28, 2026 Duration: 1:06:48
Ted Bundy grew up in Tacoma in the shadow of one of the most toxic smelters in the United States, and he wasn't the only one. Between the 1970s and '80s, the Pacific Northwest was home to a bizarre, outsized cluster of serial killers including Bundy, Gary Ridgeway, Charles Manson and many more. Could there be a connection between lead and arsenic poisoning and the making of a serial killer? My guest is New York Times bestselling author Caroline Fraser, and in her book Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers, she explores this possible link, and how toxins like lead were promoted to the American public despite the known dangers. The paperback version of her Edgar Award-winning book just came out in June. The author's website: ⁠https://www.carolinefraser.net/ Free shipping and 365-day returns with Quince! Refresh your wardrobe here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.quince.com/notorious⁠ 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: 50

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast
Podcast Episodes
441:  Arizona's Murdered Madams w/ Merry Gordon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:41
My guest this week is Merry Gordon, author of Arizona's Murdered Madams: Death in the Red-Light Districts. She shares the stories of two of Territorial Arizona's most infamous madams, former Mormon Minnie Powers and "Bel…
440: The Wreck of the Mentor w/ Eric Jay Dolin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:53
In May of 1832, an American whaleship called the Mentor went down on a remote reef in the western Pacific. Of the crew, eleven men made it out alive, but surviving the wreck was only the beginning. They found themselves…
439:  The Curse of the Blumenthals w/ Phyllis Karas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:26
My guest is New York Times bestselling author Phyllis Karas. She shares the deeply personal story of two shocking tragedies in her family history: a 1935 car accident that killed six relatives, and the brutal 1954 murder…
MoNo Encore: The Murder of Cecil Wells w/ James T. Bartlett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:46
(Orig pub date: 6/21/22) In the early morning hours of October 17, 1953, a frightened, battered woman named Diane Wells told a horrific tale to police. She said intruders had broken into the top-floor penthouse apartment…
438: The Capone's Vault Fiasco w/ William Hazelgrove [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
In 1986, The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults drew a larger audience than the Super Bowl or David Frost’s interview with Richard Nixon. The special was intended as a comeback for journalist Geraldo Rivera, built around the…
437: The Journalist & the Serial Killer w/ Mark Braude [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:51
In 1939, the crimes of German serial murderer Eugen Weidmann captivated France, culminating in a sensational trial and a public execution by guillotine, the last of its kind in the country, just weeks before the outbreak…
436:  Jack the Ripper:  Edward Buckley w/ Jonathan Tye [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:52
Edward Buckley was a violent East End tough whose life unfolded in the same streets and shadows as the Whitechapel murders. Born into a rough, crime-entangled family, he grew up in a world of poverty, street gangs, and r…
MoNo Encore: Anastasia: Mystery & Myth w/ Greg King and Penny Wilson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:41
(Orig. Release Date: 4/23/23) For decades following the horrific 1918 execution of the Romanov family, many hoped against hope that one or more of the children had escaped the bullets and bayonets of the Bolsheviks. And…