The Lake Waco Murders Day 3: 12 Nightmares Before Christmas

The Lake Waco Murders Day 3: 12 Nightmares Before Christmas

Author: Our True Crime Podcast December 15, 2025 Duration: 33:37
On the 3rd Nightmare Before Christmas... On the sweltering evening of July 14, 1982, a call came into the Waco Police Department that would shatter the community’s sense of safety. Two teenage boys, fishing near the shores of Lake Waco at Speegleville Park, had stumbled across a scene no one could have imagined. Beneath a tree lay a teenage boy. His hands were bound tightly behind his back, a gag shoved into his mouth, sunglasses still shielding his eyes. His chest had been punctured repeatedly. Moments later, officers discovered two more bodies scattered across the park. In that moment, Lake Waco would forever be etched in the memory of a town that had lost its innocence. Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast, entitled "The Lake Waco Murders." Murders: Day 3:12 Nightmares Before Christmas". Thank you to our incredible team: Listener discretion by Edward October @octoberpodVHS. Executive Producer/Music by @theinkypawprint  Sources:  https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075726/http://www.lakewacomurders.com/html/Melendez%20Pleads%20Guilty.PDF https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Lake_Waco_murders https://www.kwtx.com/2022/07/13/lake-waco-murders-40-years-later-attorneys-believe-wrongfully-convicted-man-executed/ https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/25/opinion/the-wrong-man.html?src=pm https://www.amazon.com/Careless-Whispers-Lake-Waco-Murders/dp/0671646060 https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Texas_Gavel_Awards&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=19539 http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1991_795370/conviction-overturned-inmate-now-seeks-a-job-deeb.html https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/the-murders-at-the-lake/ http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/3-decades-after-brutal-killings-last-defendant-10858867.php https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081445/http://www.lakewacomurders.com/html/indictments%20near%20teenagers%20deaths.PDF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a whole world of strange and unsettling stories that rarely make the headlines, and that's exactly where you'll find Our True Crime Podcast. Each episode digs into one of those bizarre, lesser-known cases from any corner of the globe, stories that often defy easy explanation. Hosts Jen and Cam guide you through these peculiar narratives with a genuine sense of respect for those involved, balancing the darker details with their own conversational chemistry and a bit of well-timed humor. You might even get a smidge of song along the way, because real life, especially the strange parts, rarely follows a single tone. This isn't just a retelling of facts; it's a shared exploration of the oddities hidden within human behavior and society. Tuning into this podcast feels like pulling up a chair with two friends who have a knack for finding the most compelling, offbeat tales. You'll hear the careful research, the thoughtful discussions, and the personal touch that Jen and Cam bring to every story, making even the most obscure case feel immediate and fascinating. If you're looking for a true crime experience that ventures far beyond the usual cases and does so with character and heart, you've found it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Our True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Special: Rogue Transmissions 4: DungeonPunk (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:03
Hey Everyone, Edward October and some other indie podcasts put together a 2-part anthology. Cam and I did a short true-crime episode in this first part. With the help of JT from Brew Crime. The 2nd part will be out in tw…
361. The Sleepover: Browning Family Massacre [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:28
In the quiet suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland, nothing bad was supposed to happen. Families left their doors unlocked. Neighbors trusted one another. And the Browning family seemed picture perfect. Fifteen-year-old Nicho…
Special: The Murder of Kiara Agnew with Nikki for Serial Napper [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:28
In this month’s special, Cam and Jen talk with Nikki from ⁠Serial Napper⁠. In March 2023, 23-year-old Kiara Agnew left her home in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to celebrate her birthday in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It…
360. In the Woods: The Murders of Kara Kopetsky & Jessica Runions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:48
On a May morning in 2007, a 17-year-old girl walked out of her Missouri high school, stepped away from a security camera, and vanished. For nearly ten years, her family lived without answers. They were certain they knew…
359. Stolen: The Abduction and Murder of Hailey Owens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:08
Just after 5:00 p.m. on February 18, 2014, ten-year-old Hailey Owens set out on the short walk home from a friend’s house. What began as an ordinary Tuesday turned horrific when neighbors Carlos and Michelle Edwards watc…
358. Unbelieveable: The Murder of Mindi Kassotis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:29
When hunters in Bulltown Swamp discovered the remains of an unidentified woman in late 2022, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was left with a mystery that felt impossible to solve. There were no matching missing perso…
357. Waiting in the Dark: The Murder of Beverly Guenther [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:58
In the early 1990s, long before his name would be tied to something unthinkable, Scott McLaughlin was already unraveling. Untreated childhood trauma, cognitive struggles, and severe mental illness shaped his life. Suicid…
356. In the Boat Shed: The Houston Heights Murders & Dean Corll [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:42
The 1970s were more than just shag carpet and polyester; they were a time of deep contradiction. While things felt full of possibility, a shadow of distrust hung over everything—fueled by Vietnam, Watergate, and a strugg…