Part 2: "The Demons Have Taken Over"

In last week’s episode, we discussed the 2005 vigilante killings in Bellingham, Washington. A man, haunted by the traumas of his own childhood, was on a mission to hunt pedophiles because he thought he was protecting the public, and more specifically, vulnerable children. He claimed he was inspired to do so by another 2005 case from Idaho, the murders of Mark McKenzie, Brenda Groene, and Slade Groene, and the kidnapping of the two youngest Groene children; Dylan and Shasta. Driven by a desperate desire to confront the man responsible for these heinous crimes, he sought to dispose of as many level 3 sex offenders as he could. In this week’s episode we’ll continue to discuss the Idaho case and what happened after the Groene children were taken and the history of the man responsible; Joseph Edward Duncan III.

Episode Host: Emily Rowney

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

Donate to Shasta Groene at GoFundMe

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Today, we’ll explore two unique cases where perpetrators took to the internet to bear their souls and how the cases relate; a vigilante killer in Washington state who was so floored by a devastating case out of northern Idaho that he took it upon himself to do the public a service and take justice into his own hands. Then we’ll dive into that northern Idaho case that left the nation holding their breath to see what would happen next.

Episode Host: Emily Rowney

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

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A Patreon Exclusive

As Rob Thomas iconically said in the classic summer jam Smooth ”Man, it’s a hot one”. This summer has seen record temperatures across the country. Speaking of across the country, we’re once again headed out of town, hosting a booth and presentation at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival in Denver! Since we’re out and about, we’re sharing one of my favorite Patreon episodes, Nine Strangers. Not only is it a fascinating mystery surrounding the deaths of two mountain climbers in South America, but we hope it will chill you out with talks of elevation, snow, and freezing temperatures.

So what happens when nine strangers set out from across the US after a Portland-based climbing group puts together the climb of a lifetime? Elevation sickness, frustration, and eventually suspicious deaths.

Episode Host: Alisha Holland

Check out this week’s episode blog for images and sources.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

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It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories and more! This week, you can expect to hear…

• Update on Oregon’s accused serial killer Jesse Calhoun
• Update on Alaska’s memory card killer Brian Steven Smith
• Update on Lake Oswego dad Michael Meyden
• Update on Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton
• Update on Mia Zapata’s killer Jesus Mezquia
• Summary of Olympic volleyball player Steven van de Velde and why the internet hates him
• Update on Friend’s star Matthew Perry’s death

Get involved: Justice for Girls | Petition · In Honour of Murdered and Disappeared Women: A Call To Preserve Evidence In Pickton Case - Canada · Change.org

For images and sources for this week's episode, check out the episode blog.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival July 12th-14th in Denver, Colorado! Don’t forget to use our code RAIN15 to get 15% off of your tickets. It’s a great time to connect with podcasts as well as families impacted by the cases we discuss. We had a blast last year and we think you will too.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

Get 15% off your order at happymammoth.com with code RAIN at checkout.

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Last week, I told the stories of eight, young Black women trafficked into sex work. All had been murdered in and around North Portland. These cases were presented to the Green River Task Force when no suspects emerged during initial investigations. It was found that none of the murders were connected to Gary Ridgway. Years later, the state would claim five of the women were connected to the same culprit. Today, I’ll detail how police eventually tracked down and arrested a man for four of the murders, employed flimsy-at-best DNA evidence, and how the law presented a generous and underhanded plea deal, which left some wondering if the closure of 4 unsolved cold cases was motivated by a district attorney’s election rather than justice.

Episode Host: Alisha Holland

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival July 12th-14th in Denver, Colorado! Don’t forget to use our code RAIN15 to get 15% off of your tickets. It’s a great time to connect with podcasts as well as families impacted by the cases we discuss. We had a blast last year and we think you will too.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

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Starting in March 1983 and through June 1993, someone was killing young, black women and girls in North Portland. The victims weren’t acknowledged with much more than a blip in the paper. The killer wasn’t making the headlines as bombastic Ted Bundy was. He wasn’t prolific enough to warrant a task force like Gary Ridgway. He was a mentally ill man with an extensive criminal history, unmanageable addictions, and no memory of what he may have done. Today’s story isn’t about that man. It’s about his four confirmed victims, and his possible other victims. Next week, I’ll be sharing the story of the subsequent arrest, charges and jail time given to the man police felt could have been responsible for up to 25 murders and how once he was found guilty, his sentence left the family members of victims appalled.

Episode Host: Alisha Holland

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival July 12th-14th in Denver, Colorado! Don’t forget to use our code RAIN15 to get 15% off of your tickets. It’s a great time to connect with podcasts as well as families impacted by the cases we discuss. We had a blast last year and we think you will too.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

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Black powder dynamite is both efficient and hazardous. Its general commercial use is to clear land of large debris like boulders and tree stumps. Though it has only 20 to 30 percent of the explosive power of full nitro dynamite, if that power is multiplied and applied to a human body, the effect is devastating.

April 21, 1955, was the last day of Oliver Smith's life. Twelve sticks of black powder explosive had been bound with black tape and mounted to the underside of the driver's seat in Smith's 1952 Buick sedan. He'd been driving around Portland for two days, unaware of Death waiting beneath his seat cushion. Late that evening, Smith got into his car, turned the key, hit the starter switch, and died instantly in a blast that destroyed the vehicle and obliterated the 35-year-old attorney and new husband.

Episode Host: Josh McCullough

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival July 12th-14th in Denver, Colorado! Don’t forget to use our code RAIN15 to get 15% off of your tickets. It’s a great time to connect with podcasts as well as families impacted by the cases we discuss. We had a blast last year and we think you will too.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

Follow us on:

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In today’s case we explore a real whodunit in a little unincorporated community in Jackson county called Applegate, Oregon. In 2016 a shocking crime would take place on a local ranch and leave folks reeling when they learned that their little community could be the backdrop for a soon to be infamous crime.

Episode Host: Emily Rowney

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival July 12th-14th in Denver, Colorado! Don’t forget to use our code RAIN15 to get 15% off of your tickets. It’s a great time to connect with podcasts as well as families impacted by the cases we discuss. We had a blast last year and we think you will too.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

Follow us on:

• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/murderintherain/
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