Crimes of the Centuries

Happy Halloween, everybody. I thought I'd mark the occasion by revisiting one of the most chilling stories we've ever covered, that of Ronald O'Bryan, the man who came dangerously close to ruining Halloween for everybody. Because while we spend this time of year dressing up as monsters and pretending to be scared of things that go bump in the night, this story is a reminder that sometimes the scariest monsters are the people closest to us. So grab some candy, check for tampering, and settle in for this encore episode of Crimes of the Centuries.

On Christmas Eve 1870, a chaotic brawl inside a Hamilton, Ohio gambling saloon left notorious ruffian Thomas Myers dead from a mysterious gunshot. The state quickly pinned the murder on political operator Thomas McGehean, triggering a sensational series of Gilded Age trials wrapped up in a multi-million-dollar federal whiskey ring. Defense attorney Clement L. Vallandigham was so sure of his own theory about the shooting that he staged a demonstration to prove it — and shot himself in the process.
Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book!
Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod
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When 16-year-old John Paul Getty III was kidnapped from a Roman street in 1973, his captors thought they’d chosen the perfect target: the grandson of the richest man in the world. They hadn’t counted on J. Paul Getty refusing to pay. As weeks turned into months and the kidnappers grew increasingly desperate, a teenager already struggling under the weight of his famous name would pay a horrifying price for his family’s fortune.
Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book!
Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod
Episode Sponsors: 
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Through the 1970s and ’80s, women were being raped and murdered in northwest Fort Lauderdale, and police kept hearing the same name: Eddie Lee Mosley. He was arrested, questioned, identified and released again and again. And somehow, while Mosley remained free, two other men paid for his crimes instead. 
Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book!
Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod
 Episode Sponsors: 
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In 1907, Ireland’s Crown Jewels vanished from Dublin Castle just days before a royal visit. The hunt for them led into the private lives of aristocrats, con men and royal insiders — and whispers of secret relationships, blackmail and a scandal nobody in power particularly wanted dragged into the light.
Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book!
Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod
Episode Sponsors: 
Home Chef: Fresh ingredients and easy recipes delivered weekly, with 50% off and free shipping on your first box plus free dessert for life at HomeChef.com/COTC. 
Quince: Hotel-quality bedding and home essentials priced 50-80% less than similar brands, at Quince.com. 
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