206: Vincent Chin & a Johnson County Mystery

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03/16/22 • 141 min

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Kristin starts us off with the story of a hate crime that galvanized Asian Americans.
On the night of his bachelor party, Vincent Chin was brutally attacked by Michael Nitz and his stepdad, Ronald Ebens. Vincent died four days after the attack. He’d never regained consciousness. It was a horrific crime, but people in power didn’t see it that way. Michael and Ronald were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a little more than $3,000 in fines. The judge explained his decision, saying, “these weren’t the kind of men you send to jail.”
Then Brandi tells us a story from her very own Johnson County bubble.
Right off the bat, William Jennings’ death looked suspicious. He was discovered in his home, beaten so badly that his veneers had come off. He’d been strangled with the bars of a decorative bird cage. A suicide note specifically mentioned that his longtime partner, David Stagg, was not to be blamed. Naturally, investigators wondered if he was.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The documentary, “Who Killed Vincent Chin?”
The book, “Asian American Studies Now,” by Helen Zia
“Vincent Chin’s family never got the justice they wanted. But his case changed things for those who came after him,” by Harmeet Kaur for CNN
“The Killing of Vincent Chin” trial reenactment by UC Hastings Law, on YouTube
“The Killing of Vincent Chin” entry on Wikipedia
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Former Westmar Professor Charged In Slaying” Associated Press, Sioux City Journal
“Professor charged in killing reported a suicide” by Diane Carroll, The Kansas City Star
“Murder suspect wins legal round” by Diane Carroll, The Kansas City Star
“Defense asks judge to throw out murder charge against professor” Associated Press, Lawrence Journal-World
“Trial begins for Missouri professor of music charged with killing lover” Associated Press, Lawrence Journal-World
“Professor’s trial ends in hung jury” Associated Press, The Manhattan Mercury
“Mo. professor faces new murder trial” Associated Press, The Wichita Eagle
“Prof on trial again in death of partner” Associated Press, The Manhattan Mercury
“Source of DNA is disputed” by Diane Carroll, The Kansas City Star
“Jurors unable to reach verdict in trial” Associated Press, Colby Free Press
“Murder trial ends with 2nd hung jury” by Caroline Boyer, Shawnee Dispatch
“No 3rd trial in 2004 Shawnee murder, judge rules” by Caroline Boyer, Shawnee Dispatch
YOU’RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We’d offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you’ll get 30+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90’s style chat room!

Previous Episode

205: A Charlatan & a Family Annihilator

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Is this the twilight zone? Perhaps it is. We’re wearing top hats on our tits, we’re putting Jello in our salads, and Brandi’s covering a charlatan while Kristin covers a family annihilator. What has this world come to?
Brandi starts us off with a story about a Georgia pastor named William Pounds, who loved proposing to women, but hated staying loyal to them. On June 12, 2015, he called 911, claiming that his fiance Kendra Jackson had shot herself in the head. The scene didn’t quite match his story.
Then Kristin tells us about Arlene and Seymour Tankleff, who were attacked in their Long Island home. The next day, their 17-year-old son Marty discovered his dad clinging to life, and his mother dead. Detectives immediately zeroed in on the boy, and who could blame them? This smelled like a Brandi case!
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
An episode of American Justice, titled, “Wrongly Convicted Marty Tankleff Finally Freed”
“Wrongful Conviction” podcast #84 Jason Flom with Marty Tankleff
An episode of The Real Story with Maria Elena Salinas, titled, “Confessions of an innocent man”
“The names stay linked: ‘Bagel King’ and Tankleff,” by Bruce Lambert, Paul Vitello and Nate Schweber for the New York Times
“Martin Tankleff,” The National Registry of Exonerations
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“’Jekyll And Hyde’-Like Pastor Shot His Fiancée In The Head And Claimed It Was Suicide” by Joe Dziemianowicz, oxygen.com
“Perry pastor on trial for fiancee's shooting death” by Tavares Jones, WGXA News
“Perry pastor indicted in fiancee’s death” by Amy Leigh Womack, The Macon Telegraph
“Bond revoked for midstate pastor charged with murder” by Amy Leigh Womack, The Macon Telegraph
“Minister testifies in own defense at trial for 2015 slaying of woman” by Joe Kovac Jr., The Macon Telegraph
“Former pastor sentenced to life in lover’s murder” by Joe Kovac Jr., The Macon Telegraph
YOU’RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We’d offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you’ll get 30+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90’s style chat room!

Next Episode

207: An Abduction & a Surgeon

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The out-of-work supermodels really struggled with this episode. Brandi’s case gave her nightmares and Kristin’s case is infuriatingly stupid.
Brandi starts us off with the story of Brianna Denison, who was home from college, hanging out with friends when she was abducted from her friend’s house. Investigators were able to get touch DNA off of a doorknob, which led them to other unsolved crimes in the area.
Then Kristin tells us about Dr. David Stephens, who had an affair with a young nurse named Stephanie Kennedy. When David’s wife, Karen, discovered the affair, she was beside herself. The couple argued. He got in his car to leave, and she grabbed a gun. She ran after him, holding the gun to her head. When she tripped, the gun went off. Karen died a few months later. About a year after that, David and Stephanie wed.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“The Doctor’s Wife” episode of American Justice
“The Other Woman” episode of 48 Hours
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“The Night Brianna Vanished” episode Dateline
“College Student Staying With Friends Mysteriously Disappears From Their Living Room Couch” by Jill Sederstrom, oxygen.com
“The Murder of Brianna Denison” by Gary C. King, trutv.com
“Biela’s fate now in hands of jury” by Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette-Journal
“Being Brianna’s Brother” by Siobhan McAndrew, Reno Gazette-Journal
YOU’RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We’d offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you’ll get 30+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90’s style chat room!