Panic True Queer Crime

On September 7, 1982, the Gainesville, Florida Labor Day Weekend was disrupted when University of Florida's Professor Howard Appledorf's neighbors spotted his condo had been broken into.

Inside police found a highly staged scene and the professor asphyxiated on his sofa, as the three young suspects fled they left behind a frenzy of fears about cults and witchcraft.

The tale that would unravel would be far sadder, exposing the life of a victim lived in the closet and three young perpetrators abandoned to the streets where they became both prey and predator.

If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it on the Panic YouTube Channel.

https://youtu.be/8GMO1WoZnyo

In the early morning of July 8, 2015, Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student living in Hampton County, South Carolina, was found dead in the middle of a dark country road. His death would be the first in a long line of heartaches and tragedies connected to Alex Murdaugh and his family. Was Stephen Smith's killing intentional, was he the victim of a hate crime, or was his death the result of a hit-and-run? As the Alex Murdaugh trial captures worldwide attention let's not forget the person who might have been the first victim to lose their life in a tidal wave of unchecked power and greed.

Why would a sober and smart 19-year-old who grew up in the area get out of his car on a dark road in the middle of the night? Why wouldn't he use the phone found in his right pocket to call for help? Why would he leave his wallet in the car if he needed gas? Why wouldn’t he call his twin sister or his father to come to get him? While investigating the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh SLED, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which only investigates homicides, found evidence related to Stephen Smith's killing and reopened the investigation into his death. Who killed Stephen Smith and why? Hope we'll have answers soon.

Here is a link to the two reports from the highway patrol and the police department. Investigator Summary: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20971438-stephen-smith-investigator-summary-documents

This report is a part of reporting on the case: https://www.fitsnews.com/2022/02/17/murdaugh-murders-saga-forensic-review-of-stephen-smiths-autopsy-required/

For a depth overview of the entire Murdaugh, case check out the Murdaugh Murder podcast channel. The reporting has been exhaustive.

https://www.youtube.com/@UC6t_kdvrDw2p1F79IBnnNWQ

Please feel free to leave your kind thoughts about Stephen Smith you never know who will see them.

One of the reasons I wanted to make this video focused on lesbian intimate partner murder is that the attention to intimate partner violence amongst LGBTQ folks is so underreported even academic research is only now being consistently collected. One of the most poorly covered groups is women in lesbian intimate partner murders. These are three stories of women murdered as a result of intimate partner violence. P.S. I named the episode women in love because, in the reporting of these murders, the love relationships were diminished as they have been across time.

I've included the first story for its rarity. Until the 1950s homosexuality was never mentioned in the media unless it was particularly sensational. In 1926, Reba Stobtoff decided to throw a rent party, the 1920s - 30s way to raise money to pay bills. What started as a fun money-making evening ended in a bloodbath fueled by jealousy and booze.

In 2012, when officer Crystal Parker was found dead in her bed the fatal truth about her marriage and the woman she loved would be exposed as an emotional trap she nearly escaped before time run out.

By all accounts, Annie Meyer was generous to a fault. When that generosity clashed with bottomless greed Annie would lose her life. If you or anyone you know is a victim of intimate partner violence please check the resources below. You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind.

Resources:

Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/

The Network/La Red is a survivor-led, social justice organization. The site has a safety exit so your browsing can't be tracked. http://www.tnlr.org

Victim Network: https://victimconnect.org/

To watch this episode:

https://youtu.be/VdTk2VORI2U

This week a mixture of intimate partner violence, madness, and homophobia.

If you'd like to watch any of these stories join me at the Panic Queer True Crime Channel on YouTube.

Jake Marandino

Harley Walker

Annie Meyer

Brian Campbell

Jun Lin

Crystal Parker

Naasire Johnson

Filippo Gangitano

Sylvia Lugo

Howard Efland

If you or anyone you know is the victim of violence please use the link above.

In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind.