This is the part 3 of our 3-parter on the south side neighborhood of Englewood, which harbored 3 active serials killers at the same time in the 1990s. This episode focuses on the the police torture that led to an unknowable number of false confessions, the ongoing legacy of that torture, and how it contributed to the difficulty in identifying and p…

This is the part 2 of our 3-parter on the south side neighborhood of Englewood, which harbored 3 active serials killers at the same time in the 1990s. This episode focuses on the similarity of the crimes committed by all three of these killers, and how the conditions in Englewood promoted these similarities. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, murder R…

This is the part 1 of our 3-parter on the south side neighborhood of Englewood, which harbored 3 active serials killers at the same time in the 1990s. This episode focuses on the history of Englewood and how it became a fertile environment for violent serial murder. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, murder Research sources include: Mello-Klein, Cody.…

This is the part 2 of our 2-parter on Wolf Lake, a southeast side lake that drew the attention of Leopold and Loeb as well as Andrew Urdiales. In this episode we discuss Andrew Urdiales' murderous actions in both SoCal and around Wolf Lake. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, torture, murder, death penalty Research sources include: "California Kidnappi…

This is the part 1 of our 2-parter on Wolf Lake, a southeast side lake that drew the attention of Leopold and Loeb as well as Andrew Urdiales. We dive into the history of Wolf Lake and the Chicago neighborhood it sits it, Hegewisch. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, torture, murder Research sources include: “Southeast Side Marsh Is Urban Oasis.” WBEZ…

This is the part 2 of our series on the L&L Tavern, a notorious dive bar that both John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer patronized. What drew them to the L&L Tavern? What made them feel so comfortable there? Who's drinking there today? TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, torture, murder, cannibalism, anthropophagy, homophobia Research sources include: “J…

Welcome to Season 3 of Murderland Chicago: A Deep Dish of Death! Our theme this season is TRIANGLES OF TERROR—we'll explore key Chicago locations that have drawn the attention of more than their fair share of Chicagoland's serial killers. This is the first of a 2 part series on the L&L Tavern. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, child abuse, torture, m…

This is part 3 of our series on the deadly duo of Patricia Columbo and Frank DeLuca, who killed Columbo's family in 1976. We discuss the media aftermath of Columbo and DeLuca's convictions. We also recap season 2 and give a preview of season 3! Howard, Clark. Love’s Blood. St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1994. “Woman Speaks out about 1976 Murder of Her Pa…

This is part 2 of our series on the deadly duo of Patricia Columbo and Frank DeLuca, who killed Columbo's family in 1976. We discuss how the toxic romance between Patty and DeLuca led them to plan and carry out the murder of Patty's parents and younger brother. Howard, Clark. Love’s Blood. St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1994. “Woman Speaks out about 1976…

This is the first of our3 episode series on the deadly duo of Patricia Columbo and Frank DeLuca, who killed Columbo's family in 1976. In this episode we discuss the culture of Chicago's middle-class suburbs and cover Patty's childhood in the city, adolescence in the suburbs, and how she and Frank DeLuca met and sparked their deadly relationship. Ho…

In this episode, we discuss how 1920s era Chicago shaped the toxic relationship between Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, what led them to murder Loeb's 14 year old second cousin Bobby Franks, and why this so-called "perfect crime" was anything but. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, murder, the death penalty Research sources include: Williams, John. N…

This is the final episode of our three part series on Larry Eyler, a serial killer who targeted gay men from the Indianapolis / Terre Haute, IN areas all the way to Chicagoland and beyond. In this episode we discuss his possible accomplice and how competing incentives among different legal players helped to ensure that the whole truth about what ha…

Here is part two of our three part series on Larry Eyler, a serial killer who targeted gay men from the Indianapolis / Terre Haute, IN areas all the way to Chicagoland and beyond. In this episode we discuss his crimes, how he was caught—and freed!—in Indiana, which culminated in Eyler's arrival to the north side of Chicago. TW: Sexual assault, chil…

Welcome to Season 2 of Murderland Chicago: A Deep Dish of Death! This is the first of a three part series on Larry Eyler, an often-overlooked serial killer who targeted gay men from the Indianapolis / Terre Haute, IN areas all the way to Chicagoland and beyond. We discuss the economic and cultural relationship between Chicago and Indiana, the leath…

Thank you everyone for listening and sending in your feedback! We got together to reflect on season one, highlight themes and patterns that became clear during the making of the podcast, and interview a special guest to get a behind-the-scenes view into the kind of work that goes on in labs! We also preview Season 2 of Murderland Chicago: A Deep Di…

This is part two of our conversation about the Ripper Crew, a group of young men who kidnapped, tortured, and murdered women for years in the early 1980s. In this episode we discuss the known victims, describe the interpersonal dynamics of the Ripper Crew and how they got caught, and finally, where all this fits into the national Satanic Panic of t…

This is the first of two episodes about the Ripper Crew, a group of young men who kidnapped, tortured, and murdered women for years in the early 1980s, but who are not well-remembered today. We discuss how and why the Ripper Crew averaged a victim per month for nearly 2 years without raising any sort of alarm for the police, media, or general publi…

We wrap up our coverage of John Wayne Gacy with a discussion about why so many young men and boys went missing in Chicagoland without any repercussions, the locations that Gacy was known to cruise for sexual partners and for victims, and the long term impact that these crimes have had on Chicago. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault involving minors, tor…

This is the first of two episodes about John Wayne Gacy, a uniquely Chicago monster. We re-examine who Gacy was using Chicago’s cultures and geography as a backdrop. Listen for our analysis of Gacy as a member of Chicago’s Polish community, a member of the Catholic faith, an active participant in local politics, and as a man who embraced cruising i…

In the prior episode, we talked about how a racist law enforcement system put three innocent men on trial while Brian Dugan remained free for 2 years. Today we're going to talk about the additional crimes that were enabled by this circus, and we're going to get into what happened when we decided to visit Dugan in prison. TW: Sexual assault, murder,…

Part two of our series on Brian Dugan, who terrorized Chicagoland in the 1980s. In this episode we discuss how a racist law enforcement system let a killer go. TW: Sexual assault, murder, abduction, wrongful conviction, death penalty Research sources include: “The Legacy of Brian Dugan (Timeline).” Chicago Tribune, https://www.chicagotribune.com/ne…

In this episode we talk about Brian Dugan, who killed at least 3 people in west suburban Chicago in the 1980s. Dugan's crimes were made possible in part by the collapse of blue collar job opportunities alongside the simultaneous population growth of Latinos. This combination of factors helped Dugan to fly under the radar while xenophobia focused th…

Why are we making a true crime podcast? What makes it special? Why should you add it to your rotation? And, what should you expect from season 1? Co-hosts Jonathan Sanchez Leos and Meridith Halsey answer these questions and more! Follow us on Instagram @deepdishofdeath_podcast Find us on BlueSky @deepdishofdeath.bsky.social Email us at deepdishofde…