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Artwork for Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Blue Ewe Media
True Crime
Jack the Ripper
Murder
Prohibition
New York City
Gambino Crime Family
Chicago
Absinthe
Scotland Yard
New York
Grimes Sisters
Victorian London
World War II
Donner Party
John Gotti
Villisca Axe Murders
Indiana
Manhattan Well Murder
Crime
Murder Investigation

Serial killers. Gangsters. Gunslingers. Victorian-era murderers. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each week, the Most Notorious podcast features true-life tales of crime, criminals, tragedies and disasters throughout history. Host Erik Rivenes interviews authors and historians who have studied their subjects for years. Their stories are offered with unique insight, detail, and historical ac... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes525Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryTrue Crime

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Artwork for Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Latest Episodes

On August 23, 1969, the badly decomposed body of twelve-year-old Tina Marie Andrews was found under a discarded sofa in the woods outside McComb, Mississippi. Days earlier, she and a friend had accepted a ride home but were instead driven to a remote... more

Just months after the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders, the body of a 19-year-old woman was discovered off a secluded stretch of Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles on November 16th, 1969. She had been stabbed over a hundred times, and there was no identif... more

My conversation with Derek Sherwood, author of Nittany Nightmare: The Sex Murders of 1938–1940 and the Panic at Penn State, continues. He shares a story about trying to find the location of Faye Gates's murder, talks about another possible suspect in... more

Between November 1938 and May 1940, Margaret Martin, Rachel Taylor and Faye Gates were abducted and sexually assaulted, their bodies dumped within 50 miles of Penn State College.

My guest is Derek J. Sherwood, author of "Nittany Nightmare: The Sex M... more

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Recent Guests

Catherine Fogarty
Author; founder and president of Big Coat Media and Story Hunter
Big Coat Media; Story Hunter
Episode: 453: Jane Doe #59: The Murder of Reet Jurvetson w/ Catherine Fogarty
Derek Sherwood
Author and researcher focused on Penn State murders; wrote Nittany Nightmare
Author and researcher
Episode: 451: The Nittany Nightmare Murders Part 1 w/ Derek Sherwood
Mark Shaw
Author of The Reporter Who Knew Too Much, The Mysterious Death of Dorothy Kilgallen
Author
Episode: MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Death of Dorothy Kilgallen w/ Mark Shaw
Katherine Grandjean
Associate Professor of History at Wellesley College
Wellesley College
Episode: 450: The Murderous Harp Brothers Revisited w/ Katherine Grandjean
Ann Webster Bunch
Forensic anthropologist and author
Author of The William Morgan Affair, A Masonic Mystery in Upstate New York
Episode: 449: The Mysterious Disappearance of William Morgan w/ Ann Webster Bunch
Caroline Fraser
Author and historian discussing Murderland
Episode: 448: Did a Tacoma Smelter Help Create a Generation of Serial Killers? w/ Caroline Fraser
Philip Barlag
Author of Evil Roman Emperors, The Shocking History of Ancient Rome's Most Wicked Rulers; host of Greats of History podcast
Author/Podcaster
Episode: 447: Rome's Most Evil Rulers w/ Phillip Barlag - A True Crime History Podcast
John Boessenecker
New York Times bestselling author
Author and historian
Episode: 446: Bandit Chief Joaquin Murrieta: Myth Vs. Fact w/ John Boessenecker
Tal McThenia
Author and screenwriter; co-author of A Case for Solomon, Bobby Dunbar, and The Kidnapping That Haunted a Nation
Author/Screenwriter; Moza Mac Science contributor
Episode: MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Disappearance of Bobby Dunbar w/ Tal McThenia

Host

Erik Rivenes
Host of Most Notorious Podcast; specializes in historical true crime interviews with authors and historians.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 3.7k ratings
  • Good, but…

    I love your show, but I have never yelled at a podcast more than your guest talking about the Exorcist. As an LCMS Lutheran, there are so many details he got very wrong about the Lutheran aspect of it. We absolutely believe in possession, participate in exorcisms (my former Pastor went to Madagascar to observe and participate in them relatively recently), heck—our St. Louis seminary has a room walled off to this day because that’s where an exorcism tied to this case was performed. Which is disap... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    coloradonative1876
    United States7 months ago
  • Terrible guest

    I love this pod and am not going to change my rating. But, as a Grand Rapidian, I was looking forward to Allie Seibert's story, but was very disappointed. She essentially told the whole story - why read the book? And here we have another case of just because someone can write doesn't mean they can speak. She has a grating voice and terrible style.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    PW from GR
    United States7 months ago
  • IMO Steve Hodel proved his father knew ES and perpetrated her undoing. Not buying this take on her murder. Still great interview questions, sadly very biased answers.

    Podcast Addict
    1
    movonup
    7 months ago
  • The Best!

    Eric Rivenes is my favorite podcast host. Always gracious, generous, and knowledgeable. Thank you for years of great listening!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    IHeartRose&104Ever
    United States10 months ago
  • 5 stars!!

    Eric, I have left you a review before, but I just had to tell you that your interview with Chris Pouy is fascinating!! I remember seeing his mother on TV as a child! Thank you for having him on to tell his story, that should be a much more well known story. I hope it gets the attention of a producer because it would make an excellent movie or series!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Katherine P Palmira
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is described as a high-quality, history-forward true crime podcast.
Listeners praise the host's preparation and the calm interviewing style.
Guests often highlight the depth of archival research and clear storytelling.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#122
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#196
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#244
New Zealand/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

451: The Nittany Nightmare Murders Part 1 w/ Derek Sherwood
Q: In your process of researching the Rachel Taylor case, these two other cases emerged, both associated with hers, right?
Yes, the investigation revealed a cluster around Rachel Taylor that suggested a pattern, leading Sherwood to examine the broader network of cases near State College and how authorities connected them before the term serial killer existed.
451: The Nittany Nightmare Murders Part 1 w/ Derek Sherwood
Q: So was this a book you had been thinking about writing for a while? Do you remember when the idea for it first came?
The idea grew from recollections of Betsy Ardzma and the State College murders; the author describes gathering sources and realizing there were three canonical murders in the area that seemed related due to proximity and time, which inspired the focus on Nittany Nightmare.
448: Did a Tacoma Smelter Help Create a Generation of Serial Killers? w/ Caroline Fraser
Q: How does it work taking your theory and applying it to other times and places? Like the Whitechapel murders, for instance. Do you think a toxin might have been a factor in creating a killer or killers there?
Fraser discusses applying the lead-crime hypothesis to other polluted eras and cities, including London during the Industrial Revolution and the Yorkshire area, suggesting that heavy metal pollution may be a contextual factor that influenced crime patterns beyond the Pacific Northwest.
448: Did a Tacoma Smelter Help Create a Generation of Serial Killers? w/ Caroline Fraser
Q: Yes. So, may I ask you this? How did this book come to be? How did you make that important connection that fuels the theme of your book? That connection between toxins and quite possibly serial murder?
Caroline Fraser explains that the toxins were a later discovery but the core question was why there were so many serial killers in the Pacific Northwest, leading her to explore environmental factors like lead exposure from smelters and leaded gas as a possible contributor to spikes in crime and violent behavior.
447: Rome's Most Evil Rulers w/ Phillip Barlag - A True Crime History Podcast
Q: Which Roman rulers are most notoriously brutal and why?
The guest explains that brutality is context-dependent, with different eras showing different scales and types of violence; Caligula, Nero, Caracalla, and Elagabalus are discussed as cases where personal excess, religious offense, or mass executions created lasting infamy, while other rulers like Augustus also initiated cruel policies under a veneer of stabilization.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Episodes showcase deep-dive interviews with historians and authors who study historical crime, corruption, and mystery. Topics span old frontier justice, political scandals, serial cases, and the social context surrounding infamous crimes, with a strong emphasis on research, archival work, and nuanced interpretation. Noteworthy is the host's reputation for thorough preparation, allowing guests to tell expansive, well-sourced narratives. The show tends to balance storytelling with rigorous historical analysis, making it a likely fit for listeners who enjoy learning the broader historical context behind notorious events and figures, not just the sensational aspects.

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Crimes of the Centuries
2. Infamous America
3. Dark Histories
4. Southern Mysteries Podcast
5. Legends of the Old West

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 11 years ago and published 525 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Catherine Fogarty
2. Derek Sherwood
3. Mark Shaw
4. Katherine Grandjean
5. Ann Webster Bunch
6. Caroline Fraser
7. Philip Barlag
8. John Boessenecker

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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