July 23, 2024 • 31 mins
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What’s really lurking beneath the quiet surface of Oak Bridge, Ohio? Join us as we journey back to 1992, where Sheriff Deputy Jack Harris finds himself entangled in a web of sci-fi, thriller, and mystery in "Oak Bridge." Hear an exclusive clip from the first five episodes and get a sneak peek at the upcoming fiction podcast, "Silver Tongues," by Acorn Arts and Entertainment. If you're a fan of "Call of the Void," you won't want to miss this.
Next, prepare for a wild ride through the sun-soaked streets of Florida. "Love Murder Florida" unveils a tangled web of betrayal, crime, and a seductive stranger named Logan who upends everything. Then, switch gears with "Murder on Sex Island," where Jo Firestone adds a comedic twist to the murder mystery genre. Follow Luella Van Horn—an alter ego born from the imagination of a bored, introverted divorcee—as she travels to paradise and fumbles her way through a private investigation full of awkward, yet hilarious, moments.
Finally, host Jeryl Spear transports you to the idyllic Bocas del Toro archipelago, to uncover a chilling true crime tale. William D. Holbert, or Wild Bill, turned paradise into a hunting ground for expatriates. Listen to clips from Season Three of the Criminal Conduct Podcast to hear Holbert himself recount his calculated crimes. This chapter also touches on a personal note with one of his victims, Bob Eisler, adding an emotional depth to the harrowing narrative. Don’t miss the conclusion of our summer listening series next week and follow us for more captivating podcast recommendations.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official
podcast review channel.
We search the vast digitallandscape on a daily basis to
discover the best shows thatpodcasters have to offer.
Are you ready to discover newfavorites to add to your
playbook?
(00:51):
Stay tuned and listen to hostJeryl Spear.
We're a one-of-a-kind show thatreviews top podcasts from
several popular genres in orderto cater to the needs of our
eclectic listeners.
If you can't imagine eatingyour favorite meal three times a
day every day, or you're anavid true crime fan but still
(01:13):
need a break from listeningabout the dregs of humanity,
you've got plenty of company.
I also recognize that our showisn't everyone's cup of tea.
I have a friend, for instance,who never, ever varies from his
daily routine, and in every citythat he travels to for business
, he eats at the same restaurant, orders the same meal and shops
(01:38):
at the same store.
And when his beloved dog died,he bought a matching dog and
carried on with his life withoutskipping a beat.
I'm not knocking his lifechoices, but for me personally,
I need to always seek out newadventures, try different foods
(01:58):
and definitely listen to avariety of podcasts.
Today is the penultimate episodeof our July Summer Listening
Series.
If you haven't listened to ourprevious summer episodes, you
should check them out.
Fyi, episode 27 is my favoriteby far.
(02:18):
It focuses on how to preserveyour sanity and even enjoy
yourself by keeping your kidsengaged during long road trips.
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet, are we?
We've all been through it.
If you've got kids, you knowwhat I'm talking about and, by
the way, you're welcome.
Check out episode 27.
(02:38):
Today, I'll be focusing on howyou can add podcasts to your
summer escape strategy beforeschool work and the weather once
again change your lifestyle,whether you want it to or not.
I'll also be alerting you ofbrand new podcasts that are sure
to pique your interest.
Share the podcasts that I bingedthis week and what we have in
(03:00):
store for you in the near future.
Of course, there's a lot more.
Are you ready to dive in?
I know I am, so let's get going.
Did you know that you cansupport us by supporting who
(03:21):
Gives a Crap?
A company that really does givea crap?
We've been loyal customers ofWGAC for five years.
They produce the greenesttoilet paper and paper towels on
the planet, have a microcarbonfootprint and donate 50% of
their profits to helpunderdeveloped countries safely
(03:42):
manage human waste.
Please give a crap by clickingon the sponsor link in our show
notes and go even greener.
Starting today.
Welcome to our highlights, newsand updates that will appeal to
(04:06):
all of our eclectic listeners.
My first bit of news today isabout Oak Bridge.
I promised last week that Iwould give you some more details
on it, so I am keeping my word.
Oak Bridge is a sci-fi,thriller, mystery and horror
audio drama that's set in 1992.
(04:27):
The story centers aroundmysterious occurrences that
plague a small town in Ohio.
After the US government erectsa nuclear power facility, tiny,
peaceful hamlet startsexperiencing extreme violence.
Sheriff Deputy Jack Harris mustlaunch an investigation that
(04:49):
uncovers dark secrets and putsevery citizen of Oak Bridge in
danger.
Oak Bridge is not going to feedyour intellect, but I promise
it will pique your interest andit is very entertaining.
The storyline heavily relies onmany small-town cliches the
flawed detective, the small-towncorruption, government
(05:11):
conspiracies.
But instead of regurgitating atime-worn story, oakbridge
effortlessly moves the storyalong by cluing the audience in
very early in the game aboutwhat's going on and who's doing
it.
So instead of being a bystander, it's almost like you become an
(05:31):
ally to the characters.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Here's a clip from the show
oh, dear God, no, this is a codered.
I repeat a code red.
All right, listen up.
Raccoon Festival is upon us.
(05:54):
It's the Nichols girl who livesdown the street from my house.
She and her mom are kind ofweird.
My name is Evelyn Evie for short.
Calling on all units, we have acode 32.
Homicide I bet you worked a lotof crimes like this back in
Chicago, huh, Deputy Harris.
I worked hundreds of homicides,each one crueler than the one
(06:16):
before it, but I've never seenanything like this the first
murder in Oakbridge in years.
What is going on in this?
town.
Andy and Eric weren't the typeto go down without a fight, and
there have been a lot of peoplemoving to Oakbridge since the
nuclear plant opened.
What's the story?
You really want to hear thestory.
I do.
(06:37):
We don't get a lot of talltales back in New Hampshire.
Well, this story is anythingbut tall and it certainly isn't
a tale.
Who do you think could havedone something like this?
Someone you'd never expect,even in a place like Oak Bridge.
They are lying to us.
He knows something and he'strying to cover it up.
The truth will set you free,but not until it is finished
(07:01):
with you.
Finish this, jack.
Finish it.
I'll do my best or I'll dietrying.
A predator isn't going to killjust to kill.
It's gonna feed.
Something else killed them.
Why Oak Bridge?
Of all the places in thiscountry, oak Bridge is a special
(07:22):
place.
It's time let's do this.
Welcome to Oak Bridge.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Here's hoping that the rest of the podcast is just
as good as the first fiveepisodes.
First five episodes and here'sa quick bit of news Silver
Tongues, a new fiction tropicalthriller podcast by Acorn Arts
and Entertainment will bedropping very soon.
I encourage everybody to likeand follow their trailer and ask
(07:57):
for a notification when thefirst episode drops.
And ask for a notification whenthe first episode drops.
Acorn Arts and Entertainment isan indie company that
previously produced Call of theVoid, a highly entertaining
mystery-slash-supernaturalpodcast that takes place in New
Orleans.
I'm excited to see what thegang at Acorn comes up with with
(08:18):
their new show and check thisout.
Acorn comes up with with theirnew show and check this out Like
Call of the Void.
They've promised that SilverTongues will be played in its
entirety ad-free.
I binged on the datingdetectives last week and talked
(08:39):
about it in my what Are youListening To segment, and I was
really curious about an episodethat I was going to listen to
next, which was when DetectiveMcKenzie goes undercover at a
nudist community in Florida tofind out if a man was really
cheating or not.
I have to say I was prettyexcited about it.
I was trying to figure outwhere she was going to keep her
pens or papers or recorder,because obviously, in a nudist
(09:02):
community, there's not a wholehell of a lot of places to hide
things, right?
To be honest, even though thisstory started out pretty good,
it fizzled out within a fewminutes, so I don't recommend
that you rush over and listen toit.
But even so, I want toreiterate that I've enjoyed
several other episodes of theDating Detectives and still
(09:24):
highly recommend it.
Gerald.
Oh no, not you again.
What are you listening to?
Are you spying on me?
Oh, ais, you can't trust them.
But yes, welcome to.
What Are you Listening To?
A segment where I share whatI've binged this week, and it's
(09:46):
a good one.
After tubing down a lazy riverfor hours or jet skiing on your
favorite lake, nothing beatsretreating to a shady spot,
kicking back for an hour or twoand just getting into your own
headspace.
That's why I decided to bingeon a podcast this week called
(10:08):
Love Murder Florida by VoyageMedia, starring actress Jane
Lynch and Tammy Cates.
Love Murder Florida is afour-episode Fargo-esque dark
comedy served with a side ofdrama.
It features an ironclad broadnamed Jane and her mild-mannered
(10:29):
friend named Ruth.
Friends since middle school andsomehow never being able to let
go of all the angst andsquabbles that typically happens
during that time in people'slives.
Jane and Ruth grew up to becomedirect business rivals.
Love Murder Florida tells theoft-told yet still baffling
(10:50):
story about how even ordinarylaw-abiding people can get mixed
up in very serious crimes,which, in the case of Love
Murder Florida, began withbetrayal between two friends and
was quickly followed by aserendipitous encounter with a
beefcake honey named Logan.
(11:11):
Human foibles take center stagein this story.
To quote the trickster Puck,what fools these mortals be To
be on the road, already on a hop.
Speaker 6 (11:23):
Yeah, give me that look see what happens Starring
Glee and Best in Shows, JaneLynch.
Sometimes I think that I mightbe.
Jane's only friend.
We lost the Timber Grovecontract.
What To who you can ask yourfriend Jane, and what are you
going to do about it?
(11:43):
It started as a simple feudbetween rival bus companies, but
that's not where it ended.
I'm going to Florida.
I can't look at another bus.
Hey Ruth, you need to get laid.
It was supposed to be just afling.
In the sun, his body glistened.
Water dripped down his chest.
(12:03):
It became something dangerous.
What would happen if Jane wasn'taround?
What if she was gone?
Like to Europe or something, adark crime story with a dash of
Florida.
Strange, are you?
kidding me, ruth.
We can leave now, no one wouldprosecute this.
Or we can finish it now and noone will ever know.
(12:25):
Murder's hard work.
Ruth, you can't half-ass it.
Maybe we deserved each other.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Love Murder, florida, runs about, oh, an hour and a
half.
You can binge this one in onego and still have plenty of time
to listen to another podcast.
And now it's time to get to ourmain reviews, the most popular
(13:12):
segment in our podcast and onethat I love sharing with you.
Whether you're dreaming about asummer escape to the Bahamas or
you're already lounging on thepowder, softsoft white sands of
Fortune Beach, I have twoperfect podcasts that will
arouse a rush of scents andsounds that only a tropical
getaway can awaken.
My first review is on a podcastcalled Murder on Sex Island, a
(13:38):
sexy, humorous and intriguingtale that combines murder and
comedy without being offensive.
It's written and narrated bycomedian Jo Firestone, who's
known for her offbeat sense ofhumor and character voices.
The story follows a bored,recent divorcee and introvert
(13:59):
who uncages her alter ego, oneLuella Van Horn, a blonde,
bombshell, private investigatorand all-around outspoken woman,
while her real self remainedmeekly cooped up in her
apartment with two cats and atelevision to keep her company.
After Luella is hired toinvestigate the mysterious
(14:22):
disappearance of a cast memberon her favorite reality show,
sex Island, luella heads to atropical paradise where a cast
of reality show archetypes arecompeting for a hefty prize and
the dubious honor of having thebest sex for the camera.
The only problem To explain herpresence without tipping off
(14:45):
the cast or crew, luella must goundercover as a contestant.
Needless to say, things getawkward right away.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Here are a couple clips from the show.
This is Murder on Sex Island,written by Joe Firestone and
read by Joe Firestone, and both.
That's me.
That's both of those of me.
Chapter one Like my forefathers, jane Simmons and Christina
Aguilera, my life began inStaten Island.
(15:24):
The first 25 years of my lifewere going somewhat according to
plan.
I was an underpaid socialworker.
I got married to a man I knewfrom high school and, to top it
all off, I was dead inside.
What can I say?
It's a Staten Island way.
When most grown people get bored, they cheat on their spouses,
they start buying lotterytickets, they develop a drug
habit.
Not me, though.
No, sir.
(15:45):
When I need to fill a gapingvoid in an otherwise predictable
, monotonous life, I like tothink outside the box.
So I made up an alter ego namedLuella Van Horn who solves
crimes.
Is that the worst thing in theworld?
In theory, no.
When I slap on a blonde wig,fake white teeth and some red
lipstick, I become PrivateDetective Luella Van Horn.
(16:05):
Suddenly, I'm a woman who knowswhat she wants and gets it.
People start paying attention tome.
They tell me things they're notsupposed to.
The powerful see me as an allyand the weak see me as a threat.
I think it's probably becauseof the teeth Growing up.
All I wanted was to be someonelike Luella Van Horn, to have
people finally look at me like Ihave something to offer,
(16:26):
something they want.
When you're mousy, nobody careswhere you're going at night.
When you come back to the houseat 2 am and your husband
sleepily asks were you gone?
You can say no and he'llbelieve you turn over and go
right back to sleep.
Nobody bothers to ask whyyou're spending thousands of
(16:47):
dollars on blonde wigs made withreal human hair and going to
the dentist for teeth molds andmaxing out your credit cards at
Sephora.
They've barely noticed.
In this clip it is showtime forLuella Van Horn, and so she is
taken to a dressing area andhanded a string bikini and she's
looking at it and she's tryingto figure out you know how am I
going to cover myself up?
(17:08):
She devises this idea thatshe's going to use both of her
hands as a front and back figleaf.
In this particular state ofmind, she walks on set for the
first time, meets a lot of thearchetypes that I talked about
earlier, and, because they werefilming this, it was her first
introduction to her futureaudience.
(17:31):
Two minutes on the dot later,issa wrangled me back, leading
me to a large beach hut coveredin tropical flowers.
As we got closer I recognizedPhil and waved to him.
He waved back and I blushed,absolutely humiliating.
I felt like an eighth grader.
Phil was standing with a fewother cast members I recognized
as Tasha, sarah, david N, nate,ethan and Blair.
(17:52):
Oh, I loved Blair.
She could be so mean.
One time she stuck a wad ofchewed gum in Sarah's long
blonde hair because she couldn'tfind a trash can In a
confessional.
She once told millions ofviewers that Nate's balls
smelled like Lipton soup mix.
She had curly brown hair, aflat stomach and I'll say it,
breasts the size of cantaloupes.
It's possible Blair was made ina lab for reality TV.
(18:17):
As I approached the group, issamade introductions hey folks,
this is Luella.
She's going to be joining us asa wild card.
Me the wild card Hi.
I tried hard to swallowanything that could be
misconstrued as fangirl energy.
The collective group murmuredsome casual hellos.
Nate even flashed me a peacesign For them.
(18:37):
I gathered this was just atypical Wednesday.
They all looked so different inperson.
David N wasn't nearly as skinnyand I noticed for the first
time he had bright green eyes.
On television Ethan lookedpractically orange, but here he
just looked like a guy who gothis money's worth at the tanning
booth.
I could see Sarah's individualtoe rings.
I counted seven.
(18:57):
Issa got a far-off look assomeone spoke into her earpiece.
All right, in a few minutesLuella's going to be coming in
through the hibiscus arch cameralift.
I need jealous reactions fromSarah and Blair and a sexy
reaction from Nate.
I tried to remind myself thiswas somehow detective work.
Phil spoke up.
Hey, Issa, I'd like to do asexy reaction too.
(19:17):
Nate let out an exasperatedwhine.
Why can't I be the only sexyone for once?
Issa held up her finger,waiting for the person in the
earpiece to respond.
Okay, we're gonna have bothNate and Phil giving sexy
reactions.
Nate sulked.
Issa continued Ethan and Davidin.
Let's have you wrestling in thebackground, and Tasha, we just
(19:39):
want you to stand there.
Tasha crossed her arms andlooked toward the ocean, her
long black hair shining in thesun.
No bitch, she said under herbreath.
For what it's worth, tasha didtechnically just stand there.
I was amongst professionals.
I was escorted to the hibiscusarch camera lift.
Issa got that far-off lookagain, as someone in her
(19:59):
earpiece gave her furtherinstructions.
A sound guy came over to giveme a microphone pack on a
lanyard.
As he placed it around my neck,he muttered Just don't touch it
and you'll be good.
I'd once heard that samesentence from my 85-year-old
male gynecologist.
Issa addressed me Luella,you're going to walk through the
hibiscus arch, shake your hairand give a smoldering look to
camera.
This footage will be in slowmotion, so try not to blink at
(20:21):
all and stop covering your body.
That's why you're here, readyin 4, 3, 2, action.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
And there you have it Just a small snippet of 13
episodes and multiple chaptersSex Island and multiple chapters
.
Sex Island my last review fortoday is a true crime tale
that's definitely notfamily-friendly.
The review I'm about to sharewith you takes place in the
Bocas del Toro archipelago, apostcard-perfect tropical
(20:53):
paradise with a diversecollection of islands, islets
and caves off Panama's northernCaribbean coast.
The weather wraps its warmtharound tourists who are weary of
the cold.
There's a constant breeze thatcarries intoxicating scents of
the ocean, the rainforest, adense jungle, and the entire
(21:15):
archipelago features world-classsurfing spots, floating
bungalows and bars accessibleonly by boat.
And for those who crave aquieter, more picturesque
lifestyle, there are a number ofprivate islands accessible only
by boat, where anyone can claimtheir own slice of pastel
(21:36):
paradise for a few thousanddollars, especially in the 2000s
when this story takes place.
But paradise, especially thosesituated in third world
countries, doesn't come withoutdangers, particularly from those
who know that money trumps thelaw and much of the wealth
(21:56):
brought there by unsuspectingexpatriates or expats as they're
commonly called, is theirs forthe taking.
My last review has to do with anAmerican expat named William D
Holbert, aka Wild Bill, who fledAmerican soil as a wanted man
(22:17):
in the mid-2000s.
After fleeing to Panama, wildBill escalated his criminal
activities from theft on an epicscale to murder.
At that time, panama wasoverrun with corrupt officials,
attorneys, judges and evenclerks, who were responsible for
state paperwork, includingissuing licenses to businesses
(22:41):
and deeds to properties.
To say that Panamanian justicewas fluid at that time is an
understatement.
It was also a country thatHolbert viewed as a land of
opportunity, realizing that therules were loose and money was
the justice du jour.
He became a serial killer whopreyed on other expats by
(23:04):
killing them, stealing theirproperty and then paying
officials to change saidproperty to his name.
It was all too easy to resistand, one by one, american expats
disappeared and then, wouldn'tyou know it, holbert would
become the new owner of theirproperty and life would move on.
(23:25):
Out of all the podcasts thathave covered this serial killer,
I'm focusing on season three ofthe Criminal Conduct Podcast.
It's hosted by Javier Leva, whois also the host of the Pretend
podcast, and John W Taylor, whodivides his time between
criminal conduct and the Twistedpodcast.
(23:46):
I definitely trust theintegrity of their investigation
, but beyond that, javier andJohn devoted an entire season to
this killer's crimes and hisfive, maybe six, victims.
In doing so, they amassedseveral hours of phone
interviews with Holbert, who'scurrently serving a 47-year
(24:07):
sentence in a Panama prison.
As an aside, his former wife,laura Reese, was also convicted
of being complicit in thosemurders and is serving a long
prison term.
I was also drawn to theirpodcast for a more personal
reason.
One of the victims, bob Eisler,lived in my hometown of Santa
(24:29):
Fe, new Mexico, before sellinghis business in the mid-2000s
and moving to what he thoughtwould be a fresh start on an
island paradise off the coast ofPanama.
I'm going to play a coupleclips from the show so that you
can get an overall idea of whatthe show is like.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
So, javier, tell me about the phone call you just
got.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
So, javier, tell me about the phone call you just
got, john.
It was the craziest thingbecause it's New Year's Day and
there's nothing going on really.
I mean, it was just a quiet dayand all of a sudden I get this
call from this guy who's knownas Wild Bill.
I want to be really clear thatI don't feel like a serial
(25:22):
killer, you know, and when Ithink of the word serial killer
or of a person who's a serialkiller, I think of a guy like
Ted Bundy or a person who doesthings for compulsion or
emotional needs, emotionalreasons, and I myself I'm not a
person who has any blood lusts.
These terrible things I did.
I did, you know, starting about15 years ago, and and and I was
(25:46):
just a heartless, cold-bloodedasshole who hurt and killed
people for money.
You know, I don't have acompulsion to kill people or a
desire necessarily to do that.
Like you've got to understand,the expat community is not a
normal community.
People in the expat communityare by nature fucked up.
(26:07):
They're not people who.
They're people who can't be intheir own country for some
reason.
They're running away fromsomething right.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Exactly, or they like cheap drugs because drugs are
cheap and family and abundantand better than the drugs in the
united states area.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
for you know, craziness and something while
bill's partying days were comingto an end, at least in bocas,
because he got word that theauthorities were going to come
looking for him so let's talkabout your time at bocas.
You know you, you were like asocialite, the number one
socialite during that timeperiod.
You said everyone was afraid ofme and respected me.
(26:43):
Why were they afraid of you?
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Well, I don't think it was a very big secret that I
was a killer when I lived there.
I lived huge.
I wasn't quiet about anything.
I was a fucking idiot.
I believed my own bullshit.
Never do that.
Never believe your own bullshit.
It's okay when you bullshiteverybody else, but you should
(27:13):
never bullshit yourself.
I really believed that.
Nobody could stop me.
Do you know what I mean?
I was never afraid.
I knew, without a doubt I wasgoing to get away, because I
always got away.
Speaker 6 (27:30):
Everything always worked exactly how I had it
planned and I knew for certainthat I'd get away.
Speaker 5 (27:49):
These conversations took place over the course of
several nights.
Each time we spoke we got alittle deeper, but I never
enjoyed it and it was always anerve-wracking thing for me,
completely, just like totallyugh, like very, very
anxiety-filled.
And when it was over I was likeso relieved, thank God that
that's over.
And I mean like I'm speakinghonestly with you about it.
(28:11):
I mean, it's not something thatI ever enjoyed doing.
If you enjoy killing people,something's fucking wrong with
you.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (28:16):
Like you've got a real problem javier wild bill
did not answer your question, soyou asked him if he remembered
killing the victims, and what hetalked about was that he said
he didn't enjoy killing peopleyeah, he was just taking me for
a ride, taking me in whateverdirection he wanted me to go in
the reason that wild bill gavefor not giving you more
(28:37):
information was that it's justtoo painful, and I don't know
that.
I buy that.
I mean that's that could bepart of it, but there's
certainly other reasons why he'snot giving you more information
.
I just want to know, not aboutthe killing, but like what did
you know about her?
Did you consider her a friendat the time?
Speaker 5 (28:55):
Well, I don't know how much of this stuff you've
listened to, but even during thetrial I told the truth that
keith world paid me to kill hiswife.
That happened.
He ran off with a new chairman.
Everybody in focus knows thatas well.
I don't know.
It was a stupid fucking thing.
I should have never done that.
I mean, I knew cheryl to someextent not like really really
well, but I knew her fairly welland it took me three times to
(29:15):
kill her.
Speaker 6 (29:16):
Keith, by the way, is Cheryl's estranged husband.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
I invited her over three different times before I
could come up with the balls todo it.
It's not something I wanted todo.
It's actually something Ididn't want to do.
It was something that,economically, I didn't even need
to do.
I didn't need to do it, but Iwas invited to do it.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
If you would like to listen to the entire story, go
to Criminal Conduct wherever youlisten to your podcasts and
(30:00):
scroll listening to our podcast.
Next week we'll be concludingour summer listening series.
Don't miss it and please don'tforget to follow our podcast and
give us a five-star rating.
Love you, guys, and we'll seeyou next Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
One good thing media is brought to you by our host
and creator, gerald Spear, allthings technical are by David
Dodd and our announcer is RobertSpear.
Our theme song for Season 2 isForce by HGST, so Thank you.
Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official
podcast review channel.
We search the vast digitallandscape on a daily basis to
discover the best shows thatpodcasters have to offer.
Are you ready to discover newfavorites to add to your
playbook?
(00:51):
Stay tuned and listen to hostJeryl Spear.
We're a one-of-a-kind show thatreviews top podcasts from
several popular genres in orderto cater to the needs of our
eclectic listeners.
If you can't imagine eatingyour favorite meal three times a
day every day, or you're anavid true crime fan but still
(01:13):
need a break from listeningabout the dregs of humanity,
you've got plenty of company.
I also recognize that our showisn't everyone's cup of tea.
I have a friend, for instance,who never, ever varies from his
daily routine, and in every citythat he travels to for business
, he eats at the same restaurant, orders the same meal and shops
(01:38):
at the same store.
And when his beloved dog died,he bought a matching dog and
carried on with his life withoutskipping a beat.
I'm not knocking his lifechoices, but for me personally,
I need to always seek out newadventures, try different foods
(01:58):
and definitely listen to avariety of podcasts.
Today is the penultimate episodeof our July Summer Listening
Series.
If you haven't listened to ourprevious summer episodes, you
should check them out.
Fyi, episode 27 is my favoriteby far.
(02:18):
It focuses on how to preserveyour sanity and even enjoy
yourself by keeping your kidsengaged during long road trips.
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet, are we?
We've all been through it.
If you've got kids, you knowwhat I'm talking about and, by
the way, you're welcome.
Check out episode 27.
(02:38):
Today, I'll be focusing on howyou can add podcasts to your
summer escape strategy beforeschool work and the weather once
again change your lifestyle,whether you want it to or not.
I'll also be alerting you ofbrand new podcasts that are sure
to pique your interest.
Share the podcasts that I bingedthis week and what we have in
(03:00):
store for you in the near future.
Of course, there's a lot more.
Are you ready to dive in?
I know I am, so let's get going.
Did you know that you cansupport us by supporting who
(03:21):
Gives a Crap?
A company that really does givea crap?
We've been loyal customers ofWGAC for five years.
They produce the greenesttoilet paper and paper towels on
the planet, have a microcarbonfootprint and donate 50% of
their profits to helpunderdeveloped countries safely
(03:42):
manage human waste.
Please give a crap by clickingon the sponsor link in our show
notes and go even greener.
Starting today.
Welcome to our highlights, newsand updates that will appeal to
(04:06):
all of our eclectic listeners.
My first bit of news today isabout Oak Bridge.
I promised last week that Iwould give you some more details
on it, so I am keeping my word.
Oak Bridge is a sci-fi,thriller, mystery and horror
audio drama that's set in 1992.
(04:27):
The story centers aroundmysterious occurrences that
plague a small town in Ohio.
After the US government erectsa nuclear power facility, tiny,
peaceful hamlet startsexperiencing extreme violence.
Sheriff Deputy Jack Harris mustlaunch an investigation that
(04:49):
uncovers dark secrets and putsevery citizen of Oak Bridge in
danger.
Oak Bridge is not going to feedyour intellect, but I promise
it will pique your interest andit is very entertaining.
The storyline heavily relies onmany small-town cliches the
flawed detective, the small-towncorruption, government
(05:11):
conspiracies.
But instead of regurgitating atime-worn story, oakbridge
effortlessly moves the storyalong by cluing the audience in
very early in the game aboutwhat's going on and who's doing
it.
So instead of being a bystander, it's almost like you become an
(05:31):
ally to the characters.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Here's a clip from the show
oh, dear God, no, this is a codered.
I repeat a code red.
All right, listen up.
Raccoon Festival is upon us.
(05:54):
It's the Nichols girl who livesdown the street from my house.
She and her mom are kind ofweird.
My name is Evelyn Evie for short.
Calling on all units, we have acode 32.
Homicide I bet you worked a lotof crimes like this back in
Chicago, huh, Deputy Harris.
I worked hundreds of homicides,each one crueler than the one
(06:16):
before it, but I've never seenanything like this the first
murder in Oakbridge in years.
What is going on in this?
town.
Andy and Eric weren't the typeto go down without a fight, and
there have been a lot of peoplemoving to Oakbridge since the
nuclear plant opened.
What's the story?
You really want to hear thestory.
I do.
(06:37):
We don't get a lot of talltales back in New Hampshire.
Well, this story is anythingbut tall and it certainly isn't
a tale.
Who do you think could havedone something like this?
Someone you'd never expect,even in a place like Oak Bridge.
They are lying to us.
He knows something and he'strying to cover it up.
The truth will set you free,but not until it is finished
(07:01):
with you.
Finish this, jack.
Finish it.
I'll do my best or I'll dietrying.
A predator isn't going to killjust to kill.
It's gonna feed.
Something else killed them.
Why Oak Bridge?
Of all the places in thiscountry, oak Bridge is a special
(07:22):
place.
It's time let's do this.
Welcome to Oak Bridge.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Here's hoping that the rest of the podcast is just
as good as the first fiveepisodes.
First five episodes and here'sa quick bit of news Silver
Tongues, a new fiction tropicalthriller podcast by Acorn Arts
and Entertainment will bedropping very soon.
I encourage everybody to likeand follow their trailer and ask
(07:57):
for a notification when thefirst episode drops.
And ask for a notification whenthe first episode drops.
Acorn Arts and Entertainment isan indie company that
previously produced Call of theVoid, a highly entertaining
mystery-slash-supernaturalpodcast that takes place in New
Orleans.
I'm excited to see what thegang at Acorn comes up with with
(08:18):
their new show and check thisout.
Acorn comes up with with theirnew show and check this out Like
Call of the Void.
They've promised that SilverTongues will be played in its
entirety ad-free.
I binged on the datingdetectives last week and talked
(08:39):
about it in my what Are youListening To segment, and I was
really curious about an episodethat I was going to listen to
next, which was when DetectiveMcKenzie goes undercover at a
nudist community in Florida tofind out if a man was really
cheating or not.
I have to say I was prettyexcited about it.
I was trying to figure outwhere she was going to keep her
pens or papers or recorder,because obviously, in a nudist
(09:02):
community, there's not a wholehell of a lot of places to hide
things, right?
To be honest, even though thisstory started out pretty good,
it fizzled out within a fewminutes, so I don't recommend
that you rush over and listen toit.
But even so, I want toreiterate that I've enjoyed
several other episodes of theDating Detectives and still
(09:24):
highly recommend it.
Gerald.
Oh no, not you again.
What are you listening to?
Are you spying on me?
Oh, ais, you can't trust them.
But yes, welcome to.
What Are you Listening To?
A segment where I share whatI've binged this week, and it's
(09:46):
a good one.
After tubing down a lazy riverfor hours or jet skiing on your
favorite lake, nothing beatsretreating to a shady spot,
kicking back for an hour or twoand just getting into your own
headspace.
That's why I decided to bingeon a podcast this week called
(10:08):
Love Murder Florida by VoyageMedia, starring actress Jane
Lynch and Tammy Cates.
Love Murder Florida is afour-episode Fargo-esque dark
comedy served with a side ofdrama.
It features an ironclad broadnamed Jane and her mild-mannered
(10:29):
friend named Ruth.
Friends since middle school andsomehow never being able to let
go of all the angst andsquabbles that typically happens
during that time in people'slives.
Jane and Ruth grew up to becomedirect business rivals.
Love Murder Florida tells theoft-told yet still baffling
(10:50):
story about how even ordinarylaw-abiding people can get mixed
up in very serious crimes,which, in the case of Love
Murder Florida, began withbetrayal between two friends and
was quickly followed by aserendipitous encounter with a
beefcake honey named Logan.
(11:11):
Human foibles take center stagein this story.
To quote the trickster Puck,what fools these mortals be To
be on the road, already on a hop.
Speaker 6 (11:23):
Yeah, give me that look see what happens Starring
Glee and Best in Shows, JaneLynch.
Sometimes I think that I mightbe.
Jane's only friend.
We lost the Timber Grovecontract.
What To who you can ask yourfriend Jane, and what are you
going to do about it?
(11:43):
It started as a simple feudbetween rival bus companies, but
that's not where it ended.
I'm going to Florida.
I can't look at another bus.
Hey Ruth, you need to get laid.
It was supposed to be just afling.
In the sun, his body glistened.
Water dripped down his chest.
(12:03):
It became something dangerous.
What would happen if Jane wasn'taround?
What if she was gone?
Like to Europe or something, adark crime story with a dash of
Florida.
Strange, are you?
kidding me, ruth.
We can leave now, no one wouldprosecute this.
Or we can finish it now and noone will ever know.
(12:25):
Murder's hard work.
Ruth, you can't half-ass it.
Maybe we deserved each other.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Love Murder, florida, runs about, oh, an hour and a
half.
You can binge this one in onego and still have plenty of time
to listen to another podcast.
And now it's time to get to ourmain reviews, the most popular
(13:12):
segment in our podcast and onethat I love sharing with you.
Whether you're dreaming about asummer escape to the Bahamas or
you're already lounging on thepowder, softsoft white sands of
Fortune Beach, I have twoperfect podcasts that will
arouse a rush of scents andsounds that only a tropical
getaway can awaken.
My first review is on a podcastcalled Murder on Sex Island, a
(13:38):
sexy, humorous and intriguingtale that combines murder and
comedy without being offensive.
It's written and narrated bycomedian Jo Firestone, who's
known for her offbeat sense ofhumor and character voices.
The story follows a bored,recent divorcee and introvert
(13:59):
who uncages her alter ego, oneLuella Van Horn, a blonde,
bombshell, private investigatorand all-around outspoken woman,
while her real self remainedmeekly cooped up in her
apartment with two cats and atelevision to keep her company.
After Luella is hired toinvestigate the mysterious
(14:22):
disappearance of a cast memberon her favorite reality show,
sex Island, luella heads to atropical paradise where a cast
of reality show archetypes arecompeting for a hefty prize and
the dubious honor of having thebest sex for the camera.
The only problem To explain herpresence without tipping off
(14:45):
the cast or crew, luella must goundercover as a contestant.
Needless to say, things getawkward right away.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Here are a couple clips from the show.
This is Murder on Sex Island,written by Joe Firestone and
read by Joe Firestone, and both.
That's me.
That's both of those of me.
Chapter one Like my forefathers, jane Simmons and Christina
Aguilera, my life began inStaten Island.
(15:24):
The first 25 years of my lifewere going somewhat according to
plan.
I was an underpaid socialworker.
I got married to a man I knewfrom high school and, to top it
all off, I was dead inside.
What can I say?
It's a Staten Island way.
When most grown people get bored, they cheat on their spouses,
they start buying lotterytickets, they develop a drug
habit.
Not me, though.
No, sir.
(15:45):
When I need to fill a gapingvoid in an otherwise predictable
, monotonous life, I like tothink outside the box.
So I made up an alter ego namedLuella Van Horn who solves
crimes.
Is that the worst thing in theworld?
In theory, no.
When I slap on a blonde wig,fake white teeth and some red
lipstick, I become PrivateDetective Luella Van Horn.
(16:05):
Suddenly, I'm a woman who knowswhat she wants and gets it.
People start paying attention tome.
They tell me things they're notsupposed to.
The powerful see me as an allyand the weak see me as a threat.
I think it's probably becauseof the teeth Growing up.
All I wanted was to be someonelike Luella Van Horn, to have
people finally look at me like Ihave something to offer,
(16:26):
something they want.
When you're mousy, nobody careswhere you're going at night.
When you come back to the houseat 2 am and your husband
sleepily asks were you gone?
You can say no and he'llbelieve you turn over and go
right back to sleep.
Nobody bothers to ask whyyou're spending thousands of
(16:47):
dollars on blonde wigs made withreal human hair and going to
the dentist for teeth molds andmaxing out your credit cards at
Sephora.
They've barely noticed.
In this clip it is showtime forLuella Van Horn, and so she is
taken to a dressing area andhanded a string bikini and she's
looking at it and she's tryingto figure out you know how am I
going to cover myself up?
(17:08):
She devises this idea thatshe's going to use both of her
hands as a front and back figleaf.
In this particular state ofmind, she walks on set for the
first time, meets a lot of thearchetypes that I talked about
earlier, and, because they werefilming this, it was her first
introduction to her futureaudience.
(17:31):
Two minutes on the dot later,issa wrangled me back, leading
me to a large beach hut coveredin tropical flowers.
As we got closer I recognizedPhil and waved to him.
He waved back and I blushed,absolutely humiliating.
I felt like an eighth grader.
Phil was standing with a fewother cast members I recognized
as Tasha, sarah, david N, nate,ethan and Blair.
(17:52):
Oh, I loved Blair.
She could be so mean.
One time she stuck a wad ofchewed gum in Sarah's long
blonde hair because she couldn'tfind a trash can In a
confessional.
She once told millions ofviewers that Nate's balls
smelled like Lipton soup mix.
She had curly brown hair, aflat stomach and I'll say it,
breasts the size of cantaloupes.
It's possible Blair was made ina lab for reality TV.
(18:17):
As I approached the group, issamade introductions hey folks,
this is Luella.
She's going to be joining us asa wild card.
Me the wild card Hi.
I tried hard to swallowanything that could be
misconstrued as fangirl energy.
The collective group murmuredsome casual hellos.
Nate even flashed me a peacesign For them.
(18:37):
I gathered this was just atypical Wednesday.
They all looked so different inperson.
David N wasn't nearly as skinnyand I noticed for the first
time he had bright green eyes.
On television Ethan lookedpractically orange, but here he
just looked like a guy who gothis money's worth at the tanning
booth.
I could see Sarah's individualtoe rings.
I counted seven.
(18:57):
Issa got a far-off look assomeone spoke into her earpiece.
All right, in a few minutesLuella's going to be coming in
through the hibiscus arch cameralift.
I need jealous reactions fromSarah and Blair and a sexy
reaction from Nate.
I tried to remind myself thiswas somehow detective work.
Phil spoke up.
Hey, Issa, I'd like to do asexy reaction too.
(19:17):
Nate let out an exasperatedwhine.
Why can't I be the only sexyone for once?
Issa held up her finger,waiting for the person in the
earpiece to respond.
Okay, we're gonna have bothNate and Phil giving sexy
reactions.
Nate sulked.
Issa continued Ethan and Davidin.
Let's have you wrestling in thebackground, and Tasha, we just
(19:39):
want you to stand there.
Tasha crossed her arms andlooked toward the ocean, her
long black hair shining in thesun.
No bitch, she said under herbreath.
For what it's worth, tasha didtechnically just stand there.
I was amongst professionals.
I was escorted to the hibiscusarch camera lift.
Issa got that far-off lookagain, as someone in her
(19:59):
earpiece gave her furtherinstructions.
A sound guy came over to giveme a microphone pack on a
lanyard.
As he placed it around my neck,he muttered Just don't touch it
and you'll be good.
I'd once heard that samesentence from my 85-year-old
male gynecologist.
Issa addressed me Luella,you're going to walk through the
hibiscus arch, shake your hairand give a smoldering look to
camera.
This footage will be in slowmotion, so try not to blink at
(20:21):
all and stop covering your body.
That's why you're here, readyin 4, 3, 2, action.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
And there you have it Just a small snippet of 13
episodes and multiple chaptersSex Island and multiple chapters
.
Sex Island my last review fortoday is a true crime tale
that's definitely notfamily-friendly.
The review I'm about to sharewith you takes place in the
Bocas del Toro archipelago, apostcard-perfect tropical
(20:53):
paradise with a diversecollection of islands, islets
and caves off Panama's northernCaribbean coast.
The weather wraps its warmtharound tourists who are weary of
the cold.
There's a constant breeze thatcarries intoxicating scents of
the ocean, the rainforest, adense jungle, and the entire
(21:15):
archipelago features world-classsurfing spots, floating
bungalows and bars accessibleonly by boat.
And for those who crave aquieter, more picturesque
lifestyle, there are a number ofprivate islands accessible only
by boat, where anyone can claimtheir own slice of pastel
(21:36):
paradise for a few thousanddollars, especially in the 2000s
when this story takes place.
But paradise, especially thosesituated in third world
countries, doesn't come withoutdangers, particularly from those
who know that money trumps thelaw and much of the wealth
(21:56):
brought there by unsuspectingexpatriates or expats as they're
commonly called, is theirs forthe taking.
My last review has to do with anAmerican expat named William D
Holbert, aka Wild Bill, who fledAmerican soil as a wanted man
(22:17):
in the mid-2000s.
After fleeing to Panama, wildBill escalated his criminal
activities from theft on an epicscale to murder.
At that time, panama wasoverrun with corrupt officials,
attorneys, judges and evenclerks, who were responsible for
state paperwork, includingissuing licenses to businesses
(22:41):
and deeds to properties.
To say that Panamanian justicewas fluid at that time is an
understatement.
It was also a country thatHolbert viewed as a land of
opportunity, realizing that therules were loose and money was
the justice du jour.
He became a serial killer whopreyed on other expats by
(23:04):
killing them, stealing theirproperty and then paying
officials to change saidproperty to his name.
It was all too easy to resistand, one by one, american expats
disappeared and then, wouldn'tyou know it, holbert would
become the new owner of theirproperty and life would move on.
(23:25):
Out of all the podcasts thathave covered this serial killer,
I'm focusing on season three ofthe Criminal Conduct Podcast.
It's hosted by Javier Leva, whois also the host of the Pretend
podcast, and John W Taylor, whodivides his time between
criminal conduct and the Twistedpodcast.
(23:46):
I definitely trust theintegrity of their investigation
, but beyond that, javier andJohn devoted an entire season to
this killer's crimes and hisfive, maybe six, victims.
In doing so, they amassedseveral hours of phone
interviews with Holbert, who'scurrently serving a 47-year
(24:07):
sentence in a Panama prison.
As an aside, his former wife,laura Reese, was also convicted
of being complicit in thosemurders and is serving a long
prison term.
I was also drawn to theirpodcast for a more personal
reason.
One of the victims, bob Eisler,lived in my hometown of Santa
(24:29):
Fe, new Mexico, before sellinghis business in the mid-2000s
and moving to what he thoughtwould be a fresh start on an
island paradise off the coast ofPanama.
I'm going to play a coupleclips from the show so that you
can get an overall idea of whatthe show is like.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
So, javier, tell me about the phone call you just
got.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
So, javier, tell me about the phone call you just
got, john.
It was the craziest thingbecause it's New Year's Day and
there's nothing going on really.
I mean, it was just a quiet dayand all of a sudden I get this
call from this guy who's knownas Wild Bill.
I want to be really clear thatI don't feel like a serial
(25:22):
killer, you know, and when Ithink of the word serial killer
or of a person who's a serialkiller, I think of a guy like
Ted Bundy or a person who doesthings for compulsion or
emotional needs, emotionalreasons, and I myself I'm not a
person who has any blood lusts.
These terrible things I did.
I did, you know, starting about15 years ago, and and and I was
(25:46):
just a heartless, cold-bloodedasshole who hurt and killed
people for money.
You know, I don't have acompulsion to kill people or a
desire necessarily to do that.
Like you've got to understand,the expat community is not a
normal community.
People in the expat communityare by nature fucked up.
(26:07):
They're not people who.
They're people who can't be intheir own country for some
reason.
They're running away fromsomething right.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Exactly, or they like cheap drugs because drugs are
cheap and family and abundantand better than the drugs in the
united states area.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
for you know, craziness and something while
bill's partying days were comingto an end, at least in bocas,
because he got word that theauthorities were going to come
looking for him so let's talkabout your time at bocas.
You know you, you were like asocialite, the number one
socialite during that timeperiod.
You said everyone was afraid ofme and respected me.
(26:43):
Why were they afraid of you?
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Well, I don't think it was a very big secret that I
was a killer when I lived there.
I lived huge.
I wasn't quiet about anything.
I was a fucking idiot.
I believed my own bullshit.
Never do that.
Never believe your own bullshit.
It's okay when you bullshiteverybody else, but you should
(27:13):
never bullshit yourself.
I really believed that.
Nobody could stop me.
Do you know what I mean?
I was never afraid.
I knew, without a doubt I wasgoing to get away, because I
always got away.
Speaker 6 (27:30):
Everything always worked exactly how I had it
planned and I knew for certainthat I'd get away.
Speaker 5 (27:49):
These conversations took place over the course of
several nights.
Each time we spoke we got alittle deeper, but I never
enjoyed it and it was always anerve-wracking thing for me,
completely, just like totallyugh, like very, very
anxiety-filled.
And when it was over I was likeso relieved, thank God that
that's over.
And I mean like I'm speakinghonestly with you about it.
(28:11):
I mean, it's not something thatI ever enjoyed doing.
If you enjoy killing people,something's fucking wrong with
you.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (28:16):
Like you've got a real problem javier wild bill
did not answer your question, soyou asked him if he remembered
killing the victims, and what hetalked about was that he said
he didn't enjoy killing peopleyeah, he was just taking me for
a ride, taking me in whateverdirection he wanted me to go in
the reason that wild bill gavefor not giving you more
(28:37):
information was that it's justtoo painful, and I don't know
that.
I buy that.
I mean that's that could bepart of it, but there's
certainly other reasons why he'snot giving you more information
.
I just want to know, not aboutthe killing, but like what did
you know about her?
Did you consider her a friendat the time?
Speaker 5 (28:55):
Well, I don't know how much of this stuff you've
listened to, but even during thetrial I told the truth that
keith world paid me to kill hiswife.
That happened.
He ran off with a new chairman.
Everybody in focus knows thatas well.
I don't know.
It was a stupid fucking thing.
I should have never done that.
I mean, I knew cheryl to someextent not like really really
well, but I knew her fairly welland it took me three times to
(29:15):
kill her.
Speaker 6 (29:16):
Keith, by the way, is Cheryl's estranged husband.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
I invited her over three different times before I
could come up with the balls todo it.
It's not something I wanted todo.
It's actually something Ididn't want to do.
It was something that,economically, I didn't even need
to do.
I didn't need to do it, but Iwas invited to do it.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
If you would like to listen to the entire story, go
to Criminal Conduct wherever youlisten to your podcasts and
(30:00):
scroll listening to our podcast.
Next week we'll be concludingour summer listening series.
Don't miss it and please don'tforget to follow our podcast and
give us a five-star rating.
Love you, guys, and we'll seeyou next Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
One good thing media is brought to you by our host
and creator, gerald Spear, allthings technical are by David
Dodd and our announcer is RobertSpear.
Our theme song for Season 2 isForce by HGST, so Thank you.
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