Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

Before her name was tied to a federal indictment, Shannon Richardson was known for appearances on television shows like The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries. In 2013, she became the center of a national criminal investigation involving letters sent to high-profile political figures. As investigators peeled back the layers, the case revealed a calculated act that carried consequences far beyond the headlines.

 

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Episode Sources:

“Texas Woman Sentenced for Sending Ricin Letters” from July 16, 2014, Dallas U.S. Attorney’s Office

“Woman sentenced for sending ricin-laced letters to president sues East Texas jail officials from April 17, 2015, KLTV

“ETX woman indicted for sending ricin letters” from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Published June 28, 2013, Updated August 27, 2013, KLTV

“Man at center of ricin investigation attended James Bowie High in Simms” by Paige Alexander, May 31, 2013, Texarkana Gazette

“Texas father gets custody of ricin-suspect's baby” by the Associated Press, August 27, 2013, WFAA

“New Boston, Texas Woman Indicted For Ricin Letters” by Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, June 28, 2013, United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas

“Shannon Richardson gets 18-year jail term for posting ricin” from July 17, 2014, BBC News

“East Texas woman who mailed ricin to President Obama denied reduced sentence” by Meredith Billings, September 24, 2025, KLTV

“Texas Ricin Suspect Who Tried to Frame Husband Cuts a Deal” by Dean Schabner and Melissa Lustrin, November 23, 2013, ABC News

“Actress Shannon Richardson pleads guilty in ricin case” from December 10, 2013, BBC News

“The Story Of Shannon Richardson, The ‘Walking Dead’ Actress Who Mailed Deadly Poison To President Barack Obama” by Marco Margaritoff, Edited By Erik Hawkins, Published March 15, 2022, All That’s Interesting

“Shannon Richardson” from IMDb

 

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

 

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Brandon Lee was on the brink of becoming a major movie star when The Crow came his way. The movie became inseparable from the idea that something darker hung over its production. The legend of a curse took hold and didn't let go. The cult classic film had many accidents surrounding it, but the one that took Brandon's life would leave a permanent mark on Hollywood.

 

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Episode Sources:

“The Crow” on IMDb

“Brandon Lee” on IMDb

“Eliza Hutton Breaks Silence 28 Years After Fiancé Brandon Lee's Death in the Wake of 'Rust' Shooting” by Dan Heching, October 25, 2021, People

“Actor Brandon Lee was killed by a prop gun, years before the 'Rust' shooting death” by Giulia Heyward, January 20, 2023, NPR

“D.A. announces negligence caused death of ‘The Crow’ actor Brandon Lee” by HISTORY.com Editors, Published November 13, 2009, Updated May 27, 2025, History

“‘It was a horrific night’: 30 years on from the on-set death of Brandon Lee” by David Smith, May 13, 2024, The Guardian

“How Did Brandon Lee Die on the Set of The Crow?” by Samantha Graves, August 25, 2024, Collider

“Brandon Lee Apparently Killed by .44 Bullet : Movies: Even after autopsy finding, North Carolina police are still treating the actor’s death as accidental.” by Patrick Boyle, April 2, 1993, Los Angeles Times

“Things About Brandon Lee's Death That Don't Make Sense” by S. Flannagan, August 17, 2024, Grunge

“Brandon Lee’s loved ones remember ‘The Crow’ star 30 years after his death” by Alli Rosenbloom, April 8, 2023, CNN

“How A Tragic Mistake On A Movie Set Led To The Death Of Brandon Lee” by Marco Margaritoff, Edited by John Kuroski, Published April 8, 2023, Updated September 25, 2025, All That’s Interesting

“Cursed Films: The Crow Curse Explained” by Keith Deininger, April 23, 2020, ScreenRant

“The Crow Movie Curse Explained” by Richard Milner, August 17, 2024, Grunge

“The ‘curse’ of The Crow might be an urban legend – but the franchise still can’t escape it” by Geoffrey Macnab, August 23, 2024, The Independent

“Brandon Lee” from Unsolved Mysteries

 

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

 

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Kirsty MacColl is remembered by most people as the voice sparring with Shane MacGowan on Fairytale of New York, but her story goes far beyond one Christmas song. She was a sharp songwriter and a working musician, with several hit records. When Kirsty was killed during a diving trip in Mexico in December 2000, the official explanation left her family with more questions than answers. What followed was years of investigation, public campaigning, and frustration.

 

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Episode Sources:

“Kirsty MacColl Exclusive: Singer’s Mum Fights for Justice” by Mirror.co.uk, December 21, 2005, Updated February 3, 2012, Mirror

“Singer Kirsty MacColl dies” by BBC News, December 19, 2000, BBC

“WHO KILLED KIRSTY MACCOLL?” from BBC Documentaries, September 26, 2004, BBC

“Ex-husband of Kirsty MacColl believes wrong person charged for her death” by Chloe OKeeffe, December 18, 2025, MSN

“Tragic story behind Kirsty MacColl’s death as man driving speedboat that killed her speaks out for first time” by Olivia Burke, December 21, 2025, LadBible

“Tragic Kirsty MacColl's 'Fairytale of New York' Royalties Secrets Revealed 25 Years After Her Horrific Powerboat Death” by Aaron Tinney, January 3, 2026, AOL

“Kirsty MacColl changed controversial Fairytale of New York lyric before her death” by Rhianna Benson, December 23, 2025, Tyla

“Kirsty MacColl’s ex-husband says ‘Fairytale Of New York’ singer’s death was “cover-up” to protect Mexican billionaire” by Tom Skinner, December 18, 2025, NME

“Kirsty MacColl’s tragic last words during boat accident that killed her” by Olivia Burke, December 22, 2025, LadBible

“EXCLUSIVE: 'Mum's tragic speedboat death gives me flashbacks 25 years on' says Kirsty MacColl's son” by Karen Rockett News Reporter and Hannah Britt, Senior Reporter Mirror Features, November 22, 2025, Mirror

“'I WAS driving the speedboat that killed Kirsty MacColl': Deckhand breaks 25-year silence on Fairytale of New York icon's tragic death in Mexico - as her family claim it was a cover-up” by Greg Woodfield, US Senior Reporter and Fred Kelly, Feature Writer and Jacob Dirnhuber, Published December 20, 2025, Updated December 21, 2025, Daily Mail

“The Day the Music Died” by Alix Kirsta

“Who Killed Kirsty MacColl? (2004 Documentary)” from Mandy Doubt on YouTube, July 30, 2020

 

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

 

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We're back this week with the conclusion of the Bobby Fuller case. Although, can we really call it a "case" if the police didn't bother to do an investigation? Bobby's death was quickly written off as an example of a young rock 'n' roller whose star burned a little too fast and too bright. However, the scene where he was found told a much more sinister story...

 

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Episode Sources:

“The short life and mysterious death of Bobby Fuller, rock'n'roll king of Texas” by Chris Campion, The Guardian, Jul 16, 2015
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/16/the-short-life-and-mysterious-death-of-bobby-fuller-rocknroll-king-of-texas

“I Fought the Law: The Life & Strange Death of Bobby Fuller” by Miriam Linna & Randell Fuller, Kicks Books, 2014
https://archive.org/details/ifoughtlawlifest0000linn

“Broken melody: The Bobby Fuller story, parts 1-4” by Edna Gundersen, El Paso Times, June 1982
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/history/2016/06/25/broken-melody-bobby-fuller-story-part-1/86139192/

“Setting the Record Straight on Bobby Fuller” No Depression, July 21, 2010
https://nodepression.org/setting-the-record-straight-on-bobby-fuller/

“The End of the Innocence” SPIN Apr 1991
https://books.google.com/books?id=tmnYK4rTBA4C&pg=PA41-IA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

“L.A. Confidential” by John Ratliff, Texas Monthly, May 2000
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/l-a-confidential/

“Celebrating a Disturbing New Bio, Bobby Fuller’s Band Rocks Burbank” by Tim Appelo, The Hollywood Reporter, Mar 10, 2015
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-news/celebrating-a-disturbing-new-bio-780611/

“A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, Episode 138” by Andrew Hickey, Dec 1, 2021
https://500songs.com/podcast/episode-138-i-fought-the-law-by-the-bobby-fuller-four/

Gary James’ interview with Bobby Fuller’s son, John Novak
https://www.classicbands.com/JohnNovakInterview.html

 

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

 

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*We have a bit of biznasty to go over in the beginning so if you want to go straight to the story, skip ahead to around the 9:12 mark.

23-year-old Bobby Fuller, the self-proclaimed “Rock ‘n’ Roll King of the Southwest,” was climbing the charts with hits like “Let Her Dance” and “I Fought the Law” when his life was abruptly cut short. Police quickly wrote his death off as a suicide and there was no criminal investigation. However, the circumstances surrounding Bobby’s death strongly suggest foul play.

 

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Episode Sources:

“The short life and mysterious death of Bobby Fuller, rock'n'roll king of Texas” by Chris Campion, The Guardian, Jul 16, 2015
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/16/the-short-life-and-mysterious-death-of-bobby-fuller-rocknroll-king-of-texas

“I Fought the Law: The Life & Strange Death of Bobby Fuller” by Miriam Linna & Randell Fuller, Kicks Books, 2014
https://archive.org/details/ifoughtlawlifest0000linn

“Broken melody: The Bobby Fuller story, parts 1-4” by Edna Gundersen, El Paso Times, June 1982
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/history/2016/06/25/broken-melody-bobby-fuller-story-part-1/86139192/

“Setting the Record Straight on Bobby Fuller” No Depression, July 21, 2010
https://nodepression.org/setting-the-record-straight-on-bobby-fuller/

“The End of the Innocence” SPIN Apr 1991
https://books.google.com/books?id=tmnYK4rTBA4C&pg=PA41-IA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

“L.A. Confidential” by John Ratliff, Texas Monthly, May 2000
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/l-a-confidential/

“Celebrating a Disturbing New Bio, Bobby Fuller’s Band Rocks Burbank” by Tim Appelo, The Hollywood Reporter, Mar 10, 2015
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-news/celebrating-a-disturbing-new-bio-780611/

“A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, Episode 138” by Andrew Hickey, Dec 1, 2021
https://500songs.com/podcast/episode-138-i-fought-the-law-by-the-bobby-fuller-four/

 

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

 

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