True Crime Tuesday: Bobby Joe Long

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

We had a 3-day weekend in Canada to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday. That badass bitch is long dead and I don’t even know how old she’d be at this point, but honestly, most people just use it as an excuse to drink and watch fireworks. It’s commonly referred to as “May 2-4,” (as in, a case of beer) and I’m not complaining about an extra day off.

I’m not really a beer and fireworks kind of girl, so my holiday looked like any other day off, but with scrambling for groceries because everything is going to be closed, to make things interesting. You’d think people were expecting the end of the world with how busy Costco gets the day before a stat holiday.

Another little bonus this weekend: my husband and I had the house to ourselves for the first time in a long time. We capitalized on this by showering with the door open, walking around without pants on and ordering a bunch of food that we didn’t need to share with anyone else… except for the dog.

Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey (2018)

On Sunday afternoon, after I’d finished my book, and changed out of my leggings into a new pair of leggings, I turned on Lifetime and indulged in made-for-TV-movie goodness. I happened to find one titled, Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey.

It said based on a true story. It said serial killer. I was 100% sold.

So, speaking of badass bitches…. dude. For real. Lisa McVey is a true warrior queen and I’m so glad I watched this movie about her ordeal at the hands of serial killer, Bobby Joe Long. She was abducted and raped for a 26-hour-period when she was 17-years-old.

Having suffered long-term abuse throughout her life, mostly at the hands of her grandmother’s boyfriend, McVey says she tapped in the “survivor skills” she’d cultivated earlier in life in order to overcome her captor, not physically, “but psychologically.” McVey said: “It worked. I’m still here.”

Lisa McVey is the only survivor of this serial killer who hunted in the Tampa Bay area, abducting, raping and murdering at least 10 women in 1984. And that’s not even counting the 50 women he raped between 1980 and 1983. The details Lisa provided to the police are directly responsible for Long’s arrest.

I did a little research while I was watching the movie. One of my questions was why is this movie on now? Could there be a reason to shed light on McVey’s story this weekend? The answer is that Bobby Joe Long is scheduled to be executed by the state of Florida this coming Thursday, May 23rd.

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True Crime Tuesday: Bradford Bishop, Fugitive.

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

This weekend my husband and I were watching Dateline – or I should say, I was watching Dateline and my husband was barely paying attention, playing some golf game, that he’s totally obsessed with, on his phone instead.

His interest was piqued when he realized the case was about a woman scorned who had tried to poison her lover. She was one of the top breast cancer doctors in the US. She’d saved many lives and was making important strides in cancer treatment. Now she’s serving ten years for attempted murder and will likely lose her medical license.

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My husband said to me, “why would someone so successful risk everything over a relationship?” Good fucking question. “The dick was really good?” was my quippy retort, but I know that’s not the real answer. Chill.

But, why do people risk their own livelihoods, successes and futures for a relationship? It makes no sense from the outside looking in. And yet, it happens all the time. There is an endless supply of Dateline stories about otherwise normal people killing their spouses and mistresses and boyfriends. And getting caught. And losing everything.

Part of me understands the “heat of the moment” thing. Or being so hurt or angry that you see red and don’t really know what you’re doing until it’s over. And part of me understands a cold, calculating anger that waits and plans and poisons. Would I ever do it? I doubt it, but there is something to be said for not being “in your right mind.” I’ve been there a time or two for other reasons. It’s an interesting feeling, to say the least. But I’ve never been inclined to murder anyone.

Perhaps a great many people understand those emotions. And that’s where our fascination with these kinds of cases comes from. We just don’t get it! …but then, we kind of do.

This, for me, extends to the family annihilator killer as well. As my husband and my conversation progressed, we ended up talking about John List.

Would I ever murder my entire family and then run away? I can’t see myself doing that for a number of reasons that include I don’t like running, I don’t like exerting myself and I don’t deal with open-ended stress well, which would certainly follow me as a fugitive. But do I understand how someone could do this? A little bit, just thinking about the psychological reasons.

I found myself searching out some of these family annihilator cases and came across Bradford Bishop. Everyone knows the John List story, but I’d never heard of Bishop before that I can remember. He’s super interesting to me because today, he’d be 81 years old. And if he’s still alive, he’s still successfully hiding from justice.

This is the story of William Bradford Bishop Jr.

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True Crime Tuesday: The Moors Murders

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

I know, I know, I knowwww… It’s been a while since I’ve put up a new TCT post. I wanted to have this case posted last week, but I’ve been super busy, both personally and in terms of the reading I’m trying to get done (my goal this year may have been too lofty,) so the draft I’d been working on for the last couple of weeks never saw its way to publication. Whomp whomp.

My basement is also finally finished (for a second time.) That’s right! The water damage is repaired, new floors are down and I’ve finally gotten everything put back together. I’ve been down there, under blankets on my nice new couches playing Assasin’s Creed: Odyssey all weekend and it’s been glorious!

There are still finishing touches that I want to do – pictures on the walls, etc. And basically, two of my four bookshelves are totally empty, but trust me I am rapidly correcting that and spending too much money in the process. This includes a trip to Book Outlet’s Box Sale next Friday! It’s the most wonderful time of the year for any booknerds within travel distance! Maybe I’ll see you there!

But enough about me and my bullshit. Let’s talk about Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. Together, between July 1963 and October of 1965, in Manchester, England, they sexually assaulted and killed five children together. So yeah, they’re a delightful pair that you’d definitely invite over to dinner parties and other normal people stuff.

You know what they say: the couple that kills together goes to prison in separate locations and never gets to see each other ever again!

This is The Moors Murders.

Obvious trigger warning: violence against children.

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True Crime Tuesday: The San Francisco Witch Killers

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

It’s the Month of Love! Is everyone excited? Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and you certainly don’t need to be partnered up to celebrate. Give yourself some love, go out with a friend and celebrate your friendship. Buy your furbaby a special treat and watch a movie snuggled up. Love is love, baby! It doesn’t need to be romantic to count.

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My husband and I have dinner reservations and then we’ll be going to see a movie if something is out that doesn’t suck. It’s nothing fancy. And honestly, we don’t really do anything at all for Valentine’s Day under normal circumstances, but after you’ve been together seven years, you tend to make a more concerted effort towards date nights and getting out of the house when you have an excuse. It’s so easy to fall into a very contented, eventless life that doesn’t see much romance, like at all.

What better excuse than a day that is solely reserved for love? Nothing says love like a conservatively priced meal and movie gift cards!

There are couples who go all out for Valentine’s Day. A guy I work with is taking his long-time girlfriend to Cuba and will be proposing to her. That’s one for the books! How are you ever going to top that?

Other couples prefer to keep the romance alive all year long and don’t need a special day as an excuse to get out of the house. Maybe they’re consistently doing little things for each other, trying to make the rest of us look bad. Maybe they have a standing date night every Friday where they pull popsicle sticks out of a jar and do whatever idea is written on the stick, like some Pinterest-level experts.

Or maybe they start practicing the occult and murdering witches!

In the spirit of the Month of Love, I’ll be writing up the stories of Killer Couples for the next couple of weeks.

First up, Michael and Suzan Carson, The San Francisco Witch Killers.

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True Crime Tuesday: Christmas Eve Massacre

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

Merry Whatever-You-Celebrate, Booknerds!

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It’s officially Christmas/Yule for my family today, so as you’re reading this I’m definitely still in my PJs, making breakfast for everyone and settling in to open presents. After that, we’ll watch a holiday movie and play some games before I inevitably pass out from expending so much of my limited energy trying to make everyone fucking happy. Good times.

What are your typical December 25th plans? I’d love to hear about how your day went today and what gifts you got! Epic book hauls? Fandom gifts? What made your hearts happy today? Let me know in the comments.

Between all of my offline plans, you can be sure that I’m still going to poke my head in to check out #bookstagram and read your blog posts whenever I get a chance.

And if you’re doing the same thing, welcome to my last True Crime Tuesday post for 2018! What better day for it than on Christmas? Clearly, between your family time and your excitement about all your new goodies, you’ve popped by my blog to get your fix of murder and mayhem and for that, I say thank you and we are the same.

Today’s story is a full-on Christmas nightmare committed by Santa Clause himself!

So, grab a hot chocolate, wrap yourself up in a holiday blanket, enjoy the soothing sounds of Christmas music and your family talking or screaming or laughing together, while you snuggle in for the next fifteen minutes to read about another family getting fucking killed ten years ago.

This is The Covina Massacre.

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True Crime Tuesday: 20 Years Missing & A Christmas Suicide

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

It is officially December! The countdown to the holidays is on motherfuckers! I am feeling the crunch just a little bit, I can’t lie. Last weekend we busted our butts in freezing rain to get lights on the house and a tree up. Now all I have left to do is shopping. It’s fine. It’s totally fine *deep breaths*

Around here at HTFT, I carved out some time to make a new holiday-themed banner for my blog. I didn’t work on it for very long, but it is another task checked off the to-do list, and I actually kind of love it.

So, since my “raining in the basement” fiasco, I have been behind in both reading and writing, not just my holiday responsibilities. I’m also less $1k in my holiday budget because of an insurance deductible, so things are tighter than I’d like them to be.

But, I’m not going to let the money or the rush or my reading backlog damper my holiday spirit.

And I hope others can find that same merry & bright attitude, even if you’re feeling like you don’t have it in you this year.

Yesterday, my sister was a “depression ball” because of a recent breakup and lack of funds for the holidays, and my mother was “bumming hard” because she had to spend her Christmas money to replace an unexpectedly broken oven and can’t get the gifts for people she wants to.

And I totally get it! Those things suck. Helloooo, part of my walls are missing in my house because of a broken kitchen pipe! But at the same time, the holidays aren’t about money spent and gifts given. This time is about family, friends and the family you’ve chosen and made. No one wants to be on their deathbed, wishing they had been more engaged in making memories instead of being upset about relationships they no longer think about, or ovens that are now in, hopefully, some appropriate recycling system.

So, I told them both they have 22 days to buck-the-fuck-up or there will be Krampus hell to pay.

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True Crime Tuesday: The Halloween Killer (& A “My Hometown Murder” Update)

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

It’s almost here! Can you feel it? Halloween night creeping ever closer?

Do you have your costumes ready? Your pumpkins carved? Have you eaten all of the candy you were supposed to be saving for young, innocent children dressed as tigers and bumblebees that make your ovaries go, “You’re 30-something!! You better decide if this is cute enough to make you want this sooner rather than later!!“

Huh? Yeah, me neither.

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To help us prepare for the big night – because the countdown is officially on! – I’m back with another Halloween inspired #TCT to really help scare the shit out of you on October 31st.

You’re going to be sitting around, waiting for the knock on the door, watching a scary movie, and suddenly there it will be – a memory of that time I told you about people being fucking murdered in their homes after handing out candy. And you’ll think, THAT BITCH.

Or you’ll be out at a party, dressed up in your sexy slice of pizza costume or your sexy Big Bird costume or your sexy hot dog costume or your sexy Pikachu costume or your sexy Eleven from Strange Things costume (she’s just a child, what is wrong with you?) and suddenly there it will be – a memory of that time I told you about people being fucking murdered walking home drunk in their sexy Halloween costumes. And you’ll think, THAT CUNT.

BUT FIRST…

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True Crime Tuesday: A Ghastly Halloween Double Murder

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!

*deep breaths*

It’s officially October which means my month-long celebration of Halloween can commence.

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At home you will find me decorating, watching scary movies and buying bite-sized boxes of candy from Costco, eating it all before Halloween night, then buying more because I guess I need to give some away to children. Good times.

I love Halloween so much. It’s my favourite time of year (which I think is true of most of us around here judging by the number of pumpkins currently spicing everybody’s posts), but because I love it so much, I can’t just leave my Halloween festivities at home. I’ve got to bring it here to share with all of you in my little corner of the internet, as well.

I started with a brand new header for my blog. Consider it me putting out jack-o-lanterns on my proverbial front porch. And next up are going to be Halloween-themed True Crime Tuesday posts for the next month.

That’s right! I’m going to fill your murderino noggins with terrifying stories of people being murdered on Halloween so that when that spooky night rolls around you’ve really got that festive scared-out-of-your-mind feeling!

You’re welcome. I love you.

First up, a story of unknown motive and Halloween nightmares. The murders of Adriane Insogna and Leslie Mazzara.

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True Crime Tuesday: Bruce McArthur, Serial Killer – Part Two

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

It’s Part Two, Bitches!!!

We’re talking about Bruce McArthur, the Toronto Serial Killer making headlines right now. If you haven’t read Part One of this story, I suggest you do so to learn about who McArthur is, where he comes from and what his history was before he was arrested for being a fucking serial killer. Because it’s interesting and disturbing. Exactly what you want from your true crime, right?!

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You can find that post here.

Before we jump back into this crazy ass story of horror and death, let’s do a small recap of where we left off last time.

It’s 2017 and Toronto’s gay village is becoming increasingly concerned about missing members of their community.

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True Crime Tuesday: My Hometown Murder

Please read the “TCT Disclaimer” under the True Crime tab at the top of the page before reading any true crime posts.

Good morning friends, lovers and strangers! It feels sooo goood to be back with a new edition of #TCT.

The end of August was SO busy for me I barely posted anything around here, but I got a lot done at home, so I’m not complaining. We’re just here for a good time, right?

Before we get into it, how was everyone’s long weekend?! Really, I want to know. I had a family BBQ, played some Battleborn with my husband and yesterday I deep cleaned my car.

You don’t understand what a big deal that was. I bought my car in 2015 and this was the first time I’ve ever cleaned the inside of it.

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It was time. There were puppy puke stains everywhere. A little heads up that puppies can have motion sickness for the first year of their life would have been nice.

Besides that, I’ve been doing so much stuff at home all month that last week I actually bulged a disk in my lower back and I was laid up in bed for three days. Welcome to your 30s – where a Sunday afternoon of yard work means you are a cripple for half the week. I mean I’m still in pain constantly, but at least I can walk now.

We also had some crazy excitement about two weeks ago in my neighbourhood. And that’s what this post is going to be about. That’s right! When I say MY HOMETOWN MURDER, I fucking mean it!

Now, I have to say I’m a little bit hesitant to share this story because it essentially tells you exactly where I live *nervous laugh.* But it’s too close to home, too intriguing and too big of a story right now in my city to not share with you guys.

So please, just promise not to stalk me okay?

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