231: The Gorky Maniac | Russia

If Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story left you curious about Erzsébet Báthory, revisit the accusations and disputed accounts behind “Countess Dracula” with Evidence Locker. 16th century Transylvanian Blood Countess, Erzebet Báthory, was labelled as the most prolific female serial killer in history in The Guinness World Records. It is believed that she tortured, mutilated and murdered as many as 650 young girls, then bathed in their blood to preserve her youthful beauty. Historians are divided whether she was in fact a sadistic landowner or the victim of an effective smear campaign. For pictures and more information, join us on Facebook Want to support our podcast? Visit our page at Patreon For a full list of resources and credits visit Evidence Locker Website Resources Most Evil Women in History: Countess Dracula The Lies about Elizabeth Báthory revealed Elizabeth Bathory – The ‘Blood Countess’ Nadasdy Muzeum Wikipedia Daily Motion – The Lady Killers The disturbing true story of Elizabeth Báthory, The Blood Countess Elizabeth Báthory – The Blood Countess The Bloody Countess? Inside the ruined castle of a medieval serial killer Epilepsy: from the early civilizations to modern days

In June 2007, the dismembered remains of 36-year-old Sanna Garoës appeared beside three roads leading out of Windhoek. Her death brought two unsolved murders from 2005 back into the headlines and gave Namibia a frightening name for a possible killer: the B1 Butcher. Then a fourth woman’s remains were found more than 400 kilometres away. Police announced her identity, only to discover that the woman they had named was alive. As investigators followed reports of DNA evidence and competing leads, a difficult question remained: which of these crimes, if any, belonged to the same person? Books: Read collections of The Evidence Locker Files, available in print and digital editions. Follow us on: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok For more information, visit: Evidence Locker Website Listen ad-free: Visit our page at Patreon

In October 1849, one of America's greatest writers was found delirious on the streets of Baltimore, wearing someone else's clothes and unable to explain how he had ended up there. Four days later, Edgar Allan Poe was dead. He was just 40 years old. No death certificate survives, no autopsy was performed, and the medical records have long since disappeared. Over the past 175 years, countless theories have emerged, ranging from alcohol poisoning and disease to political election fraud, robbery and even murder. #TrueCrime #EdgarAllanPoe #UnsolvedMystery #LiteraryMystery #Baltimore #EvidenceLocker Books: Read collections of The Evidence Locker Files, available in print and digital editions. Follow us on: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok For more information, visit: Evidence Locker Website Listen ad-free: Visit our page at Patreon 25% of Evidence Locker Patreon proceeds are donated to support the Doe Network, solving international cold cases. To learn more, visit: https://www.doenetwork.org/

In the small Italian village of Alleghe, high in the Dolomite Mountains, a series of deaths haunted the community for decades. What began in 1933 with the suspicious death of a young hotel waitress was followed by another unexplained death, then the brutal 1946 double murder of village baker Luigi Del Monego and his wife, Luigia. At the centre of the mystery stood the Hotel Centrale, a powerful local family, and a silence that seemed almost impossible to break. When journalist Sergio Saviane tried to expose the truth, he was sued for defamation and sent to prison. Years later, a patient Carabinieri investigator finally cracked the case open. #TrueCrime #AllegheMurders #Italy #ColdCase #UnsolvedMystery #EvidenceLocker Books: Read collections of The Evidence Locker Files, available in print and digital editions. Follow us on: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok For more information, visit: Evidence Locker Website Listen ad-free: Visit our page at Patreon 25% of Evidence Locker Patreon proceeds are donated to support the Doe Network, solving international cold cases. To learn more, visit: https://www.doenetwork.org/

In 1984, a mysterious criminal group calling itself "The Monster with 21 Faces" launched an unprecedented campaign of extortion against Japan's largest food manufacturers. Beginning with the kidnapping of a confectionery company president, the group taunted police and the media with mocking letters, threatened to poison popular sweets with cyanide, and spread fear throughout the country. Despite one of the largest investigations in Japanese history, involving thousands of detectives, the elusive criminals repeatedly outsmarted authorities. Their brazen campaign caused millions in losses, shattered public confidence and remains officially unsolved more than four decades later. #TrueCrime #MonsterWith21Faces #Japan #UnsolvedMystery #ColdCase #EvidenceLocker Books: Read collections of The Evidence Locker Files, available in print and digital editions. Follow us on: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok For more information, visit: Evidence Locker Website Listen ad-free: Visit our page at Patreon 25% of Evidence Locker Patreon proceeds are donated to support the Doe Network, solving international cold cases. To learn more, visit: https://www.doenetwork.org/