In today's episode we're going to be discussing the tragic story of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.

Colleen was a young woman who attended the Knoxville Job Corps Center in 1995. She was making an attempt to get her life on track while building useful skills she could apply to future career endeavors. Unfortunately, Colleen would never get the opportunity to see what her life may have turned out to be. She was tragically murdered by a group of her peers.

Content Warning: This episode depicts violence, harasment, bullying, and the gruesome death of a young woman. Listener discretion is highly advised.

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Enjoy!

On Easter Sunday in 1975, eleven members of the Ruppert family gathered at a home in Hamilton, Ohio. Only one person survived: James Ruppert, the man who had shot his mother, brother, sister-in-law, and eight nieces and nephews.

In this episode of True Crime Recap, we examine what happened inside the family home, the investigation that followed, and the seven-year legal battle over Ruppert’s mental state. Why did a jury convict him of two murders but find him not guilty by reason of insanity in the other nine deaths? As we unpack that verdict, we remember the eleven people whose lives were lost.

Content warning: This episode discusses the murder of children.

In today's episode, we revisit the tragic 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese.

A case that shocked New York City and became a powerful symbol of public indifference. We examine the events surrounding Kitty’s final night, the man responsible for her death, and the controversial reports claiming dozens of witnesses failed to intervene. But how much of the story America was told was actually true?

Join us as we separate fact from myth and explore how one woman’s death changed conversations about crime, human behavior, and our responsibility to help others.

And if you enjoy the show, be sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to hit the notification bell so you don't miss regularly uploaded episodes!

Source material for today's episode can be found below;

Moseley v. Scully, 908 F. Supp. 1120 (E.D.N.Y. 1995), for the confession, arrest interval, trial, conviction, and sentencing history. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/908/1120/1457458/

PBS Independent Lens, History of 911 America's Emergency Service, for the pre-911 emergency system and the case's relationship to later reforms. https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/history-of-911-americas-emergency-service-before-and-after-kitty-genovese/

American Psychological Association, Psychology's Tall Tales, for the distinction between the flawed popular account and the continuing body of research on bystander behavior. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/09/tall-tales

The Witness, directed by James Solomon, for Bill Genovese's reinvestigation, Sophia Farrar's role, and the effort to restore Kitty's life to the public record.

Jim Rasenberger, Nightmare on Austin Street, The New York Times, February 8, 2004, for the fortieth-anniversary reassessment of the original witness narrative.

Rachel Manning, Mark Levine, and Alan Collins, The Kitty Genovese Murder and the Social Psychology of Helping: The Parable of the 38 Witnesses, American Psychologist 62, no. 6 (2007), for the scholarly reexamination of the thirty-eight-witness claim.

In this episode of True Crime Recap, we examine the mysterious death of Donna Payant, a correction officer whose body was discovered inside New York’s Green Haven Correctional Facility in 1981.

What initially appeared to be an unexplained tragedy soon developed into a chilling murder investigation within the walls of a maximum-security prison. We’ll revisit the troubling circumstances surrounding Donna’s disappearance, the evidence investigators uncovered, and the disturbing truth behind one of the most shocking crimes ever committed inside an American correctional facility.

If you enjoy the show, please be sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to hit that notification icon so you don't miss regularly uploaded episodes!

Source material for today's episode can be found below!

• People v. Smith, 110 Misc. 2d 118 (Dutchess County Court, 1981): pretrial ruling describing the allegation, Dr. Michael Baden’s referral, Dr. Lowell Levine’s bite-mark testimony, and the order authorizing new dental impressions. https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/people-v-smith-884526781
• CBS6 Albany, “Son of Murdered Prison Guard Wants Smith Case Reopened” (May 5, 2025): interview with Chris Payant and discussion of the renewed corruption/frame-up theory. https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/son-of-murdered-prison-guard-wants-smith-case-reopened
• Press-Republican/Corrections1, “1981 Murder at Green Haven Followed Prison Dysfunction” (July 18, 2015): biographical details, timeline, excerpts from the Green Haven corruption report, and discussion of training reforms. https://www.corrections1.com/corrections/articles/1981-murder-at-green-haven-followed-prison-disfunction-NdiAzYAy0xWzIBbK/
• Smith v. Coughlin, 748 F.2d 783 (2d Cir. 1984): federal litigation discussing Smith’s confinement following Donna’s murder. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/748/783/218541/
• Officer Down Memorial Page, Donna A. Payant: line-of-duty memorial record. https://www.odmp.org/officer/10510-corrections-officer-donna-a-payant

A podcast that revisits some of the most infamous crimes in history while uncovering lesser-known cases that deserve greater attention. Learn what to expect as we examine the people, timelines, evidence, investigations, and unanswered questions behind each case—all while keeping the victims and their stories at the center.

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