He used his words to persuade, and he died because of them. In 1837, Elijah Lovejoy became a martyr to the first amendment, specifically freedom of the press, because as a newspaper editor, he believed in speaking out on the biggest injustice of his day. But after he was murdered, was there any justice for him?

More about the show:
🌐 https://thehistoryofmurder.com

Team & Contributors

Executive Producer- Clare O’Donohue
https://clareodonohue.com

Executive Producer – Margaret Smith

Writer: Kara Amis Thomas
https://karaamis.substack.com

Editor – Jessica Stokey

Social Media Manager & Design – Mikayla Bogus
https://mikayladesign.cargo.site

IT Manager – Conor Sweeney

The History of Murder Logo – Bernadette Carr
https://www.bcarrdesign.com

Theme Song “My Carnal Life I Will Lay Down” – Rob Brereton
https://robertbrereton.com

Voice of Elijah Lovejoy: Joe Janes
http://www.joejanes.net

Voice of Abraham Lincoln: Randy Duncan

This was truly a team effort, and we’re grateful to everyone who played a part.

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Bridge was a national obsession in 1929, and it was the personal obsession of an upper middle-class woman in Kansas City, Missouri. Myrtle Bennett poured over books about how to improve her game. She played whenever she had the chance. Her husband Jack was her frequent partner, but one night during a game, Myrtle and Jack got into a fight that led to a murder. As tragic as it was, it was the reaction from other bridge players that remains shocking.

Continue reading “Hand of Death: The Story of Myrtle Bennett”

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the most famous event of Prohibition happened in a garage on Chicago’s North Side. We all know that Al Capone tried to kill Bugs Moran but instead killed a bunch of his guys. Except, maybe that isn’t what happened. There are lots of theories about who and why but not as many answers. What we do know is that February 14, 1929, changed everything for Capone, Moran and Prohibition itself.

Continue reading “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre: The Story of Prohibition’s Deadliest Day”

Prohibition became law in the U.S. in January 1920. But in Chicago, it was more of a suggestion. It turned ordinary people into criminals, and criminals into superstars. Explore where true crime meets commerce in a documentary about a time when Chicago’s underworld mob became household names.

Continue reading “The Rise of Chicago’s Underworld: The Story of the Early Mob”

Meriwether Lewis is known for being half of Lewis and Clark, who in 1804 led an extraordinary expedition into the lands of the Louisiana Purchase. But having survived that harrowing journey, just five years later, Lewis was found shot to death in a remote cabin in Tennessee. Is this a true crime? The question of what really happened has plagued historians for centuries.

Continue reading “Dead at Dawn: The Story of Meriwether Lewis”

His death is often cited on lists called, “Stupid Ways People Have Died” … and it was stupid. But the life of attorney and politician Clement Vallandigham was complicated. During the Civil War he was a free speech advocate and a convicted traitor. He was beloved by some in Ohio, hated by others and, ultimately, laughed about by most. The true crime is a shooting in a bar room brawl on Christmas Eve, but this is a documentary about the lawyer who defended that case with his life.

Continue reading “Death of the Defense: The Story of Clement Vallandigham”

On August 21, 1863, the residents of Lawrence, Kansas woke up to chaos. The Civil War was raging, and this Midwestern town, far from the front lines, was at the center, 500 men rode into town, killing men and boys, and burning down the homes and businesses. They said they were fighting for the Confederacy, but were they really just criminals looking to steal and kill? In this true crime documentary, we explore the question of whether this was mass murder or an act of war.

Continue reading “Fire on the Prairie: The Story of the Lawrence Massacre”

Before he was President, before the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was the most successful attorney in Springfield Illinois. But when a young man from a prominent family killed someone, Lincoln was an odd choice for the defense. This true crime documentary features one of the most famous historical figures in American history in a case where the stakes couldn’t have been higher for the defendant – and his lawyer.

Continue reading “When Lincoln Defended A Killer: The Story of Peachy Quinn”

Is it true crime or military might? The documentary that shows what happened to the protesters when WW1 veterans came to Washington D.C. to get an early payout of a benefits package and the army, led by generals who will become famous in WW2, used teargas and tanks to evict them.

Continue reading “When Protesters Met Bayonets: The Story of the Bonus Army”

In October of 1871, a mob in Los Angeles descended upon a poor neighborhood and hunted down every Chinese man they could find. The killing spree would last four hours. There were several trials, but many of the witnesses stayed away – and one group, the surviving Chinese, were kept from testifying. Then the entire event was buried so deep in the history books that even the descendants of the survivors didn’t know it happened.

Continue reading “The Night of Horrors: The Story of the Chinese Massacre”