Momicide

In 2016, German backpacker, Lena Rabente, set out on the adventure of a lifetime, exploring the Australian outback during her gap year. Just one month earlier, she had watched the horror film Wolf Creek, never imagining that its terrifying premise would mirror her own reality.
After accepting a ride from a man they believed they could trust, Lena and her new friend, Beatriz Furtado, found themselves fighting for their lives against Roman Heinze, later dubbed the “Salt Creek Monster.” What followed was a brutal fight for survival that would forever bind the two women together forever.
In this episode of Momicide, we explore the chilling similarities between Wolf Creek and the real life Salt Creek attacks, unpack Roman Heinze’s disturbing double life as a devoted family man and violent sexual predator, examine the warning signs leading up to the attack, and discuss where the case stands today.
This is a story of trust betrayed, unimaginable courage, survival against impossible odds, and the unbreakable bond forged through shared trauma.

In this episode told by Amanda, listeners will hear the chilling 911 call made by 24 year old Jennifer Pan moments after a deadly home invasion inside her family’s Markham, Ontario home. As Jennifer speaks to the dispatcher, her father’s desperate screams for help can be heard in the background as he escapes the house, while Jennifer’s mother lies unresponsive in the basement, both having been shot multiple times.

We explore the story behind this horrifying 2010 attack that left Bich Pan dead and her husband, Hann, critically injured. At first, police believed Jennifer was the lone surviving victim of a random break in. But as detectives began to unravel inconsistencies in her story, their focus shifted from a robbery gone wrong to something much darker.

Through the investigation, we examine the complex dynamics within the Pan household and how a web of lies, control, and deceit spiraled into an intricate, premeditated murder-for-hire plot.

This case, later revisited in Netflix’s 2024 documentary What Jennifer Did, raises disturbing questions about family pressure, a hidden double life, and the breaking point that turned a daughter against her own parents.

In our longest single-part episode yet, Kristen will be telling Amanda the story of Theresa Knorr from Sacramento, California. This case truly embodies the chilling nature of our podcast name, Momicide, wherein a mother's actions go far beyond neglect or cruelty, descending into unimaginable brutality and the eventual murders of her two daughters, Suesan and Sheila. The psychological control, abuse, manipulation and dominance that Theresa's children endured will equally shock, sadden, and infuriate you. Theresa’s sons even became unwilling enforcers of her sadistic punishments, helping to facilitate the very torture and murders of their own sisters.

This isn’t just a story of maternal abuse—it’s a case study into psychological manipulation and the ripple effects of what happens when systems designed to protect children are the very thing that failed them.

Thank you as always for your support, it means the world to us. Enjoy the episode! 

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In this episode, we’re doing a deep dive into the twisted fate of Mark Twitchell, aka ‘The Dexter Killer’. late 20th century, the chilling phenomenon of copy-cat killers gained popularity, referring to disturbed individuals replicating the methods of infamous criminals. This twisted trend took a sinister turn in Edmonton, Canada, where a 29-year-old filmmaker, Mark Twitchell, plunged into an eerie obsession with Dexter Morgan, a fictional character from the TV series "Dexter." Twitchell, fueled by a macabre desire for notoriety, envisioned himself as a real-life vigilante serial killer. His gruesome plan unfolded as he lured innocent and unsuspecting men by using online personas, leading them to a meticulously prepared 'kill room.' Twitchell's dark ambitions were documented in a haunting manuscript as he aimed to translate his horrifying experiences into a blockbuster horror film, with the goal of catapulting himself into a world of fame and fortune. However, his plan was abruptly halted after his first murder, putting an end to his dangerous quest for fame and fortune. 

In this episode, we discuss the innocent man who fell victim to Twitchell’s plan, Johnny Altinger, as well as a separate man who would later come forward as a survivor. We touch on the element of men’s safety and the shame associated with them being victimized.  

Thank you as always for your patience and support! Enjoy the episode ❤️

If you love the podcast, we would so appreciate it if you could leave us a 5 star review on Apple or Spotify!

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Check out our recent interview on The Afternoon Pint’s podcast, where we discuss our love of true crime and how we got started. Leave them some love and a review! https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/afternoon-pint/id1699310024?i=1000635738495 (https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/afternoon-pint/id1699310024?i=1000635738495)

In May of 2012, friends of Chinese university student, Jun Lin, reported him missing from Montreal, Canada. Days later, rumors of a real-life murder video were circulating online. The friend that reported Jun Lin missing happened to click on the video, and a wave of terror came over him when he realized the victim in the snuff film was his missing friend. 

Jun Lin’s torso was found in a suitcase swarming with flies, and his dismembered hands and feet were mailed to elementary schools and Canadian political parties. The perpetrator would soon be identified as Luka Rocco Magnotta, and a worldwide manhunt was on. 

Join us on Episode 25 as we dig into who Luka Magnotta was, his horrific pattern of animal abuse, and posting disturbing and upsetting videos of himself committing the most unspeakable acts online. Luka was narcissistic, psychopathic, fame-starved, and an absolutely disgusting, pathetic excuse of a human. 

Every trigger warning imaginable for this episode. You guys said you wanted every gory detail and we delivered. 🎙️🔪🩸

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