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True Crime is more than blood, guts, mayhem, and murder. Zaron Burnett and Elizabeth Dutton share outlandish tales of capers, heists, and cons that shine a light on the absurd and outrageous side of criminality. Always 99% murder-free and 100% ridiculous, this is Ridiculous Crime, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
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Witchy Woman: Helen "Hellish Nell" Duncan
Helen Duncan had a gift. She told the world that the gift was the ability to communicate with the dead and see the future. Her real talent was puking up swatches of fabric and brawling with clients. Either way, people paid to see her act. B
Take Me Down to Everglades City: A Town of Pot Smugglers
The City of Everglade City was founded by smugglers, so it should be no surprise that a century later, the locals kept that tradition going. Only by then, they'd moved on to pot smuggling. It was a highly lucrative profession, far more than
They Don't Love You Like I Love You: Map Crimes
Maps are beautiful, functional works of art. Even the most utilitarian paper map has its charms. But when a map has historical value, it can fetch an incredible amount. Which, of course, makes them catnip for crimers. Come navigate the worl
The Beef Pirates of Philadelphia
The police of Philadelphia were flummoxed by a new crime trend. As the crime statistics in the city were falling, one category of crime was spiking. And it was all thanks to a crew of beef pirates. The bucaneers of the tri-state area were c
How Angry Are These Penguins?: The Ern Malley Affair
A poet named Ern, so they say/Wrote verses that dazzled one day/But Ern, it turned out, was a hoax, past a doubt/Cooked up by two dorks just for play! See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Outlaw Elmer McCurdy
Elmer McCurdy came of age at the end of the Old West, and as it vanished he tried to grab at that outlaw life while it was still a real thing. Trouble was, he was not good at being a bad man. In death, he became an avatar and totem of the f
An Offense to Forgers: The Fake Italian Amphitheater
There's a lot of money to be made in tourism, especially in culturally rich areas like Italy's Veneto region. So what's a philanthropist/entrepreneur/orchestra conductor to do? Build a fake ancient amphitheater, of course! The Italian gover
The Great Yosemite Gold Rush of Pot
Last week, Elizabeth shared a story from the Gold Rush. And this week, Zaron brings us a story from the Yosemite Gold Rush. If you've never heard of it, that's when a bunch of dirtbag rock climbers who called Yosemite home learned about a d
Gold Dust Woman: Marie Suize Pantalon
Marie Suize made her way from France to the foothills of California for the Gold Rush. One of just a few women up there mining for gold, she managed to make a fortune and gain the respect of her fellow prospectors. In an effort to be practi
Brenden Abbott, AKA The Postcard Bandit
Raised in difficult cirumstances, it was no surprise that Brenden Abbott turned to a life of crime. But once he got going, he was an endless source of surprises for the Australian police who struggled to capture and recapture him, as he bro
The Great Book Theft: Frede Møller-Kristensen
A genius goes to work in the Danish Royal Library. Sounds about right. That genius starts stealing books. That's not right. The genius stops stealing books. That's good! His family starts selling off the stolen books. Okay, we're back to no
Come Fly With Me, Come Crime With Me: the Ken Jouppi Story
How far would you go to fight the law and keep your stuff? For Alaskan bush pilot Ken Jouppi the answer is: all the way to the Supreme Court. Thanks to Alaska’s strict laws about bringing booze into a dry town, Jouppi was set to lose his se
Bonus: Getting High with Ridiculous Crime: Reindeer Trips and Soothing Syrup
Did you know reindeer love tripping? Or that, once upon a time, otherwise responsible parents would dose their children with high-test opioids? In the second chapter of their ongoing series, Ben, Noel, and Max welcome returning guest Zaron
Bonus: Getting High with Ridiculous Crime: Betel Nut and 'Asthma Cigarettes'
Have you ever gone full red-mouth off betel nut? Did you ever buy cigarettes to cure your asthma? When Ben, Noel, and Max first began exploring bizarre drugs of yesteryear, they had no idea that they'd stumbled across a continuing series. L
Dr. Teeth and the Cocaine Mayhem: Larry Lavin
Larry Lavin started out selling weed and a chill place to consume it to his classmates at Phillips Exeter Academy. He upped his game in dental school, selling cocaine and making sure the students at UPenn were zooted to the gills. He suppli
Seth Rogen vs. North Korea: The Great Sony Hack of 2014
In a much different world, Seth Rogen wanted to make a movie about assassinating the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un. The film he imagined would be a comedy, one that might lead to positive change, perhaps even a change of leadership in
Don't You Know Who I Am?: The Hollywood Con Queen
For good or for bad, Hollywood is the land of promises and illusion. Getting the right phone call at the right time can make a career...or it can drain a bank account. The Hollywood Con Queen convinced aspriring stars that fame and fortune
All Along the Watchlist: Crimes of the Woodstock Generation
In a star-studded episode of Sixties outrageousness, ride along with Jimi Hendrix and Neil Young, catch flight with the band Canned Heat, party with at least half of the Beach Boys, and hit up Nixon's White House with Grace Slick of Jeffers
It's a (Crime) Family Affair: Shaun Greenhalgh
Rejected by the art world, Shaun Greenhalgh needed an outlet for his incredible talent. Guess what? Crime was the perfect opportunity for such a thing. A true Renaissance man, Shaun could fake up anything from a treasure from antiquity to a
Let Me Stand Next to My Fire: Zaron Burns Down a Hillside
Before he was charming the Rude Dudes with tales of silly capers, heists, and cons, Zaron was a house painter. But not just any old house painter. He worked on high end projects with meticulous care. Except for that one time he became an ac
Hot Rocks: The Green Vault Heist
In Dresden, Germany, an incredible trove of precious gems is on display in Dresden Castle's Green Vault. They've been there for hundreds of years, save a brief moment when a crime family lifted them and made a run for it. Some made it home,
ZZ Top and the Zombies: A Great American Long Con
Before they grew long beards and a mustache and formed ZZ Top, two of the bandmates, drummer Frank Beard and bassist Dusty Hill, were once in a traveling band that was created as a blatant cash grab. Much like Los Beatles Americanos (rememb
It's an Honor to Rob a Bank: Lucio Urtubia
He fought for freedom, not just for his native Spain but for oppressed people worldwide. With his strong believe that, "the keystone of existence is doing right by one's neighbor," his subversive tactics used the tools of system against its
Before Cocaine Cartels, There Was The Black Tuna Gang
The name of their crime crew was certainly unfortunate. Like, who would wanna be known as The Black Tuna Gang? But their crimes, however, are legendary. Long before cocaine became synonymous with Colombia and Miami, these quasi-hippie drug
Philately Will Get You Nowhere: The Apollo 15 Postal Cover Scandal
Humans are fascinated by two things and two things only in this life: space and keepsakes. That’s it. The astronauts of the Apollo 15 mission knew this, so they took a LOT of stamped envelopes to the moon. You know, for the sake of both sci
The Show Must NOT Go On!: Sometimes Crime is the Only Answer
For these three stories, there is one unifying idea: the show must NOT go on. And in order to ensure the show was indeed stopped, people turned to crimes, sweet, sweet ridiculous crimes. Whether a theater musical director, a bride-to-be, or
Ridiculous Crime Interviews: Matthew Campbell and The Man Who Stole the Gods, Part 2
For part two of this special edition, Zaron continues his interview with author Matthew Campbell about his book The Man Who Stole the Gods. In the second half of the interview, Matthew Campbell examines the other half of the art crime, the
Ridiculous Crime Interviews: Matthew Campbell and The Man Who Stole the Gods
For part one of this special edition, Zaron interviews author Matthew Campbell about his book The Man Who Stole the Gods. The incredible tale documents a truly global art crime. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and Cambodian Civi
I'll Stop the World and Melt with You: Joe Colombo Jr.
Joe Colombo Jr. was the son of a powerful, ruthless, flashy, publicity-loving mob boss. Joe Sr. was larger than life and as audacious as they come. One would expect his namesake to follow in his criming footsteps, which he did. In his own w
God Wants You...To Make Me Rich!: The Crimes of John Alexander Dowie
He was America's first super-wealthy faith healer. You could also say he was America's first religious robber baron. His name is John Alexander Dowie. After many arrests, lawsuits, and court fights, Dowie decided it would be best if he and
