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Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new pe ...
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This week Jac and Alexis dive into the long awaited start of the Diddy trial (and why haven’t we seen ANYTHING about it on the news???), bringing the latest updates including the complexity of jury selection, celebrity names mentioned we’ve never heard before, and what will or will not be included during trial. Then, the latest with the Blake and R…
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On July 30, 2000, an 85-year-old man and his 78-year-old wife are taken hostage and soon after killed in a home in Concord, California. In the following days, three more murders are committed as a trio of offenders seek to leave minimal witnesses behind. When the perpetrators are apprehended and their motivations revealed, the truth behind the bloo…
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This week Jac and Alexis unpack their recovery from Stagecoach and dive into the latest headlines: from Katy Perry’s tour flop (why was she fighting an HVAC tube???) to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ Time 100 Gala outing (why was she on the list???), and the Elizabeth Moss sighting at L Ron Hubbards bday party (why is a dead man still throwing bir…
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Molly Frequemont’s family wants answers and they refuse to stop advocating for her. Their determination and unwavering commitment to Molly is what ultimately unearthed the existence of a serial killer who had likely been operating under the radar for decades. Which begs the question, how many more victims could this predator be connected to? In epi…
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There’s a lot to talk about this week! Since the Blue Origin fiasco, people have been digging up Katy Perry’s past of stealing a house from a convent of nuns and one of the nuns dropping dead IN COURT, plus we dive into a dead guy making music with his brain cells post mortem, the conspiracy theory of cemeteries (where are all the bodies ACTUALLY b…
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In March 2013, a 37-year-old California woman suddenly stops calling her mother and daughter, who live on the East Coast. Her family has no idea that just weeks earlier, she had moved in with a man she’d quickly grown afraid of. When her phone stops working and a check from her mother goes uncashed, concern sets in. As detectives begin looking into…
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This week we were blessed by the cringe gods for giving us the gift of the absolute disaster of the Blue Origin trip! We dive into the nitty gritty of the controversies, dive deep into the conspiracies, and have a little chuckle at Jess Bezos eating shit. Who knew it was possible for celebrities to be THIS tone deaf! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episod…
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Episode 347: The Simi Valley Rapist, Part 2
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Four days after Megan Barroso disappeared, another woman was attacked. This time in broad daylight. Then came a break—an arrest that had nothing to do with murder or rape. A petty burglary. A bag in the trash. A call to the police. And suddenly, everything changed. In Part 2 of our coverage on the Simi Valley Rapist, Jac and Alexis follow the unrav…
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This week we are deconstructing Chris Watt’s new letters to God blaming his mistress for him murdering his wife and children, the return of the Direwolf (can we bring back the T-Rex next??), Russel Brand blaming his new allegations on an attack from the Deep State, and can Mountain Dew actually predict the future?? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes…
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Episode 346: The Simi Valley Rapist, Part 1
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Between 1996 and 2001, a series of violent attacks terrorized the seemingly idyllic community of Simi Valley, California. Women were being terrorized in their homes. Families were jolted from sleep by the sounds of screams—and silence. There was no pattern. No suspect. No name. In episode 346, Jac and Lex trace the early crimes of the man the press…
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We’re back again breaking down this week’s wildest headlines. From new Diddy claims implicating Gloria Estefan, Beyonce, and LeBron James, to Virginia Giuffre’s bizarre IG post claiming she was hit by a school bus, to even more Justin Bieber updates, to an Elizabeth Holmes x Nathan Fielder collab?? It’s been a weird week, that’s for sure. 🎟 Catch u…
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Episode 345: Crystal Deniece McCrory Jones
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On February 9, 2023, police conduct a welfare check at a home in a neighborhood of Oak Grove, Louisiana. Inside the residence, they find a 43-year-old business owner, wife, and mother dead from a gunshot wound. The woman’s husband is devastated, as is the rest of the victim’s family. After a speedy investigation, the shooting is soon ruled a suicid…
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This week we’re diving into the dark side of AI, technology, and the existential dream of trying to live forever. We’re talking about implanting memories into murderers, doing head transplants on billionaires, and that weird dude who thinks he’s never gonna die. And then of course, we have Blake vs Justin updates, and Justin Bieber’s cryptic IG pos…
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On the morning of November 12th of 1991, 41-year-old Janice Aschraft Lillie left her volunteer work at Belle Chasse High School to go to her office in Gretna, Louisiana. Janice’s husband, 41-year-old Norman Lillie, needs her help collecting back rent from their tenants. The couple co-manage and co-own several apartments in the Greater New Orleans m…
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This week we’re talking about the Ghost Adventurers murder for hire plot that just got 10x wilder, Ryan Reynolds throwing Blake Lively under the bus, and we’re just getting to the tip of the ice berg of Hailey Bieber’s obsession with Justin & Selena and how it might even be darker than anyone thinks. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus…
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On May 8th, 2016, a successful 46-year-old business manager and CPA is sitting an FBI polygraph test in Los Angeles, California. The well-respected executive partner with numerous high-profile, world-famous clients from the entertainment industry has it all. A happy marriage, three kids, and a career trajectory where the sky is the limit. But it’s …
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This week we’re diving the murder for hire plan to kill the star of Ghost Adventurers, the sad truth of Gene Hackman’s death, Blake Lively being cringe as hell at SXSW, and the story about a mom who is convinced her son was murdered and his body was sold to the Bodies Exhibit in Vegas. It was a dark week, people. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes p…
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Episode 342: Anastasia WitbolsFeugen, Part 2
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Rumors and conflicting information are rife in what appears to be an unsolvable case. But years later, when the killer is finally identified and convicted at trial, it’s not the end of the story. In episode 342, Jac and Alexis detail the haunting murder of Anastasia Elizabeth WitbolsFeugen, and how some people close to the case remain convinced tha…
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This week we’re diving deep into the weeks dark headlines: Luigi Mangione’s alleged sex tape scandal, Gene Hackman’s bizarre death, Blake Lively hiring an ex-CIA agent for her crisis PR, and Casey Anthony joining TikTok like nothing ever happened??? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/th…
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Episode 341: Anastasia WitbolsFeugen, Part 1
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On October 22, 1997, an 18-year-old high school graduate is shot to death in a cemetery near Independence, Missouri. Her family is heartbroken, but sadly, she is not the only victim. Less than 72 hours later, someone close to the young woman then takes their own life. As the months drag on, the police investigation takes a series of twists and turn…
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DEEP DIVE: DIDDY, FYRE FEST, & JUSTIN V BLAKE UPDATES
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We’re coming back at you with this week’s dark headlines! We’re talking Diddy’s lawyer quitting (saying “under no circumstances can I continue”), Kim K allegedly having satanic art in her house, and Fyre Fest is BACK BABY! And of course we’ve got the Blake & Justin updates, including how Jenny Slate somehow twisted being offered $15,000 into a bad …
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Episode 340: The Victims: Milwaukee Ave Massacre
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On November 26, 1981, four men were killed and two others were wounded in a shooting massacre on Thanksgiving night in Chicago, Illinois. The murders make headlines as being the worst multiple slayings in the city in four years. The son of one of the men whose life was stolen is our guest on this very special episode of The First Degree. Four membe…
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MAKE IT STOPPPP! We’re back for another Blake vs Justin update, because the bombs just don’t stop dropping. We break down Blake & Ryan’s first public appearance at SNL’s 50th Anniversary (what the hell was THAT??), the new HR complaints that every news outlet refused to report on, and Blake’s updated suit that kindaaaa seems like it was written by …
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In the early hours of September 6, 1994, a 21-year-old woman is found murdered in her apartment in Bakersfield, California. Just days earlier, she’d been hanging out with friends, laughing and talking. Now, her friends are left to question how someone could have taken her life so brutally—and why. Despite the tragedy, there’s no full investigation …
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Another week, another round of messed up and delusional celeb shenanigans. We bring you the Blake vs Justin updates, Taylor & Travis Super Bowl conspiracies, Armie Hammer eating more body parts, & Allison Holker (allegedly) writing fake Amazon reviews for her new memoir? These people truly are the gift that keeps on giving. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus…
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