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Once Upon A Crime

Once Upon A Crime

Written by: Esther Ludlow
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 Step into the darker side of history with Once Upon A Crime, a true-crime podcast that delves deep into some of the world’s most gripping cases. Hosted by an expert storyteller, Esther Ludlow, each episode unravels the mysteries behind notorious crimes, exploring the lives of victims, perpetrators, and the intricate details of the investigations that followed. With carefully researched narratives, thematic series, and thoughtful insights, Once Upon A Crime offers listeners a captivating blend of suspense, history, and human psychology. Whether you're a seasoned true-crime fan or just curious about the stories that shaped headlines, Once Upon A Crime promises to keep you on the edge of your seat.© Once Upon A Crime Podcast. INC 2016 Social Sciences True Crime World
Episodes
  • Ted Bundy for the Defense – Part One: Beginnings

    Ted Bundy for the Defense – Part One: Beginnings
    Jan 20 2026
    In Ted Bundy for the Defense: Part One, we examine the earliest confirmed crimes of Ted Bundy and the investigation that led to his first conviction.This episode follows Bundy’s documented attacks beginning in 1974, starting with the brutal assault of Karen Sparks and the murder of University of Washington student Lynda Ann Healy. As young women continue to disappear across Washington State, investigators begin to notice a disturbing pattern—college-aged victims with similar physical characteristics, abducted under similar circumstances.We track Bundy’s movements from Washington to Utah and Colorado, including the Lake Sammamish abductions that introduced the “Ted” suspect and his relocation to Utah as law enforcement closed in. The episode details the disappearances and murders of Nancy Wilcox, Melissa Anne Smith, Laura Aime, and others, highlighting how Bundy’s crimes escalated while investigators struggled to connect cases across state lines.Part One also explores Bundy’s personal life and psychology—his unstable academic career, rejection from elite law schools, political ambitions, and turbulent romantic relationships—and how these failures fueled a growing sense of entitlement and resentment.The episode concludes with the attempted kidnapping of Carol DaRonch, her survival and identification of Bundy, his arrest in Utah, and his 1976 conviction for aggravated kidnapping—marking the first time Ted Bundy was held criminally accountable.Sources: The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History, Kevin M. Sullivan, McFarland and Company, 2020 (Second Edition).Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers, Caroline Fraser, Penguin Press, 2025. The Devil’s Defender, John Henry Browne, Chicago Review Press, 2016.A Light in the Dark: Surviving More than Ted Bundy, Kathy Kleiner Rubin and Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Chicago Review Press, 2024. https://www.aetv.com/articles/most-bizarre-moments-ted-bundy-murder-trialshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/why-narcissistic-killers-like-ted-bundy-choose-to-represent-themselves-in-court/ar-AA1RPSDrhttps://youtu.be/KcBBevSoOmQ?si=jU9iGq1m0dfwP-2chttps://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/articles/killer-who-defended-himself-unique-and-very-public-trial-ted-bundyhttps://johndrogerslaw.com/ted-bundys-criminal-trials-a-detailed-examination/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/10/archives/allamerican-boy-on-trial-ted-bundy.htmlhttps://www.crimelibrary.org/criminal_mind/psychology/defending_oneself/7.htmlhttps://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a27375563/ted-bundy-trial-lawyer-true-story/Sponsors: Completing the Puzzle: Go to CompletingthePuzzle.com and use code OUAC for $10 off your first puzzle subscription box or gift card.Weight Loss by Hers: Visit ForHers.com/ONCE to get a personalized, affordable plan to reach your goals. Talkiatry: Head to talkiatry.com/once and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in minutes.Links: Beyond the Crime Convention - beyondcrimeconvention.com. April 11th & 12th, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Use discount code BEYOND-OUAC. CrimeCon 2026 - crimecon.com/CC26 - May 29th - 31st, Las Vegas. Use our discount code ONCE. About This Series:Ted Bundy for the Defense examines Ted Bundy’s criminal cases through the lens of his courtroom behavior and his insistence on controlling his own fate. This series separates myth from fact, focusing on documented evidence, trial records, and survivor testimony.Coming Next:In Part Two, investigators uncover crucial forensic evidence linking Bundy to additional murders, while Bundy grows increasingly confident in his ability to outsmart the justice system—setting the stage for his most reckless decision yet.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    25 mins
  • Ted Bundy for the Defense - The Myth on Trial

    Ted Bundy for the Defense - The Myth on Trial
    Jan 13 2026

    Ted Bundy is often remembered as charming, intelligent, and dangerously persuasive—a serial killer who outsmarted investigators and manipulated everyone around him. But how much of that story is myth?

    In this introductory episode of Ted Bundy for the Defense, we set the stage for a three-part series that examines Bundy not through the lens of legend, but through the courtroom—where his greatest gamble wasn’t murder, but his decision to represent himself.

    Bundy believed he was smarter than his attorneys, smarter than prosecutors, and smarter than the system itself. That belief would lead him to take control of his own defense in multiple trials across three states—Utah, Colorado, and Florida—with consequences he never fully grasped.

    We’ll begin by debunking some of the most persistent myths surrounding Ted Bundy, including his so-called charisma, his alleged brilliance, and the idea that he was always one step ahead of law enforcement. We’ll also preview the most disturbing and surreal moments from his trials—moments where Bundy used cross-examinations to force witnesses to describe the aftermath of his crimes in graphic detail, stunning jurors and revealing far more about Bundy than he intended.

    This series isn’t about glorifying a killer. It’s about exposing how arrogance, control, and self-delusion helped lead Ted Bundy to the electric chair.

    Coming Up in This Series:

    Part One:

    We trace Bundy’s crimes from the early 1970s through his 1976 Utah trial for the attempted kidnapping of Carol DaRonch—the first time Bundy insisted on defending himself in court, and the first major crack in his self-image.

    Part Two:

    As investigators in the Pacific Northwest quietly connect the dots between multiple murders, Bundy is arrested in Colorado for the murder of Caryn Campbell. Given access to a law library while preparing his own defense, Bundy makes a decision that allows him to escape—again—and flee to Florida.

    Part Three:

    We follow Bundy to Florida, where his violence escalates with the Chi Omega sorority house murders, the attack on Cheryl Thomas, and the murder of twelve-year-old Kimberly Leach. The series concludes with Bundy’s capital murder trials in 1979 and 1980, where his courtroom performances ultimately become his undoing.

    Ted Bundy for the Defense explores what happens when a defendant becomes his own worst enemy—and when belief in one’s own brilliance proves fatal.


    Sponsors:

    This episode was brought to you by:

    Completing the Puzzle - Go to CompletingthePuzzle.com and use code OUAC for $10 off your first puzzle subscription box or gift card. Because no one’s been murdered while doing a puzzle.

    See a list of all our sponsors and discount codes on our website:

    https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/sponsors/


    Links:

    Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

    Our Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com

    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast


    Visit the new OUAC MERCH SHOP!

    Shop now at onceuponacrime.dashery.com.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    14 mins
  • Interview: Crystal Gutierrez on the Disappearance of Anthonette Cayedito

    Interview: Crystal Gutierrez on the Disappearance of Anthonette Cayedito
    Jan 9 2026

    In this special bonus episode of Once Upon a Crime, Esther sits down with journalist and investigator Crystal Gutierrez to discuss the missing persons case she and her team are actively investigating. The disappearance of 9-year-old Anthonette Cayedito, who vanished from her home in Gallup, New Mexico, in 1986.

    Crystal shares what it’s like to reinvestigate a decades-old disappearance, what keeps this case at the forefront of public memory, and why awareness still matters. Esther and Crystal also talk about the upcoming Beyond the Crime Convention, returning for its second year in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Esther will be a featured speaker.

    Case Discussed

    Anthonette Cayedito (Age 9)

    Missing from Gallup, New Mexico — April 6, 1986

    📺 Anthonette Cayedito 911 Call (Video)

    https://youtu.be/sICCy_hOmKU?si=OYMNictYwHKELTrr


    Follow Crystal Gutierrez

    📌 Crystal Gutierrez on Facebook

    https://www.facebook.com/CrystalGutierrezTV

    Submit Tips

    If you have information about Anthonette Cayedito’s disappearance, please email tips to:

    📩 info@beyondthecase.com

    Beyond the Crime Convention

    The Beyond the Crime Convention returns for its second year in Albuquerque, New Mexico — featuring speakers, creators, investigators, and advocates focused on cases that still need answers.

    📍 Location: Albuquerque, NM

    📅 Dates: April 11–12

    🎤 Esther (Host of Once Upon a Crime) will be a featured speaker

    📸 Convention Instagram

    https://www.instagram.com/beyondcrimeconvention/

    🎟️ Discount Code for Tickets

    ✅ BEYOND-OUAC

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    30 mins
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