The SERIALously podcast explores disturbing crimes involving youth, child neglect, and domestic violence. The episode covers cases like the affluent "Gilbert Goons" gang that killed a teenager, and parents who left children in hot cars or abandoned them, leading to tragic deaths.
The hosts also examine a serial kidnapper and murderer utilizing gruesome tactics for sexual assaults, and share new evidence in the Madeline Soto case raising suspicions about her mother's involvement. A gut-wrenching TikTok domestic violence incident underscores the importance of recognizing abuse signs in online relationships.
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The "Gilbert Goons," an affluent teenage gang, violently attacked and killed 16-year-old Preston Lord at a party. Though arrested, the gang members largely evaded consequences due to their families' influence. Sanger-Katz cites this case as part of a concerning trend of youth seeking social media notoriety through violence.
Christopher Schultes left his 2-year-old daughter Parker in a hot car for over 3 hours, despite prior warnings from his wife Erica about this behavior, resulting in Parker's tragic death. In a separate case, Aaliyah Jack was charged after her 4-year-old son's body was found in a lake, while her 1-year-old was miraculously discovered alive but abandoned for days.
Popular TikToker Laderias Brownlee shot his girlfriend Zara in the face during an argument, leaving her with life-threatening injuries. Their shared TikTok account featured concerning videos of Brownlee mistreating Zara, dismissed as "jokes." The incident underscores the need to recognize signs of abuse in relationships portrayed positively online.
Timothy Hauslett Jr. was arrested for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman he held captive in a basement dungeon. The investigation uncovered the body of a potentially murdered woman, Janie Crosdale, in a barrel. Hauslett allegedly confessed to killing two other women, utilizing disturbing methods like gas masks and electrocution during sexual assault.
New evidence emerged in the Madeline Soto case, raising suspicions about her mother Jennifer's involvement in the 13-year-old's murder by her boyfriend Stefan Stearns. Emails reference Jennifer's potential heavy involvement, and traffic cameras captured an unidentified Nissan taking the same route as Stearns' car when transporting Madeline's body.
1-Page Summary
The discussion brings to light crimes involving teenagers, particularly focusing on the "Gilbert Goons," a gang of privileged teenagers who performed violent attacks without facing the proper consequences.
The affluent teenagers involved in the "Gilbert Goons" gang have been linked to numerous violent incidents, including the tragic death of 16-year-old Preston Lord at a house party in Arizona. Preston's murder by the gang highlights the issue of accountability and the lack of adequate consequences faced by these young attackers due to their families' influence.
Preston Lord died last October after being violently attacked by the Gilbert Goons, whose members hail from wealthy families. Seven individuals were arrested following the incident, and Preston’s parents have filed a wrongful death suit against them and the homeowner of the party venue. The party, described as a "Halloween costume rager," was heavily advertised on social media and drew a crowd of nearly 200 people. It was at this gathering where Preston was beaten unconscious and abandoned as the perpetrators fled the scene.
The parents of Talon Renner, a known member of the Gilbert Goons, have been accused of negligence in supervising their son despite being cognizant of his propensity for violence. Documentation from various incidents indicates Talon’s violent tendencies, notably a threat to shoot up his school in fifth grade and his involvement in a bullying case in middle school. The most recent incident involved Talon assaulting another resident at the Diamond Ranch Academy Treatment Center be ...
Crimes involving teenagers/young adults
In a tragic incident, a pattern of child neglect has come to a fatal end, sparking widespread outrage and raising questions about parental responsibility and the law's role in preventing such outcomes.
Christopher Schultes, the father accused of his daughter’s death, left his 2-year-old daughter Parker in a car on a day when temperatures soared over 100 degrees. Despite his claim that he left the car running with the AC on, he was aware that the vehicle would shut off after 30 minutes.
Christopher's action was not an isolated incident but a known behavior. Erica, Parker's mother, had previously sent him a text message warning against leaving their children in the car. Parker's siblings confirmed that their father had a pattern of leaving them in the car and frequently becoming distracted.
Christopher has been charged with second-degree murder and child abuse; however, he has pled not guilty to the charges. Despite this, Erica Schultes has remarkably requested his release from jail pending his hearing, arguing that he should be home for the grieving process and the burial of their daughter.
The case underscores the need for stronger accountability and intervention when a pattern of child neglect is evident, even in the absence of intent to harm.
The incident has parallels with another horrifying case where the body of a four-year-ol ...
Child neglect/abuse leading to death
In a disturbing incident that has raised awareness of the severity of domestic violence, the arrest of a popular TikToker has unveiled the troubling dynamics within his intimate relationship.
Laderias Morshun Brownlee, known for his presence on TikTok, was arrested following a heated altercation that culminated in him shooting his girlfriend, Zara, in the face. According to witnesses, after the couple's argument escalated to physical violence, they drove three miles before Laderias stopped the car. He then pointed a gun at the witnesses in the backseat before shooting Zara above her right eye. The assault left Zara with life-threatening injuries.
The couple jointly maintained a TikTok account that boasted roughly 155,000 followers. Many of their shared videos depicted Laderias displaying what appeared to be demeaning and rough behavior towards Zara. The bio on their account trivially claimed such depictions were "it's a joke." Notwit ...
Domestic violence and intimate partner violence
Timothy Hauslett Jr., a Missouri man, is under investigation for a series of disturbing crimes including kidnapping, sexual assault, and possibly multiple murders.
Timothy Hauslett Jr. was arrested for the kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman who managed to escape his hold. This woman had endured harrowing experiences in what was described as a dungeon in his basement, where she was daily restrained, choked, whipped, and sexually assaulted. Timothy, who donned women's lingerie during the assaults, addressed her as his sex slave.
Further investigation revealed that Janie Crosdale, a woman who had been missing for months, was found dead in a blue barrel in a river. Initially sought as a potential witness in the kidnapping case, her murder has opened the door to the possibility of more victims and heinous crimes committed by Hauslett.
The discovery of similar barrels in Hauslett's home implies a potential pattern of crime, cited by authorities as a customary method in disposing of victims.
The woman who escape ...
Serial kidnapping, torture, and murder
Fresh evidence in the Madeline Soto case opens up additional lines of inquiry, particularly concerning the potential involvement of the victim's mother, Jennifer Soto.
In an unsettling twist in the Madeline Soto case, developments have surfaced raising suspicions about the involvement of her mother, Jennifer Soto. Madeline Soto was reported missing on February 26th, and tragically, her body was found on March 1st. Her mother's boyfriend, Stefan Stearns, is facing charges for the murder of the 13-year-old and 60 counts of child sexual abuse, with evidence of abuse stretching over two years.
Stefan Stearns was captured on camera driving with what appeared to be Madeline's lifeless body. He later lied to the police and attempted to erase his phone data, which police recovered and led to the additional charges of sexual abuse. A peculiar interview with Jennifer Soto generated public skepticism regarding her awareness of the abuse and participation in the murder.
Recently released documents reveal curious emails between Stefan Stearns and his family while he's in jail. Despite facing serious charges, the emails cover mundane concerns. One alarming email from Stefan's mother states, "we know that blank was heavily involved in this," presumed by many to refer to Madeline's mother, Jennifer. Additionally, she references "the craziness that blank lived through with blank's various partners," insinuating a chaotic environment that may have facilitated ongoing abuse.
Adding to the complexity is the emergence of evidence implicating a second vehicle. Traffic cameras captured both a Silver Lincoln linked to Stefan Stearns and a white Nissan leaving the apartment complex where Madeline lived and traveling the route to where he ...
Ongoing investigations and developments in high-profile true crime cases
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