Episode 628: The Murder of Nancy Evans Titterton

Throughout the 1970s, Southern California residents were held in the grip of terror as multiple serial killers stalked the streets, preying on victims from every walk of life, including the area’s gay community. From 1971 to 1983, Randy Kraft kidnapped, tortured, and murdered at least sixteen men and boys, but the real number of victims is believed to be considerably higher. When he was arrested in 1983, investigators searched Kraft’s home and found a list with cryptic references to what they believed were sixty-one victims in total. The discovery of that list led the press to dub Kraft “The Scorecard Killer.” Following his arrest in 1983, Randy Kraft was tried and convicted of sixteen counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Although the arrest and trial put an end to Kraft’s murder spree, several critical questions remain unanswered, including the most important aspect of the case detectives were never able to solve: who was Randy Kraft’s accomplice? Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Arnold, Roxane, and Jerry Hicks. 1983. "Kraft suspected in deaths of 14 men in 3 states, Gates says." Los Angeles Times, May 20: 73. Associated Press. 1983. "Five murders charged to computer analyst." Sacramento Bee, May 25: 2. —. 1978. "Police seek link in deaths of 18." San Bernardino County Sun, November 24: 3. —. 1983. "Freeway killing pattern repeats." The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA), February 19: 2. Bajko, Matthew. 2016. Gay serial killer breaks silence. November 2. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.ebar.com/story/246748. Grant, Gordon. 1983. "How a routine stop led to a big arrest." Los Angeles Times, May 20: 73. Hicks, Jerry. 1988. "Alleged 'death list' made public as Kraft trial opens." Los Angeles Times, September 27: 69. —. 1989. "Kraft condemned to death by jury for serial killings." Los Angeles Times, August 12: 1. —. 1988. "Kraft defense says marine found in car was not dead." Los Angeles Times, September 28: 76. —. 1989. "Kraft guilty of 16 sex slayings, jury decides." Los Angeles Times, May 13: 1. —. 1989. "Orange County jury gets Kraft serial murder case." Los Angeles Times, April 28: 76. —. 1988. "Two other states were closing in on Kraft." Los Angeles Times, January 4: 3. —. 1989. "Witness says Kraft drugged and sexually assaulted him in 1970." Los Angeles Times, June 6: 3. Hughes, Beth. 1982. "L.A. area's missing youths-a trail of mystery and murder." San Francisco Examiner, August 23: B5. Jarlson, Gary. 1983. "Suspect in 4 slayings also investigated in 6 Oregon murders." Los Angeles Times, May 19: 80. Kennedy, J. Michael. 1978. "Four deaths turn into four mysteries." Los Angeles Times, September 2: 17. Los Angeles Times. 1973. "Head of a man found in a bag at paper plant." Los Angeles Times, April 27: 23. —. 1988. "Randy Kraft's scorecard?" Los Angeles Times, October 2: 117. McDougal, Dennis. 1991. Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree. New York, NY: Warner Books. Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ash and Alaina are joined by one of their favorite authors, Grady Hendrix! The moment we covered MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM on Episode 598, we KNEW we needed to chat with him on the mic! We talk cursed keyboards, horrific group chats, and if we have what it takes to be a final girl! Looking to purchase his latest nonfiction work? Buy THESE FISTS BREAK BRICKS now by visiting https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/grady-hendrix/these-fists-break-bricks-revised-and-expanded-edition/9780762489480/ Want to listen to his podcast SUPER SCARY HAUNTED HOME SCHOOL? listen here! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1080659 Visit www.GradyHendrix.com for upcoming events as well as one of the funniest "about pages" we have ever seen! Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At the dawn of the twentieth-century, major advances in science and technology brought incredible change to the field of medicine, enhancing and extending the lives of millions. Yet at the same time, a lax regulations and minimal oversight made it possible for countless medical grifters to get rich offering quack medical solutions to everything from whooping cough to cancer, sometimes at the expense of their patient’s lives. When Linda Hazzard opened her sanitarium, the Institute of Natural Therapeutics at Wilderness Heights, in Olalla, Washington in the first decade of the 1900s, she claimed her rigid fasting and elimination approach to dieting was a miracle cure for a variety of illnesses, both trivial and serious. For years, Hazzard operated what amounted to a health retreat for the wealthy, without any oversight from the state or federal agencies. In the end, Hazzard’s starvation cure resulted in the deaths of over a dozen people and her arrest and trial for manslaughter, but through all of it, she maintained it was a viable treatment—standing by her methods up until they ended her own life. Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Hines, Terrence. 1997. "Starvation Heights." Skeptical Inquirer.  Lovejoy, Bess. 2014. "The doctor who starved her patients to death." Smithsonian Magazine, October 28. Olsen, Gregg. 2005. Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group. Seattle Daily Times. 1911. "Erdman diary tells method of treatment." Seattle Daily Times, August 14. Seattle Star. 1908. "Charged with starving eight-months-old baby." Seattle Star, January 30: 1. —. 1911. "Denies she 'fasted' 2 girls." Seattle Star, August 9: 3. —. 1911. "'Fast cure' woman is arrested." Seattle Star, August 7: 3. —. 1909. "Prosecutors think they can put a stop to starvation cure." Seattle Star, June 26: 1. —. 1908. "Sign doesn't make a doctor." Seattle Star, June 8: 6. —. 1909. "Woman starves to death under care of Dr. L.B. Hazzard." Seattle Star, June 24: 1. —. 1908. "WQeeden case leads to Dr. Hazzard's arrest." Seattle Star, January 31: 1. Tacoma Daily Ledger. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard has her first inning." Tacoma Daily Ledger, Janaury 28: 1. —. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard's trial begins." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 16: 1. —. 1912. "Final arguments in Hazzard case." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 3: 2. —. 1912. "Heiress testifies against Dr. Hazzard." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 20: 1. —. 1912. "Mrs. Hazzard breaks down, and is attended by a dcevoted follower." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 5: 1. —. 1904. "Samuel Hazzard sent to Minnesota prison." Tacoma Daily Ledger, March 16: 3. —. 1912. "Witnesses deny state's charges." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 30: 1. —. 1912. "Woman bathed by young men." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 23: 1. —. 1911. "Woman meet before judge." Tacoma Daily Ledger, October 22: 1. Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At the dawn of the twentieth-century, major advances in science and technology brought incredible change to the field of medicine, enhancing and extending the lives of millions. Yet at the same time, a lax regulations and minimal oversight made it possible for countless medical grifters to get rich offering quack medical solutions to everything from whooping cough to cancer, sometimes at the expense of their patient’s lives. When Linda Hazzard opened her sanitarium, the Institute of Natural Therapeutics at Wilderness Heights, in Olalla, Washington in the first decade of the 1900s, she claimed her rigid fasting and elimination approach to dieting was a miracle cure for a variety of illnesses, both trivial and serious. For years, Hazzard operated what amounted to a health retreat for the wealthy, without any oversight from the state or federal agencies. In the end, Hazzard’s starvation cure resulted in the deaths of over a dozen people and her arrest and trial for manslaughter, but through all of it, she maintained it was a viable treatment—standing by her methods up until they ended her own life. Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Hines, Terrence. 1997. "Starvation Heights." Skeptical Inquirer.  Lovejoy, Bess. 2014. "The doctor who starved her patients to death." Smithsonian Magazine, October 28. Olsen, Gregg. 2005. Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group. Seattle Daily Times. 1911. "Erdman diary tells method of treatment." Seattle Daily Times, August 14. Seattle Star. 1908. "Charged with starving eight-months-old baby." Seattle Star, January 30: 1. —. 1911. "Denies she 'fasted' 2 girls." Seattle Star, August 9: 3. —. 1911. "'Fast cure' woman is arrested." Seattle Star, August 7: 3. —. 1909. "Prosecutors think they can put a stop to starvation cure." Seattle Star, June 26: 1. —. 1908. "Sign doesn't make a doctor." Seattle Star, June 8: 6. —. 1909. "Woman starves to death under care of Dr. L.B. Hazzard." Seattle Star, June 24: 1. —. 1908. "WQeeden case leads to Dr. Hazzard's arrest." Seattle Star, January 31: 1. Tacoma Daily Ledger. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard has her first inning." Tacoma Daily Ledger, Janaury 28: 1. —. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard's trial begins." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 16: 1. —. 1912. "Final arguments in Hazzard case." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 3: 2. —. 1912. "Heiress testifies against Dr. Hazzard." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 20: 1. —. 1912. "Mrs. Hazzard breaks down, and is attended by a dcevoted follower." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 5: 1. —. 1904. "Samuel Hazzard sent to Minnesota prison." Tacoma Daily Ledger, March 16: 3. —. 1912. "Witnesses deny state's charges." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 30: 1. —. 1912. "Woman bathed by young men." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 23: 1. —. 1911. "Woman meet before judge." Tacoma Daily Ledger, October 22: 1. Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Weirdos!! It's the 100th Listener Tales, and it's brought to you by spooky brides! We're serving up some wedding themed listener tales that are brought TO you, BY you, FOR you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! Today we're also offering up a side of ACTUAL terror when unknown sounds make us wonder if a story inadvertantly opened the hellmouth up in the Podlab! LISTEN to this (nearly)Nicholas-free version on all podcast platforms OR WATCH the Nicholas version on Youtube on 7/31/2025! (You don't want to miss it! Nicholas had us cackling!) If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line- and if you share pictures- please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :) Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.