

The First Degree
Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek
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 perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows... you may be our next guest. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 7, 2023 • 49min
BONUS: KILLING TIME: THE MICHELIN MAN
This week the girls and the ginger are back with a big time full-fact! Did you know the origin of the Michelin star rating system? We didn’t, but today we’re breaking it down, and it’s making us hungry! Then, we’re getting into some low IQ crimes. On the stand today: Removable sports bra padding, birthday instagram posts, and dessert dips! And finally, a Worstie with a sizable smackdown!🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 6, 2023 • 47min
Episode 276: The Murdaugh Family, Part 2
The second installment of Alexis and Jac’s two part episode covering the Murdaugh Murders, featuring interviews with Mandy Matney and Carolyn Murnick, authors of “Blood on Their Hands.”🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 30, 2023 • 50min
BONUS: KILLING TIME: KATIE THE GREATY
Hello Firsties! We’re back again for another week of Killing Time! We’re talking about Catherine the Great! A woman of great power and an even greater body count! She also had some wild chairs, but we’ll get into that later. On the stand today: moaning at a massage, Taco Bell, pickle ball, and new movies being pulled from theaters too early. Then, a worstie returns some soiled shorts!🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 29, 2023 • 44min
Episode 275: The Murdaugh Family, Part 1
On February 24, 2019, a 19-year-old woman and her friends are on a private boat ride in the very early hours of the morning near Beaufort, South Carolina. The carefree night turns ugly when the 19-year-old skipper crashes the boat into a bridge, killing the young woman. The saga that follows is something, few people could have predicted. Two more people close to the case end up losing their lives in a brutal double slaying, before other previous deaths in the community soon become linked to a prominent local family at the center of the investigation. In episode 275, Jac and Alexis detail the tragic deaths of Gloria Satterfield, Stephen Smith, and Mallory Beach, followed by the shocking murders of Paul Murdaugh and his mother Maggie, the latter two orchestrated by their husband and father, local attorney Alex. This is a story about how all the power, prestige, and privilege in the world don’t make us untouchable when it comes to the law, and what happens when someone is brought to account by those whose job it is to expose the truth, no matter the risk.🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 23, 2023 • 52min
BONUS: KILLING TIME: TURKEY TALK
The girls and the ginger return for a Thanksgiving episode STUFFED with all kinds of convo to distract you from the horrors of family gatherings! On the stand this week: overusing the word “perfect”, voice messages, catching up after a happy birthday text, and a quick revisit to EGG NOG! Then it’s on to Thanksgiving Day crimes! And finally, a Worstie skips school!🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 22, 2023 • 47min
Episode 274: Christina Brittany Colón
On November 4, 2021, a 32-year-old woman and her 7 year old daughter are riding along as passengers with the woman’s 32-year-old boyfriend in his Honda Civic, along the I-26 in Charleston, South Carolina. Suddenly, their evening takes a turn when their vehicle accidentally has a minor collision with another. The Honda drives away, but a 24-year-old man witnesses the hit and run. He calls 911 but then pursues in his Mazda. After both vehicles turn off the highway, the Honda collides with the Mazda three times. Without warning, the Mazda driver fires a gun at the passenger side of the Honda several times, killing the woman inside and destroying multiple lives forever. In episode 274, Jac and Alexis detail the devastating death of Christina Colon, resulting from the actions of her boyfriend Austin Blayne Faltermeier and Parker Norman Gour, and the tragic story of how a split-second decision inflicts life-altering consequences you can’t come back from.🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 16, 2023 • 48min
BONUS: KILLING TIME: TWIHARDS
The girls and the ginger are back yet again for another week of Killing Time! Today, Jac has brought a Twilight presentation. We didn’t ask for this, but here we are. On the stand: bagel to cream cheese ratios, wheat bread, unsalted butter, and big pumpkin!🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 15, 2023 • 47min
Episode 273: Joseph Heidesch
On October 6th of 2021, Catholic high school music teacher 45-year-old Joseph Martin “Joe” Heidesch is arrested for multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child and breach of privacy. Further investigation reveals that, from 2016 to 2021, the choir director secretly filmed his female students changing into their performance outfits in his private office. Court documents revealed that Mr. Heidesch would strongly encourage his female students to use his office to change clothes. He told the girls there was a “‘special lock” on his office door that would make their experience safer. Ultimately, more than 100 young women who attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas, are notified that they were victimized by Mr. Heidesch’s crimes. In episode 273, Jac and Alexis unravel how one man’s pedophilia, lies, and exploitation negatively impacted many young women, their families, and the community as a whole.🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 9, 2023 • 48min
BONUS: KILLING TIME: ACCIDENTAL ON THE STAND
This week the girls and the ginger return and things go immediately off the rails. What starts as a casual conversation turns into an entire episode of on the stands! We’re talking all things self-improvement. Do we really need to be our best selves? Are cigarettes part of a healthy organic lifestyle? Is aluminum the key to smelling good? We can’t promise we have the answers, but we definitely have some half-facts for you!🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 8, 2023 • 45min
Episode 272: Roy Dean Ratliff
On August 1, 2002, two 16-year-old and 17-year-old young women, total strangers, are each parked with male companions up near a popular lovers' lane in Quartz Hill, California. Suddenly, their night is interrupted when the girls are kidnapped by a felon on the run in need of a getaway vehicle. For the next 12 hours, the girls endure a terrifying ordeal, as finding them safe and well becomes a race against time. But with law enforcement on the trail of the highly publicised kidnapping, it’s only a matter of time before the net closes in on the perpetrator. However, the sensational coverage of the case doesn’t end there. In episode 272, Jac and Alexis detail the shocking kidnap and assault of two young women at the hands of Roy Ratliff, and the incredible story of what happens when victims fight back to reclaim their voices in the aftermath of violent crime.🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree❤️ The Heavy Metal Project: theheavymetalproject.com📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889🤝 Advice: hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com
🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


