The First Degree

The city of Hudson, Wisconsin was rocked when Dan O’Connell and James Ellison were found gunned down in the office of The O’Connell Funeral home. The case would take years to solve and an array of theories tore investigators in several directions. The case was all but cold when a new lead emerged unexpectedly,  leading detectives right to the door of Hudson’s local Catholic Church. Tune in next week for part 2 of our coverage on this case. 🎟 Don't want to wait for Episode 2? Join us on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 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

This week the girls and the ginger are back with more unsolicited advice in our new segment ask a girl, ask a ginger! But before we get to the throwaway therapy, we’ve got some bitchin’ to do. On the stand this week: overly nice drivers, men’s haircuts, regular rain, and worm rain. PLUS! A worstie minces words!🎟 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⚖️ 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

On October 16th, 2005, the 25-year-old daughter of today's first degree guests had her life taken while she was asleep in her Oceanside, California apartment. The place where she was supposed to feel most safe. Nicole Sinkule's family and friends were beyond horrified upon learning the news... they were gutted, heartbroken and enraged. And while the perpetrator was quickly apprehended - the aftermath, his prosecution and eventual conviction were only the first steps in a long and painful battle to keep a monster behind bars.In episode 242, Alexis and Jac will tell you the story of Nicole Sinkule, how wonderful she was, and how you can help keep her remorseless killer in prison.HELP US KEEP NATHANIEL MARUM BEHIND BARS.Nathanial Marum's next parole hearing date is May 1st of 2023. Please email us a letter opposing his parole to hello@thefirstdegreepodcast.com. These letters are essential in swaying the outcomes of these parole hearings. Thank you in advance for taking a few moments to help this incredible family.🎟 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⚖️ 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

This week the girls and the ginger are talking all about pranks! That’s right, it’s spoof and goof season, and we’re going all-in on April fools. Come with us as we dive into not only the origin of the holiday but some of the most legendary leg-pulls of all time! Then! On the stand today we have: chicken salad, Vanderpump Rules, Selena Gomez, and new friends! We’re truly all over the place so settle in and get ready to kill some time with us!🎟 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⚖️ 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

On January 2, 1996, a 31 year old gas station clerk is shot and killed on the job in Kerrville, Texas. The killer then forces his friend at gunpoint, who is waiting outside, to steal $11,000 in cash and checks. The men are quickly arrested, with the accomplice leading police to the murder weapon. Despite having no knowledge of the plan beforehand, the accomplice is charged with murder, along with the killer. What ensues is a nightmare legal battle for one man to prove that while he was at the scene and is proven guilty, he is not deserving of the punishment he faces. In episode 241, Jac and Alexis detail the murder of Kriss Lee Keeran at the hands of Daniel Reneau, who pulled his friend Jeffrey Wood down with him into a quagmire of deadly and unjust consequences, resulting in Jeff’s heartbreaking and ongoing fight for clemency.🎟 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⚖️ 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

This week the girls and the ginger are on a quest to discover the true meaning behind some phrases we all use day-to-day. Should be a piece of cake. Piece of cake? There’s a story behind that. Then! On the stand this week: PortaPotties, Premature bag retrieval, Lisa Frank, and the word MOIST! And finally, a Worstie with one of the shittiest stories we’ve heard yet!🎟 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⚖️ 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

On July 18th, 2016, 32-year-old Jessica Loraine Berry gets into a red car with a friend. She is never seen again. Six days later, Jessica’s family reports her missing to the local police. Jessica’s family points them to a local veteran: 47-year-old Richard Allen Hurt. The detectives interview Richard briefly, but their investigation slows down quickly because Jessica is a known drug addict. Investigators suspect Jessica is not missing, and is keeping a low-profile during a drug binge. But on July 29th, Jessica’s remains are discovered. Her body was dismembered, stored in black trash bags, and hidden under a home improvement construction site. The homeowners found Jessica’s remains right before their handyman, Richard, was scheduled to pour concrete on the area. Richard admits to dismembering and hiding Jessica’s body, but refutes any involvement in her death. In episode 240, Jac and Alexis explore how Richard may have successfully evaded justice for Jessica’s murder.🎟 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⚖️ 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

This week the girls and the ginger are taking a brief look into the Scarlet Letter and the value of owning your shit! Speaking of, we’re starting a new segment to help you own your shit! Ask a girl, ask a ginger! Advice from your favorite non-qualified true-crime hosts! On the stand this week: illegally tinted windows, Diet Coke, crowding the baggage claim, and grocery store cart etiquette! Then, a worstie goes grinch!🎟 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⚖️ 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

On the morning of Saturday, September 16th, 2006, 51-year-old Essam Ahmed Eid and his wife, 43-year-old Teresa Engle, meet with 23-year-old mortgage broker Anne “Lauryn” Royston to refinance their home. As the meeting begins, Eid reveals his true intentions: he is a hitman, and he was hired to kill Lauryn. According to Eid, Lauryn can escape death if she pays him $20,000 within three days. The FBI and Lauryn work together to arrest Eid, the creator of a nefarious website under the domain HitmanForHire.Net. But Eid mysteriously disappears. Meanwhile, in Ireland, 43-year-old Sharon Collins hires Eid to murder her multimillionaire boyfriend and his two sons, so she can steal their family fortune. When Eid and his coconspirators bungle the assassination, the Irish police and US federal agents team up to take down this dangerous man. In episode 239, Jac and Alexis chronicle the misadventures of the unexpected culprits behind HitmanForHire.Net.🎟 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⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889 🎟 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

This week the girls and the ginger are toying around with the most bizarro Barbie blunders of all time! Then, on the stand this week: wacky wedding dances, toothbrushes in the dishwasher, making eye contact with TSA, and small talk before a favor! ALSO! A distracted driver avoids detention! All that and more on Killing Time!🎟 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⚖️ On the Stand: (818) 446-6889💩 Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done: (818) 446-6889 🎟 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