Crude ACTS: A True Crime Podcast

Crude Acts digs into Thomas Thompson’s landmark true crime book Blood and Money, the 1976 bestseller that shocked Texas. Host Jen Schaffer investigates the Joan Robinson Hill case: a suspicious death, a grieving father with dangerous connections, and a story Houston’s elite tried to bury. New episodes every [day].Houston true crime | Texas cold case | true crime podcast | Blood and Money | Joan Robinson Hill | Ash Robinson | Thomas Thompson | true crime history

True Crime deep dive into Dean Corll and his connections to a wider crime Syndicate is wrapped up in this episode. Next season will be out soon!!

Epstein files illegal activity is nothing new. Our examination of the Syndicate proves it. In this episode we talk about Serial Killer Dean Corll's victim Jeff Konen on our search to find proof of whether or not the Candyman was apart of something bigger.

Send us a textThe true crime genre has been diving deep into the world of sex trafficking and discovering it has lineages, that it existed well before Epstein and his associates. Serial Killer Dean Corll's victims in relation to the discussion of The Syndicate and sex trafficking and adjacent industries are talked about in this episode. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textIn this episode of Crude Acts, host Jen Schaffer uncovers the disturbing story of Houston music producer Roy C. Ames—a man whose career in Texas blues and R&B masked a massive child-exploitation network operating in the shadows of the 1960s and 1970s. Jen follows Ames’ early ties to Dean Corll, the FBI investigations he escaped, and the shocking warehouses filled with tons of illegal material that revealed the scale of his trafficking enterprise.Jen also exposes the darker side of Houston’s music scene through figures connected to Ames, including producer Huey P. Meaux, repeatedly tied to the abuse of minors, and Charlie Booth, who used industry access to transport vulnerable teens. Their stories reveal how the music business, organized crime, and institutional neglect enabled predators to operate for decades.Part 4 of The Syndicate highlights the hidden networks behind the Houston Mass Murders and shows how power, money, and influence shielded dangerous men from accountability. As Jen unravels these connections, she sets the stage for Part 5, where she will examine the victims of Dean Corll and the theories linking him to the broader trafficking operation.A must-listen for fans of true crime, Texas history, and investigations into systemic abuse and cover-ups.Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis is a Texas True Crime case that goes beyond time and place. Before Epstein there were men sex trafficking throughout the US and some believe serial Killer Dean Corll was apart of it. This is the syndicate part 3 of our deep dive into the seedy underworld. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textSex trafficking didn't start with Jeffery Epstein. We’re moving on to part 2 of the series within the series called The Syndicate. These episodes are about the epidemic of boy exploitation in the 1970 and 80s. In this episode we look at Texas through the lens of a documentary titled Boys for Sale that was released in 1981. From there we examine the connections bringing it closer to the Houston Heights where serial killer Dean Corll, The Candyman, lived and killed. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textSex trafficking didn't start with Jeffery Epstein. In this episode we kick off our delve into the theory that serial killer Dean Corll and his duo of apprentices - Elmer Wayne Henley Jr and David Brooks, were killing as a part of a nationwide sex trafficking ring beyond even Epstein proportions. This episode includes the connection to John David Norman, France’s Sheldon, Guy Strait, Billy Bears Jr and more. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textTrying to understand serial killers is a tall order. In this episode of The Houston Mass Murders we explore criminology and the Serial Killers Apprentices - Elmer Wayne Henley Junior and David Owen Brooks. Dean Corll, the John Wayne Gacy of the south was killed by Henley, leaving the responsibility for what happened on the boys left behind. How culpable were they? And how should we look at them now that we understand grooming and the power of abuse. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textTrue crime has a profound impact on the victims and their families. On this episode we talk about what it took to identify the many victims of the candy man case. The important scientists, like Dr. Sharon Derrick, who helped identify them and the closure she gave to many of the families. We will also talk about Lise Olsen's book, The Scientist and the Serial Killer and new facts that have emerged through her research.  Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textIn the true crime series we are talking about serial killer Dean Corll and the Houston mass Murders. Who were his victims, The Lost Boys of the Houston Mass Murders? The 29 victims of serial killer Dean Corll and his murdering apprentices. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textWho were the victims of serial killer Dean Coll? In this episode we will go over The Lost Boys of the Houston Mass Murders. The 29 victims of serial killer Dean Corll and his murdering apprentices. This is part one of an examination. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textTexas True Crime about The Candy Man - Dean Corll. How did this quiet, mild mannered man become one of the most notorious serial killers in America? What were the signs? How did he convince teen boys to do his bidding and how did he get away with killing so many boys right under everyone's noses? Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis is a true crime case that rocked Houston, Texas in the 1970s. It's The Houston Mass Murders - A Serial Killer known as The Candy Man, Dead Corll, who...along with his two apprentices David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. killed an upwards of 29 young boys and young men. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textOn this season of Crude Acts we'll be diving into the seedy underworld of missing and exploited children and what happens when they fall into the wrong hands. On this first episode we're picking back up the Dean Corll story. This serial killer along with his two accomplices committed the Houston Mass Murders where 29 young boys and men lost their lives. Episode one will be a re-release of the last episode of season 1, to serve as a refresher for the season. The remaining episodes will be new material. This season will be broken down into 2 parts, the first half is simply story telling and 2nd part will be an interactive investigation.    Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textLoose ends are tied up in this episode of Crude Acts. New names are brought to the forefront. Old leads are brought back to the surface. They all converge in a story that exposes a web of illegal activity that runs deeper than Texas well.  Have a listen to this last episode and see if you can piece together who you  believe killed Debbie and Sandy. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis is episode 9 of season 2 of Crude Acts - Who Killed Debbie and Sandy, a true crime series. In this episode we dig deeper into some connected stories of alleged illegal narcotics smuggling.  We follow that story with how it appears that Chambers County Sheriffs Office has been unwilling to investigate the case and why we assume that is the case. We're getting close to the end, a two part season finale. Every piece of the puzzle counts when trying to solve this cold case for when they are put into place they create a complete picture that has been severely lacking. Stay tuned for the end, and what is uncovered when the final pieces are put in place.     Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textOn this special episode of Crude Acts we go over how in Texas, Oil and Politics go hand in hand. And sometimes oil, politics, and illegal narcotics converge to create a storm like no other. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textWhile trying to figure out who killed Debbie and Sandy we've had to do a deep dive into the illegal narcotics scene in Baytown Texas during the 1980s. We already went over the network of men who were connected to the women so we decided in this episode to go over the scene itself, the outlaws who provided the party favors to cultivate this scene.  Come to find out there are other members of law enforcement who were equally apart of the illegal scene and are directly connected to this case.    Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis is the 7th installment of the Who Killed Debbie and Sandy series.  In this episode we continue picking apart a confession given to police posthumously to  Bobby Jarvis' death. The report claims Jarvis was there when the women were killed and he claimed Bob Bass and his brother did it.  But...was the known con artist Bobby Jarvis telling the truth? Or was this report one of his many lies he perpetuated  to protect those he was working for and with?  A cover for the illegal activity going on in an oil town down on its luck?Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textWelcome back to Crude Acts - Who Killed Debbie and Sandy, and thank you for joining us as we continue to dive into the mystery of their deaths . On this episode you're going to hear another police report, a shocking confession by someone who claimed to know what happened.  Will we find answers in it or just more questions Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis is our 5th episode in our series about the homicide cold case of Debbie Merritt and Sandy Terrell. In the episode we will uncover more police reports,  one with an informant and another with a person of interest.  What did they have to say and where did it lead the case? Tune in for answers. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textIn episode 4 of this true crime series we continue to dive into the leads and suspects. Names of local politicians and businessmen are talked about in their relation to a network that the victims seemed to be tied to. More police reports are examined, all to answer the question… who killed Debbie and Sandy? Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis is the 3rd episode in our series about the unsolved murder of Sandy Terrell and Debbie Merritt that occurred in Baytown, Texas in 1985. We are now beginning to dig into the persons of interest and the suspects. So hang on tight!!! It’s about to get cray. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis is the second episode about the unsolved murder case of Debra Merritt and Sandra Terrell. It’s titled Beyond the Headlines. On this true crime episode we will talk about who the women were, where they were from and delve into their backgrounds. You’ll come to discover these women were loved and are still missed and that they are more than just a homicide case file and the headlines that described them. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textTwo Baytown Texas women, Debbie Merritt and Sandy Terrell, disappeared while on their way on a weekend getaway on November 5th 1985. Two years later, in 1987, their bodies were discovered in Chambers County marshland. They were both murdered, and to this day, the case  remains unsolved. Follow us here at Crude Acts as we and Retired Detective Paul Schaffer re-examine the case. Trying our best to investigate through the twists and turns of the murder and suspects and what we discovered, that led to their deaths, a massive county wide cover up. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThe Houston Mass Murders occurred during the years 1970-1973. A trio of serial killers David Brooks, Elmer Wayne Henley Jr, and a man known as The Candy Man - Dean Corll, were responsible for 29 murders of boys and young men. In this 6 part series we’re going delve into what happened, who the killers were, who the victims were, and how where and why this atrocity even happened. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textIn Houston Texas in the 1980s and 90s people were on high alert. There was a serial killer abducting and killing young women and girls dumping their bodies in the remote fields off I45 known as the Texas Killing Fields. Little did we know at the time there were more killers in the midst. Bodies started turning up behind restaurants and convenience stores with one signature thing in common. All of these victims were killed in the same exact way, by the same twisted predator known to us Houstonians as The Tourniquet Killer. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textWealthy man Bill List gets more than he bargained for after picking up teenage boys off the Montrose Strip for his own sadistic carnal desires. The boys he abused instead turned on him and gave him a taste of his own medicine and it all happened at the Seabrook Murder Mansion on Todville Road. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textIn this episode we will discuss serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades, who is locked up for three murders. Authorities believe though that this man AKA - the Truck Stop Killer may have killed as many as 50 women while out on the road.Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textPart 3 of The Texas  Killing Fields. We round out this series with a discussion of both the victims and suspects from what's known as the deadliest decades, the 1990s.  Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textIn the Texas Killing Fields in the 1980s, four young ladies remains were found in the Calder Oil Field just one of the infamous Texas Killing Fields. Here we will discuss who those victims were and who might be responsible. Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThe Texas Killing Fields are fields outside of Houston, Texas, where the bodies of over 30 young girls and women have been found. We call these notorious fields, the Texas Killing Fields. Here we will discuss three decades of cases in three parts.  We will discuss the victims and the suspects and how it is that even to this day, most of these crimes are still unsolved.  Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis true crime case is featured on HULU, Texas True Crime Season 6, Episode 2. It occurred in Baytown, Texas on Halloween night 1985 - a little girl named Mary Stiles goes missing and is never seen again. What happened to her is a chilling tale, and who did it, will leave you with more questions than answers as to why that day ...innocence was lost.  Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support

Send us a textThis is a true crime case that occurred in Baytown Texas. When 11-year-old Carolyn Hahn was murdered September 1985 in Mont Belvieu, Tx, police made catching her killer their number one priority. The brutality of the crime left a lasting impression  on everyone in the small town. This is what happened.Support the showCheck out our websitewww.crudeacts.comSee videos of the content on our YouTube channel@CrudeActsSupport the show by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/1935432/support