Female Criminals
Female Criminals investigates the shocking cases of women who made headlines and uncovers the dark motives, hidden psychology, and jaw-dropping twists behind their crimes. Join Law&Crime's Elizabeth Millner in reexamining the complex and often misunderstood world of Female Criminals. Watch free, only on Spotify.
76
“The Guru's Secretary” Sheela Birnstiel Pt. 1
She first met the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh as a teenager and was instantly enamored.
44 min
77
“The Maid of Orléans” Joan of Arc Pt. 2
Following God’s orders led Joan of Arc into battle against the English, and into an audience with the king.
43 min
78
“The Maid of Orléans” Joan of Arc Pt. 1
Hero. Martyr. Feminist. Witch. Who really was Joan of Arc? And could she really speak to God, or were her visions something else entirely?
39 min
79
“Soho Grifter” Anna Sorokin Pt. 2
Anna Delvey wasn’t who she claimed to be. But despite mounting setbacks, she refused to temper her schemes.
37 min
80
“Soho Grifter” Anna Sorokin Pt. 1
A con artist storms New York’s social scene in the 2010s, cementing her place in high society as a German heiress worth millions.
38 min
81
“The Seamstress' Story” Edythe Klumpp Pt. 2
In November 1958, three young duck hunters came across a body near a remote lake in Ohio.
42 min
82
“The Seamstress' Story” Edythe Klumpp Pt. 1
Edythe Klumpp liked to have fun with the men in her life... even if that made her the "other woman."
37 min
83
“College Admissions Scandal” Lori Loughlin
Lori Loughlin had it all: a career as a beloved TV icon, a happy marriage, and two loving daughters. But in the world of the ultra-rich and famous, success seemed to rest on the wins your child netted.
40 min
84
“The Jewel Thief” Doris Payne Pt. 2
A particular caper in 1965 brought Doris uncomfortably close to law enforcement and the media.
39 min
85
“The Jewel Thief” Doris Payne Pt. 1
Born in 1930, Doris Payne realized early on that she had a taste for the finer things in life. She also realized she had a knack for putting people at ease — and it was a skill she could use to get exactly what she wanted.
40 min
86
“Taking Elizabeth Smart” Wanda Barzee Pt. 2
After abducting Elizabeth Smart in 2002, Barzee and Mitchell — known to each other as Hephzibah and Immanuel — fashioned her into a sister-wife, systematically abusing her into submission.
40 min
87
“Taking Elizabeth Smart” Wanda Barzee Pt. 1
All Wanda Barzee wanted in life was for someone to take care of her, and in return she promised complete devotion.
41 min
88
Femme Fatales Pt. 5: Mata Hari
She's perhaps the most famous femme fatale of the 20th century. And yet, Mata Hari's supposed crimes are shrouded in mystery.
45 min
89
Femme Fatales Pt. 4: Shi Pei Pu
In espionage terms, honeytraps are the stuff of legend: a beautiful temptress so seductive that she can convince even the most cunning of men to reveal state secrets.
44 min
90
Femme Fatales Pt. 3: KGB Sparrows
The beautiful Soviet seductress is a well-known figure of femme fatale lore. She's patriotic, irresistible, and deadly.
46 min
91
Femme Fatales Pt. 2: Catherine de Medici and He...
A cunning puppetmaster, Catherine de Medici is most vividly remembered as a one-time queen of France who dispatched beautiful women in her court to manipulate the men of France.
44 min
92
Femme Fatales Pt. 1: WWII and Origins
The term "femme fatale" conjures up noir vixens whose sole purpose is to bring the story's male hero to his knees.
40 min
93
“The Pizza Bomber Case” Marjorie Diehl-Armstron...
In the aftermath of her elaborate bank-robbery-gone-wrong, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong had to resort to every tactic up her sleeve to avoid going to jail.
37 min
94
“The Pizza Bomber Case” Marjorie Diehl-Armstron...
Intelligent and unstable, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong always had a way with men.
40 min
95
“Cut Like A Knife” Abe Sada Pt. 2
In 1936, Abe Sada was so in love — and lust — she committed a gruesome crime.
40 min
96
“Cut Like A Knife” Abe Sada Pt. 1
As a young woman in 1920s Tokyo, Abe Sada dreamed of becoming a geisha… but settled for sex work.
39 min
97
"The Blood Countess" Elizabeth Báthory Pt. 2
The unceasing stream of deaths in Castle Cachtice did not go unnoticed, but priests and concerned parents alike were powerless to intervene.
39 min
98
"The Blood Countess" Elizabeth Báthory Pt. 1
Real-life vampire or expert sadist? Elizabeth Báthory was allegedly responsible for killing hundreds of young women in 16th century Hungary.
38 min
99
“The Free Speech Anarchist” Emma Goldman Pt. 2
Called one of the most dangerous anarchists in the country, Emma Goldman was deported back to Soviet Russia in 1919. Ostracized from her peers and the movement she helped progress, Goldman found new ways to advance anarchist causes until her death at 70.
39 min
100
“The Free Speech Anarchist” Emma Goldman Pt. 1
At the turn of the 20th century, a Russian immigrant spent decades supporting the anarchist cause in America — plotting an assassination, publishing a magazine, and lecturing on everything from freedom of speech to prison reform to birth control.
41 min