Mystery 14: Death on Two Wheels

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-283cc-9187a9

This Friday we’re talking about the cyclists who died under strange circumstances.

Ana begins with a brief explanation of road cycling to add context to the strange demise of Ottavio Bottecchia, a double Tour de France winner. The Italian cyclist was found dead at the roadside after heading out for a morning ride. Was it a competitor, the government or a farmer upset about his grapes?

Jonatan then shares the infamous Green Bicycle case involving 21-year-old Bella Wright who meets an unfortunate end during her cycle home. Witnesses report seeing a stranger on a green bicycle who’s thought to be the last person to have seen her alive. Things get even stranger when the bike shows up dismantled and dumped in a canal 6 months later. Is the owner of the bicycle guilty or just worried of being falsely accused?

Send us your theories for this week’s mysteries to crimebythebar@gmail.com or on Twitter, @crimebythebar.

CN: murder, speculation, conspiracies

14: Writers in the Wrong

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-wdx59-914856

We begin the week with crimes close to home- someone has been walking around on Ana’s roof and Jonatan’s bike has been stolen. After a quick catchup we share stories of writers who’ve committed terrible crimes.

Ana has a story from Macedonia: when women begin going missing in the small town of Kičevo it’s not long before career journalist Vlado Taneski makes a connection and starts reporting very graphic details of what became of them. Like an evil Clark Kent, Vlado is leading a secret double life.

Jonatan shares a tale of Krystian Bala, a Polish author whose debut novel isn’t selling as well as he’d hoped. Maybe that’s for the best because when police start comparing the details in the book with a cold case in nearby Wrocław, they find the lead they’ve been looking for.

Our ‘Drink of the Week’ is ‘The Late Hemingway’ a spiked version of the classic. Listen to the end for details or check out the recipe at http://www.crimebythebar.com. You can reach out to us on Twitter, @crimebythebar, or by email, crimebythebar@gmail.com.

(FYI- the Dutch writer we refer to is Richard Klinkhamer.)

CN: murder, missing persons, dismemberment, sexual assault, battery, starvation, drowning, alcohol

Mystery 13: Cyber Conspiracies

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-d6ctu-9110ac

Happy Friday! We’re here with creepy stories to round off your week.

Jonatan has a tale from China and talks about the estimated 65% of organ transplants that use nonconsensual harvesting from prisoners. Yes, this is a conspiracy theory, but there are a lot of connections that make it difficult to doubt this is happening at least to some extent.

Ana talks about Karl Koch, a German hacker who went missing during his lunch break and was later found in very mysterious circumstances: burned to death beside a dust covered car in what was recorded as a death by suicide. The facts don’t add up so we break it down and briefly address the similarly strange demise of another German hacker who was known as Tron.

We love your messages! Reach out on Twitter, @crimebythebar or by email crimebythebar@gmail.com and you can get all the extras from the show at http://www.crimebythebar.com.

CN: capital punishment, lethal injection, organ harvesting, hackers, KGB, mild references to drug use (cannabis and cocaine), addiction, death by suicide

Episode 13: Crime and Technology

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-5kden-90d77d

This week we’re talking cryptocurrency and cyber crime.

Jonatan shares a story from Taiwan: when Tai (戴) brings his friend Hu (胡) along to sell some Bitcoin he expects to make a healthy profit. Instead he finds himself in a situation involving forced alcohol consumption, assault and theft. 

Ana discusses a virus writer called ‘Gigabyte’ (aka Kimberley Vanvaeck) who was on a mission in the early 00s to bring down security expert Graham Cluley. Creating the first ever C# virus, Gigabyte decides to share her code on her website but finds herself in legal trouble.

This week we have a cocktail with byte that we’ve called Vodka.exe- vodka, apple, butterscotch… yes, it’s delicious.

We love when you reach out on Twitter, @crimebythebar and by email, crimebythebar@gmail.com. And keep your ratings and reviews coming in, we really appreciate them.

CN: assault, theft, hacking, alcohol

Mystery 12: Going Coastal

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-283zh-909620

This week we’re sharing seaside stories.

Jonatan shares the tale of 22-year-old Jessie Earl who disappeared from her flat with no signs of a struggle or planning. Her remains were found almost nine years later by the nearby cliffs. Was a Scottish serial killer responsible or is her killer still on the loose?

Ana talks about the Peter Bergmann case involving an unknown man found on a beach in Ireland in mysterious circumstances. For obvious reasons it’s often compared to the Tamam Shud case (aka the Somerton Man) but is the answer right in front of us?

We’d love to know your theories on our latest mysteries. Reach out on Twitter, @crimebythebar or by email, crimebythebar@gmail.com. We’ll read our favorite ones on during the next mystery episode.

CN: murder, disappearances, unknown persons

12: Drown Your Horrors

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-aeaqj-9064b8

This week Ana is sharing the story Birna Brjánsdóttir of Iceland. Birna was at a bar with friends on a typical Friday night. After she left her journey can be tracked on CCTV for half an hour before she disappears. Four days later one of her shoes is found at a nearby harbor and it’s not long before we find out what became of her.

Jonatan takes us back to 1980’s Canada with tales of Gilbert Paul Jordan aka the ‘Boozing Barber’ who had a long list of convictions. When the body of Vanessa Lee Buckner was found, he came under further scrutiny and the more the police look into him, the more crimes he seems to be involved with.

We round off the episode with a tequila, pamplemousse (aka pink grapefruit) liqueur, lime and mint cocktail. Get the recipe at http://www.crimebythebar.com . You can reach out to us on Twitter, @crimebythebar or by email, crimebythebar@gmail.com .

CN: murder, sexual assault, alcoholism, substance abuse, manslaughter, crimes against First Nations

Mystery 11: Titles & Tragedy

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-29jkj-90267a

Happy King’s Day! We tell you all about the Dutch national holiday and the tragic recent history surrounding the event.

Jonatan’s mystery is the Nepalese royal massacre. At first glance this seems like a pretty clear cut tale but the more the incident is looked at, the more the details don’t add up.

Ana discusses the tragic end of the Duchess de Choiseul-Praslin who was brutally murdered in her home in the early hours of the morning. Things become suspicious when the prime suspect dies just a week later.

Did you enjoy this episode? Tell a friend! You can reach out to us on Twitter, @crimebythebar, or by email crimebythebar@gmail.com.

CN: mass murder, unsolved crime, violent ends, alcohol

11: Blue Blood & Amber Drinks

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-mqbhm-8ffa55

It’s a royal edition of Crime by the Bar. In the lead up to King’s Day (a Dutch national holiday) we look back at some historical crimes involving royalty.

Jonatan shares the violent end for Alexander I of Yugoslavia who warned “if you want a regime change, you need to kill me”. You can guess how this ends but it makes for a very interesting tale.

Ana retells the Mayerling Incident which involves the Crown Prince of Austria and his mistress the many questions surrounding their deaths. What do you think happened?

Our drink this week is a ‘Royal Tea’ cocktail with whiskey, the Queen of Spices and rose syrup.

As usual reach out to us on Twitter (@crimebythebar) or by email (crimebythebar@gmail.com). You can also visit our website (www.crimebythebar.com) for all of our latest information and extras.

CN: murder, assassination, European history, disapproving mother-in-laws, alcohol

7: Crime on the Emerald Isle

Happy St Patrick’s Week! We start as we mean to continue: with drinks!
Jonatan covers the accidental death of Mary Whelan (née Gough) that begins to look a lot like murder when the most likely suspect goes on the run. Don’t worry- a pub patron manages to save the day. Ana shares the story of why £10 bank notes were changed to green and the biggest bank robbery in Irish history: the Northern Bank heist.

Tell us how you’re planning on celebrating St Paddy’s Day on Twitter @crimebythebar or by email crimebythebar@gmail.com.

Sláinte!

CN: murder, paramilitaries, sectarianism, politics, alcohol, kidnapping

whelan
Colin and Mary Whelan

CCTV footage from the Northern Bank robbery and the new £10 note.

Irish Flag/Fleg Layered Cocktail

30ml Creme de Menthe (or do yourself a favour and use any other green liqueur (apple or melon would work nicely)
30ml Baileys Irish Cream
30ml Cointreau (or Triple Sec)

Slowly layer each shot in a glass using the back of a bar spoon. Be particularily careful when layering the Cointreau- if it (or anything else acidic) mixes with the Baileys it will curdle (see ‘cement mixer’ or ‘zombie brain’ shot).

Irish Coffee

1 glass of freshly brewed coffee
3 teaspoons dark brown sugar
45ml Irish whiskey (we like Bushmills)
2 tablespoons double cream (lightly whipped)

  1. Dissolve the sugar in the coffee
  2. Add whiskey
  3. Float the double cream on top by layering over the back of  a spoon

Minisode 6: No Roads Lead Home

We’ve got that Friday feeling! In our latest Minisode Mystery we talk about hitch-hiking and Jonatan shares the murder of Lois Roberts. Was it a planned killing and was she the intended victim? Ana talks drink-driving and drinking culture, then introduces Brandon Swanson, a 19 year old who seemingly got lost on the way back from a graduation party.

Don’t forget to share this podcast with others who might enjoy it. You can reach out to us on Twitter, @crimebythebar or by email crimebythebar@gmail.com

CN: missing person, murder, torture, driving under the influence

 

Lois_Roberts_file_pic_t677
Lois Roberts

brandonswanson
Brandon Swanson