This week on Switchblade Sisters Social Club, Dee and Isla saddle up for a story straight out of a movie – but this one’s all true.
Meet Peggy Jo Tallas: devoted daughter, quiet cashier… and the cross-dressing Texan bank robber who outsmarted the FBI. For years, they hunted the mysterious 'Cowboy Bob' - a calm, silent, and oddly polite bandit in a Stetson. What they didn’t know was that behind the fake beard and oversized boots was a 46-year-old woman caring for her sick mother.
From her first heist in 1991 to her tragic final showdown in 2005, Peggy Jo’s story is part Thelma & Louise, part Robin Hood, and all heartbreak.
Dee and Isla unpack the loneliness, the thrill, and the quiet rebellion of a woman pushed to extremes by circumstance - and why her story still fascinates writers, filmmakers, and feminists today.
💋 No guns, no gangs, no fear - just a towel, a cowboy hat, and a whole lot of guts.
Skip Hollandsworth, The Last Ride of Cowboy Bob, Texas Monthly
Skip Hollandsworth, She Kills: The True Stories of Women Who Kill (2024)
Associated Press and Dallas Morning News archives, 2005
FBI case records on 'Cowboy Bob,' Irving TX
Court transcripts via Texas Department of Criminal Justice
🎧 Find Switchblade Sisters Social Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen. 🛍️ Shop our creepy-cute merch on RedBubble.
#SwitchbladeSistersSocialClub #DeeBrief #TrueCrimePodcast #CowboyBob #PeggyJoTallas #TexasCrime #WomenInCrime #TrueCrimeStories #OutlawWomen #FBI #TrueCrimeCommunity #FemaleOutlaw #CrimePodcast #CreepyCute #ThelmaAndLouiseEnergy #TrueCrimeHistory #PodcastAddict #WomenWhoKill #AmericanTrueCrime #TrueCrimeObsessed
📚 Sources
fter last week’s heavy case, Dee takes us out to sea - and straight into one of the eeriest unsolved crimes in maritime history.
In August 1993, the German cargo ship Bärbel was found drifting off the Danish coast: bloodstains across its decks, signs of fire, the crew missing - except for one man. When 28-year-old Russian sailor Andrei Lapa was rescued in a lifeboat nearby, carrying 60,000 Deutsche Marks in cash, investigators immediately suspected foul play.
Was this a mutiny turned massacre? A lone killer’s rampage? Or something far stranger on the North Sea? Dee and Isla unpack the bizarre twists of this “ghost ship” mystery - from conflicting stories and courtroom drama to the chilling reality that no one was ever convicted of the murders.
It’s part nautical thriller, part true-crime enigma, and 100% Switchblade style. Buckle up - or rather, batten down the hatches.
Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on our website - just search Switchblade Sisters Social Club.
SOURCES:
Russian sailor 'not guilty' of murder, TradeWinds, 1995
[Unresolved Disappearance] A ship is found adrift in the North Sea, covered in blood, partially burnt out and with no sign of its crew. A lone survivor is found in a life raft with suitcases of cash and keeps changing his story. What happened on the Bärbel? (North Sea, 1993) : r/UnresolvedMysteries
Sailor in empty ship charged with murdering rest of crew | The Independent | The Independent, 1993
The Russian sailor and the axe-killings - Crime Writer Jens Henrik Jensen
🎧 Listen Now
S5E17 Remembering Rachel Corrie
Dee and Isla take on one of the most moving and painful cases we’ve ever covered: the story of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old American activist who was killed in Gaza in 2003.
We explore Rachel’s life, her activism with the International Solidarity Movement, and the legacy she left behind in Palestine and beyond. From her haunting diary entries to the international reaction - and the lack of justice for her death - we trace how her name became a symbol of solidarity and resistance.
This episode is heavy. It’s about loss, injustice, and the fight for dignity. But it’s also about courage, solidarity, and refusing to stay silent in the face of oppression.
And as always, an Ink-Quisition submission, this time from a fellow true crime podcast host. Who could it be?!
🎧 Available now on YouTube, all podcast platforms, and on our website. Just search Switchblade Sisters Social Club.
#TrueCrimePodcast
#RachelCorrie
Sources:
Explainer: The First Intifada, The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU): https://imeu.org/resources/resources/explainer-the-first-intifada/240
Israel may expel foreign peace activists, News | Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2003/5/2/israel-may-expel-foreign-peace-activists
Rachel Corrie - Americans Who Tell The Truth: https://americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/rachel-corrie/
23-year-old peace activist Rachel Corrie is crushed to death by Israeli bulldozer, March 16, 2003, HISTORY: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-16/rachel-corrie-activist-crushed-israel-bulldozer
FACTBOX - 15 most prominent foreign activists killed by Israel over last 2 decades: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/factbox-15-most-prominent-foreign-activists-killed-by-israel-over-last-2-decades/3323455
21 years after her death in Gaza, Palestinians remember U.S. activist Rachel Corrie, WUNC: https://www.wunc.org/2024-03-30/21-years-after-her-death-in-gaza-palestinians-remember-u-s-activist-rachel-corrie
Photostory: Israeli bulldozer driver murders American peace activist, The Electronic Intifada: https://electronicintifada.net/content/photostory-israeli-bulldozer-driver-murders-american-peace-activist/4449
Al Jazeera: https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/Gazaunderattack/index.html
Fact Sheet: Israel’s “Operation Cast Lead” (2008-09), The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU): https://imeu.org/resources/resources/fact-sheet-israels-operation-cast-lead-2008-09/411
Human Rights Violations during Operation Pillar of Defense, BtSelem: https://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20130509_pillar_of_defense_report
Key figures on the 2014 hostilities, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Occupied Palestinian Territory: https://www.ochaopt.org/content/key-figures-2014-hostilities
Israeli air raid on al-Ahli Arab Hospital kills 500, Gaza officials say, Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/10/17/photos-an-israeli-air-raid-on-al-ahli-arab-hospital-kills-an-estimated-500
Israel-Gaza war: A timeline of key events, Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/major-moments-israel-gaza-war-2025-01-15/
Protesters march in major cities to demand Gaza ceasefire, Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/pro-palestinian-protesters-demand-gaza-ceasefire-european-marches-2023-11-04/
Gaza: World Court Orders Israel to Prevent Genocide, Human Rights Watch
Gaza experiencing 'what international law defines as genocide’: Slovenian foreign minister: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/gaza-experiencing-what-international-law-defines-as-genocide-slovenian-foreign-minister/3695639
1 Million March for Palestine, London's Largest Ever, Palestine Studies: https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/1654765
Shooting of British cameraman by Israeli soldier cold-blooded murder, inquest told, The Guardian
American, 19, Among Gaza Flotilla Dead, ABC News
My Name is Rachel Corrie by Rachel Corrie, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner
After weeks of heavy, murder-laden cases, Isla takes us in a different, yet still crime-ridden, direction: the audacious world of rare book forgery.
We look at the incredible true story of Thomas James Wise, the celebrated 19th-century bibliophile who fooled collectors, museums, and even the British Museum itself. For decades, Wise posed as a gentleman scholar, building a reputation as England’s foremost rare book expert - while secretly forging first editions, inventing non-existent pamphlets, and even tearing pages out of priceless library books to perfect his scams.
Plus: Dee and Isla take a detour into book-world quirks (yes, vellum, watermarks, and antique quiz questions all make an appearance), and wrap up with a themed Ink-quisition featuring author Claire Wilson’s Stephen King tattoo tribute.
This one proves that true crime doesn’t always need murder to shock and intrigue.
👉 Listen now on all podcast platforms, YouTube, or via our website.SOURCES:
The Book Forger by Joseph Hone
Wikipedia
University of Oregon Book Blogs
Happy recognition of the State of Palestine!
So now that most of us have some of our inalienable rights, let’s get on with the case.
In Part 1, we recounted the devastating events of the Port Arthur Massacre in Tasmania on 28 April 1996, when Martin Bryant murdered 35 people and wounded dozens more. In this follow-up episode, Dee and Isla explore what came next: the grief of survivors, the trial of Bryant, and how this tragedy sparked one of the most sweeping gun reforms anywhere in the world.
We also look at how Prime Minister John Howard’s government moved within 12 days to introduce the National Firearms Agreement, as well as comparisons with the UK’s reforms after the Hungerford and Dunblane massacres - and why the United States has not followed suit despite daily mass shootings
This episode is heavy, but it’s also about change, resilience, and the possibility of saying never again and meaning it.
Plus, we end with a lighter palate cleanser: an Ink-quisition story about henna tattoos, melonball cocktails, and a punk rock holiday.
🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms, watch on YouTube, or on our website. Just search for Switchblade Sisters Social Club.
SOURCES:
Report of the Port Arthur Implementation Advisory Committee (Tasmanian Government, 1996)
Carcach, Carlos & Mukherjee, Satyanshu. Suicide and Firearm Mortality in Australia (Australian Institute of Criminology, 1996).
Chapman, Simon, et al. Australia’s 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings (Injury Prevention, BMJ Journals, 2006).
R v. Martin Bryant [1996] – trial documentation and legal proceedings.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age coverage of the massacre and trial.
ABC News Australia (archival reporting and retrospectives on anniversaries).
BBC News and The Guardian (international perspective on the massacre and reforms).
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – firearm death and crime statistics.
GunPolicy.org (University of Sydney, hosted by the Sydney School of Public Health).
60 Minutes Australia episodes reflecting on the massacre and reforms.
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses gun violence and includes details of mass shootings and child victims.
In April 1996, the peaceful historic site of Port Arthur, Tasmania, became the scene of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern history. Thirty-five people were killed and 23 injured when Martin Bryant opened fire, shocking Australia and the world.
In this first part of our two-part deep dive, Dee and Isla take you through the background to the massacre: the life of Martin Bryant, the social and political context in Tasmania, and the events that led up to that fateful day.
Along the way, they untangle the myths and misinformation, explore Bryant’s disturbing early behaviour, and set the stage for how a quiet tourist site turned into a crime scene that would change Australian society forever.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we cover the massacre itself, the trial, and the extraordinary political response that reshaped gun laws in Australia.
🔪 Listen now on all podcast platforms, watch on YouTube, or find us at www.switchbladesisterssocialclub.com
The following is a list of those killed in the Port Arthur massacre.
Winifred Joyce Aplin, 58
Walter John Bennett, 66
Nicole Louise Burgess, 17
Sou Leng Chung, 32
Elva Rhonda Gaylard, 48
Zoe Anne Hall, 28
Elizabeth Jayne Howard, 26
Mary Elizabeth Howard, 57
Mervyn John Howard, 55
Ronald Noel Jary, 71
Tony Vadivelu Kistan, 51
Leslie Dennis Lever, 53
Sarah Kate Loughton, 15
David Martin, 72
Noelene "Sally" Joyce Martin, 69
Pauline Virjeana Masters, 49
Alannah Louise Mikac, 6
Madeline Grace Mikac, 3
Nanette Patricia Mikac, 36
Andrew Bruce Mills, 39
Peter Brenton Nash, 32
Gwenda Joan Neander, 67
William Xeeng Ng, 48
Anthony Nightingale, 44
Mary Rose Nixon, 60
Glenn Roy Pears, 35
Russell James Pollard, 72
Janette Kathleen Quin, 50
Helene Maria Salzmann, 50
Robert Graham Salzmann, 57
Kate Elizabeth Scott, 21
Kevin Vincent Sharp, 68
Raymond John Sharp, 67
Royce William Thompson, 59
Jason Bernard Winter, 29
Sources:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News – Coverage of Port Arthur massacre and aftermath (2016 retrospective articles and interviews with survivors and officials).
CBS News, Sunday Morning – “What can Australia teach us about guns?” (Interview with Port Arthur survivor Carolyn Loughton and former PM John Howard, broadcast May 29, 2022).
Council on Foreign Relations – “U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons” (Backgrounder updated June 10, 2022, by Jonathan Masters).
ABC News (Apr 2024) – Interview with Walter Mikac on gun reform advocacy and reflections 28 years later.
ABC News – Survivor accounts (Australian Story/7.30 reports, e.g. Pauline & Peter Grenfell interview, Lynne Beavis interview).
Dee takes Isla (and you, sexy listeners) deep into one of the most bizarre and tragic cases of the early internet age: the Mark and John case.
In 2003, two teenagers from Manchester – known only by the pseudonyms Mark (16) and John (14) – became caught in a web of online lies, fabricated personas, and manipulative storytelling that spiraled out of control. What began as a teenage flirtation in MSN chat rooms turned into a labyrinth of fake characters, wild plots, and ultimately, a shocking attempted murder.
Was it a case of catfishing gone too far, a desperate cry for help, or both?
This is a case where both victim and perpetrator blur together, and the line between fiction and reality becomes dangerously thin.
SOURCES:
Helen Carter, “Bizarre tale of boy who used internet to plot his own murder”, The Guardian, 29 May 2004
Manchester Crown Court Proceedings (comments, transcripts)
Crime and Investigation Channel – summary and coverage of the case
Judy Bachrach, “U want me 2 kill him? How a 14-year-old planned his own execution in MSN chat rooms”, Vanity Fair
Greater Manchester Police Statements
Sally Hogg, computer forensic analyst (her work reported in Vanity Fair and The Guardian)
Casefile: True Crime Podcast – episode on Mark and John
In 1922, a suburban love triangle exploded into one of Britain’s most sensational murder trials. When Frederick Bywaters stabbed Percy Thompson to death, his lover - Percy’s glamorous and outspoken wife, Edith - was also accused of murder.
What followed was a media frenzy: scandalous love letters read aloud in court, a prurient press, and a justice system all too eager to punish a woman who refused to conform. Though Bywaters confessed to the killing and insisted Edith knew nothing of his plans, both were condemned to hang.
Dee and Isla explore the tragic story of Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters, the trial that gripped a nation, and the executions that shocked the world. Was Edith guilty of murder - or merely of loving the wrong man? And how did her death help fuel the movement to abolish capital punishment in Britain?
Sources:
Rex v Edith Thompson: A Tale of Two Murders by Laura Thompson
Trial transcripts and commentary in Trial of Frederick Bywaters and Edith Thompson (Notable British Trials series, 1923).
Contemporary newspaper accounts (e.g., The Times, Daily Sketch, Daily Express reports from 1922–23).
Adam Lusher, “Laid to rest at last: Edith Thompson, victim of a 'barbarous, misogynistic' death penalty,” The Independent (Nov. 22, 2018).
René Weis, Criminal Justice: The True Story of Edith Thompson (1988) and quotes in The Independent (2018).
David Bingham, “The Messalina of the Suburbs: Edith Jessie Thompson” (The London Dead blog, Dec. 13, 2024).
“Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters” entry on Murderpedia and other archival sources summarizing the case.
Dee and Isla dive into one of the most infamous cases in British criminal history: the disappearance of music hall performer Cora Crippen, better known by her stage name Belle Elmore.
When Cora vanished in 1910, her formidable friends from the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild refused to accept the explanations given by her husband, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen. Their persistence led to a Scotland Yard investigation that uncovered a grisly discovery in the cellar of the Crippens’ London home - and triggered the world’s first transatlantic manhunt using wireless telegraphy.
We explore: 🔪 Cora’s life, career, and tragic end. 📜 The pioneering role of the Ladies’ Guild in pressing the police to act. 🧪 How scar tissue and early forensic science helped identify the remains. 🚢 Crippen’s ill-fated escape attempt with his secretary-turned-lover, Ethel Le Neve, disguised as his “son.” ⚖️ The sensational trial that captivated Edwardian Britain.
From medical malpractice and deception to a historic police chase across the Atlantic, this case has everything: scandal, innovation, and a chilling legacy that still echoes in true crime history.
✨ Sources include The Story of a Murder by Hallie Rubenhold, Scotland Yard’s Bloody History by Simon Read, and contemporary reports.
In this week’s episode, Dee and Isla pick up where we left off in Part 1, following the chilling trail of Italian serial killer Danilo Restivo.
After the disappearance of 16-year-old Elisa Claps in Potenza in 1993, Restivo managed to evade justice for years - protected by police incompetence, corruption, and his powerful family connections. But nearly a decade later, another brutal murder in England finally forced the world to pay attention.
In Part 2, we dive into the horrific 2002 murder of Heather Barnett in Bournemouth, found by her children in a crime scene that bore Restivo’s disturbing signature.
It’s a case of cruelty, incompetence, and finally, long-delayed justice, spanning from southern Italy to the English seaside.
🔪 Sources:
Blood on the Altar by Tobias Jones (and here’s his retreat https://www.windsorhillwood.co.uk/)
Casefile Podcast
BBC reporting and archives ie https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/60789858-fdc4-4c31-b030-712b33c107a8
In this week’s episode, Dee takes Isla (and you, dear listeners) on a dark journey that begins in Southern Italy and stretches across decades and borders. We dive into the disturbing case of Danilo Restivo, an Italian serial killer connected to the disappearance of Elisa Claps and the brutal murder of Heather Barnett.
But before we head to Potenza, we talk about some shocking recent news: a public figure we once admired has joined Reform UK—Nigel Farage’s misogynistic, racist, anti-immigrant party. We unpack why that’s so dangerous, what Reform UK really stands for, and why it feels like such a betrayal. We also highlight the launch of YourParty.uk, a new movement spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana that aims to give people a genuine alternative to the far-right and centrist status quo. (Sign up to their mailing list—even just registering interest sends a strong message that people want change!)
From there, we set the stage in Basilicata, Italy - a region of beauty, poverty, and secrets - before delving into the disappearance of 16-year-old Elisa Claps, the deeply suspicious behaviour of Danilo Restivo, and the failures of both police and church that let a predator slip through the cracks. This is a story filled with corruption, cover-ups, and tragedy - and this is only Part One.
Stay tuned for Part Two, where the case twists into a new country, a new decade, and shocking revelations.
And don’t forget, we close things out with our Ink-Quisition, featuring an incredible Medusa tattoo that left us speechless.
🔪 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube.
💌 Want to support change? Check out YourParty.uk.
Strap in, because Dee and Isla are back to finish their deep space exploration into the world’s most meme-able tech bro. Last week, we covered Elon's chaotic childhood, rise to billionaire status, and a trail of lawsuits and eyebrow-raising behaviour. This week, it’s time for Part 2 - and it’s even messier.
We get into:
The Amber Heard romance
The Thai cave rescue PR disaster that had Elon calling a diver 'pedo guy'
The Joe Rogan weed-smoking moment that wiped billions off Tesla’s value
Tesla’s racial discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits (plus a 'frat house' factory culture)
Union-busting tweets, $56 billion bonuses, and moving HQ to tax-friendly Texas
The ethically questionable Musk Foundation, which seems to benefit… Elon Musk
Neuralink’s animal testing controversy and terrifying 'merge your brain with AI' ambitions
His on/off saga with Grimes, the ever-growing Musk family tree, and a personal breeding program straight out of a dystopian novel
Buying Twitter, renaming it X, reinstating Trump and Kanye, and then banning journalists who criticised him
The bromance-turned-beef with Donald Trump (yes, including the Nazi salute)
How 2% of his wealth could solve world hunger - but didn’t
And of course… the private jets
It’s petty feuds, political flip-flops, and billionaire-level hypocrisy galore — with a side of Nazi salutes and bad rap songs.
Sources & Further Reading:
[Musk Foundation website – in all its minimalist glory]
UN World Food Programme Plan to End Hunger
Wired – Neuralink animal testing coverage
BBC, Guardian, and New York Times reporting on Tesla lawsuits and workplace culture
Reuters & Bloomberg coverage of the Twitter/X takeover
Various court filings, press releases, and Musk’s own tweets (archived)
In this chaotic rocket launch of an episode, Dee attempts to navigate the tangled constellation of Elon Musk’s life—spoiler: we didn’t make it in one go. So welcome to our first-ever two-parter, because it turns out you can’t cram multiple companies, multiple lawsuits, and multiple baby mamas into a single hour. Who knew?
Join us for:
🚀 The early days of Elon: apartheid-era South Africa, computer games, and family trauma that reads like a Greek tragedy set in a Tesla showroom
🍼 The marriages, the children, the weird power moves (like whispering “I’m the alpha” during your wedding dance)
💼 A young Musk bites off ZIP2 and PayPal, and then blasts off to colonise Mars (or at least, PowerPoint about it)
🚗 Tesla, Tesla, Tesla: the cars, the crashes, the recalls, the robotaxi dreams (and nightmares)
🧪 Control issues, crybaby billionaires, and an unhealthy obsession with the letter X
👨👧 And a particularly heartbreaking account of Musk’s public transphobia and family estrangement—because not all red flags are just cringe. Some are unforgivable.
PLUS: The Cybertruck is real and it’s giving Mad Max meets B&Q shelving unit.
AND: A cosmic Ink-Quisition submission from Anthony Johnston, with a deep-space tattoo and a heart of starry gold.
TW: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence, child loss, sexual harassment, and transphobia. We give heads-up in the audio when possible.
🎧 Listen now and brace yourself for Part 2, featuring Musk's bromance (and breakup) with Donald Trump, Twitter/X nonsense, and so much more unhinged behaviour you’ll wonder if it’s satire.
In this deeply disturbing and forensic-filled episode, Isla walks us through the crimes of George Joseph Smith: swindler, bigamist, serial killer, and general all-around b*stard.
Operating in Edwardian England, Smith preyed on lonely women through Lonely Hearts ads, married them under false names, took out life insurance policies, and then drowned them in athtubs. All within a matter of days.
Dee and Isla discuss:
The social and historical context of Edwardian England
The challenges women faced around marriage, finances, and independence
Smith's manipulative tactics and multiple identities
The suspiciously frequent bathtime deaths of his new wives
The pioneering role of forensic pathologist Bernard Spilsbury, whose demonstration helped secure a conviction
The amateur sleuthing that brought Smith down, and the landmark legal impact of the case
Sources:
"Scotland Yard: A Bloody History" by Simon Read
Murderpedia: George Joseph Smith
Newspaper archives: The Times, Daily Mail, Waterford Observer, Kent Messenger, Daily Sketch (1912-1915)
Old Bailey proceedings archive
Wikipedia: George Joseph Smith
News of the World (January 1915)
Execution records (Maidstone Prison, 1915)
The Brides in the Bath (2003 TV film starring Martin Kemp)
Want more?
Submit your tattoo for judgment in The Ink-Quisition: link in bio
Shop our merch
Catch up on past episodes: switchbladesisterssocialclub.com
Follow us on Instagram @switchbladesisterssocialclub
This week, Dee takes us on a tour of debauchery, dungeons, and deeply dodgy aristocrats in a case so twisted it makes Fifty Shades read like a church newsletter.
That’s right, we’re diving headfirst into the silk-draped scandal pit of the original king of kink and courtroom drama: the Marquis de Sade.
Was he a misunderstood literary genius, a political provocateur, or just a rich creep with too many castles and not enough morals?
Spoiler: it’s option three.
⚔️ Prepare yourself for:
🔥 Orgies in castles (plural)
🧹 A housekeeper job interview that turns into a hostage situation
✝️ Masturbation with a crucifix (you read that right)
📜 Smuggled scrolls of smut
💀 Multiple prison escapes, fake funerals, and one very tricksy mother-in-law
Oh, and somehow Pierre Cardin makes a cameo? Because of course he does.
💡 Content warning: This episode discusses sexual assault, abuse, and historical accounts of violence. Listener discretion advised.
📚 SOURCES: Letters from Prison, Smithsonian Magazine, The Independent, Conflicted Podcast, and of course, Dee’s suspiciously detailed French pronunciation.
💌 Submit your tattoos to the Ink-Quisition.
🛁 Get your official Switchblade Sisters shower curtain (truly).
🧾 All the stuff is at switchbladesisterssocialclub.com.
This week, Isla takes the lead in her first ever Switchblade Sisters case presentation! Brace yourself for a tale of murder, manipulation, and mushroom soup as we plunge into the poison-laced life of Polish-American serial killer Tilly Klimek.
Operating in Chicago’s Little Poland in the early 1900s, Tilly claimed to be clairvoyant, predicting the deaths of her husbands, neighbours, and even dogs, conveniently just before they were struck down by arsenic poisoning. What started as eerie foresight soon turned out to be cold-blooded calculation.
Isla walks us through Tilly’s many suspicious marriages, her poisoned candy campaigns, and her final downfall thanks to some suspicious garlic breath.
Things you will learn about:
Why Chicago in the 1920s was apparently the place to get away with murder (especially if you were attractive)
The history of arsenic, and why Victorian women loved it (and used it)
The sociopolitical context behind poisoner-widows and the twisted, systemic forces at play
Some unfair courtroom double standards ( if you're hot, you walk free)
How Dee has too many tattoos planned and not enough body space
Wiggles the Party Vulture 🦃
👩⚖️ The Ink-Quisition:
Submit your own tattoo for judgment, adoration, and possibly ridicule 💀💋
Sources
Lady Killers by Tori Telfer
She Kills Me by Jennifer Wright
League of Lady Poisoners by Lisa Perrin
A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup
ChicagoHistory.org
Murderpedia
Want more murderous women, poisoned pastries, and dark history?Come find us at events in York and Harrogate this summer. Check out all upcoming live dates at Criminally Good Books.
Welcome back, sisters and sinners! This week, Dee and Isla take a dark and winding stroll down the towpaths of 1960s London to unpick the grim mystery of Jack the Stripper — no, not a misbehaving hen party guest, but the nickname for one of Britain’s most elusive serial killers.
Between 1959 and 1965, eight women, all sex workers, were found murdered and dumped near the Thames. All were undressed. All were petite. All were preyed upon in an era when London was loosening up morally… but still tightening the noose on working-class women.
As always, we take you through the crimes, the investigation, and the infuriating dead ends. including the time a nightclub caretaker just wandered into the police station and confessed. (He changed his mind. As you do.)
Also, brace yourselves — Dee drops her most controversial opinion yet: soya milk is the worst of all milk alternatives. We’ll give you a moment to recover.
Join The Ink-Quisition!Do you have a tattoo you'd like us to lovingly judge at the end of an episode? Whether it's your nan's name, a haunted doll, or just a regretful dolphin from Magaluf 2004, submit your ink to The Ink-Quisition. Link in bio.
Sources:
UK Unsolved Crimes – Jack the Stripper
True Crime All The Time Unsolved
Blood Ties Podcast
Mysteries and Histories – Hammersmith Nude Murders
The Student’s Verdict – Jack the Stripper (yes, not a typo)
Wikipedia (obviously, we’re not monsters)
What do you get when you cross a morgue attendant with a Satanist, a bad artist, and a 90s French internet hookup? A cannibal with a YouTube following, apparently.
Join Dee and Isla as we plunge fang-first into the gore-splattered legacy of Nicolas Claux, the Vampire of Paris, a convicted murderer, confessed cannibal, corpse desecrator, and, somehow, international curator.
It all started with a seemingly innocent visit to a Serial Killer Exhibition in London, until one donor’s name kept creeping up like a resurrected corpse.
Trigger warnings galore: corpses, cannibalism, blood-drinking, grave desecration, and very, very bad art. (Seriously. We Googled it. It’s awful.)
Shout outs:
Nominal
https://www.instagram.com/nominal/
Hoodies for Heroes
https://www.instagram.com/hoodies_for_heroes/
Wear the Peace
https://www.instagram.com/wearthepeace/
Britain Palestine Project
https://www.instagram.com/britainpalestineproject/
Dee’s Save the Children webinar on Palestinian children in military detention
https://britainpalestineproject.org/injustice/
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs - Dee’s articles
https://www.wrmea.org/search.html?searchword=Diana%20safieh&searchphrase=all
Sources:
Murderpedia (obvs)
Le Parisien
University of Wikipedia, majoring in Morbid Curiosity
Unforbidden Truths Podcast
Uneasy Terrain Explorers Club Podcast
📣 CALL TO ACTION: Send us your tattoos for judgement for this week’s Ink-Quisition!
🖤 #TrueCrimeEthics #InkQuisition #VampireOfParis
Welcome to Season 5 — and say hello to your new co-host Isla from Criminally Good Books in York!
In this jam-packed first episode, Dee and Isla go full-blown true crime + emotional carnage as they cover the terrifying 1999 bombing spree that shook London to its core. But first, a few very important announcements:
🧡 Emma has stepped back from co-hosting (she’s still a Switchblade Sister for life and our legal consultant on speed dial)
📚 Isla from Criminally Good Books has officially joined the team, and frankly, it’s about time
🎄 Yes, Isla still has Christmas decorations up in June
🐷 Dee may or may not have tattooed a Guinea pig-adjacent animal from South Africa on her body
We dive into the horrifying attacks carried out by neo-Nazi David Copeland, who tried to start a race war using nail bombs left in Brixton, Brick Lane, and Soho, targeting Black communities, Bangladeshi Londoners, and the LGBTQ+ community in rapid succession. It’s grim, it’s infuriating, and it’s an important reminder of how easily hate spreads if left unchecked.
🔪 Bonus Segment: The Ink-Quisition We judge the Sugarbabes’ autographs, tattooed permanently on a heavy metal musician’s body.
Trigger Warnings: Bombings, neo-Nazism, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and strong language (sorry Isla’s mum).
📸 Check our socials for visuals, tattoos, and more from the episode
🌈 No TERFs, no fascists — just feminist chaos and found family
💌 Submit your tattoo for The Ink-Quisition here
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAybOOizFDxMOcMfmq2Ct4dUHjFrl_NWgJ9hVPZYs7CMkZsQ/viewform
In this special bonus episode of the Switchblade Sisters Social Club, co-hosts Dee and Emma address Emma's departure from the podcast. As Emma takes a step back, they introduce Isla of Criminally Good Books, the new co-host for Season 5. But before Emma chips off, we discuss our visit to the Moholoholo Animal Rehab Center, their charitable donation, and their encounter with the infamous honey badger, Stoffel. We look into Stoffel's clever and relentless escapades, his history as an escape artist, and the challenges of containing such a determined animal.