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The First Degree

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Alexis Linkletter, Jac Vanek

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows... you may be our next guest. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)

#536

Episode 332: Debunked: The Glen Rogers x OJ Simpson Theory

Years ago The First Degree covered the serial murder spree of Glen Rogers, also known as The Casanova Killer. On the heels of OJ Simpson's 2024 death, a new theory about his horrific crimes involving Glen Rogers has circulated, and it's time to debunk them and put the rumors for bed once and for all. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

14 hrs Ago

30 MINS

30:36

14 hrs Ago

#535

DEEP DIVE: KIM K

Happy rot day everyone! On this very special holiday, we break down and analyze Kim Kardashian’s bizarre rendition music video of Santa Baby. Is it satanic symbolism, a very creative marketing scheme, or is it simply just…art? Plus, a cancelled Kardashian Christmas party and angel monitor conspiracies. And of course, we bring you the latest Luigi updates. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

26 Dec 2024

44 MINS

44:35

26 Dec 2024

#534

Episode 331: Updates: John Getreu

In 2020 we covered the case of The Stanford Murders. A string of crimes that occurred between 1973-1974 in the area surrounding Stanford University. In 2016 a cold case unit regrouped their efforts, which led to the identification of a suspect named John Getreu, a serial killer operating under the radar for more than 50 years. In this special update episode we’ll delve into the significant developments in the case. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

25 Dec 2024

24 MINS

24:04

25 Dec 2024

#533

DEEP DIVE: JAY-Z

Jay-Z’s lawyer is claiming there’s no friendship between he and Diddy, despite a paper trail dating back decades. Hats on, critical minds open, seat belts fastened. Buckle up friends because we’re coming in hot with everything you need to know (except for the history of Jay-Z and Beyoncé because that deserves its own episode). 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

19 Dec 2024

44 MINS

44:03

19 Dec 2024

#532

Episode 330: Nikki Cheng Saelee-Mccain

In the early hours of May 18, 2024, a 39-year-old mother of four vanishes after last being seen at her mother-in-law’s home in Redding, California. Just days earlier, she had shared plans to divorce her abusive husband and rebuild her life. When her family stops hearing from her, alarm bells ring, especially given her husband’s history of violence and erratic behavior. Detectives soon discover her truck abandoned in a remote area, raising even more questions about her disappearance. In episode 330, Jac and Alexis delve into the unsettling details of Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain’s disappearance, her fight to escape an abusive marriage, and the unanswered questions that still haunt her family. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

18 Dec 2024

42 MINS

42:06

18 Dec 2024

#531

DEEP DIVE: LUIGI MANGIONE

Put your tin foil hats on because this weeks episode is a wild ride! Join us as we uncover everything we can about Luigi Mangione, the murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Health Care, and what the hell is ACTUALLY going on. We’re talking facts but we’re also diving into theories because let’s be honest, nothing is making sense right now… 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

12 Dec 2024

1 HR 07 MINS

1:07:44

12 Dec 2024

#530

Episode 329: Timothy Haslett Jr.

On October 7, 2022, a 22-year-old black woman is frantically knocking on doors in a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of Kansas City, Missouri. When police arrive, they find the distressed woman with duct tape around her neck, wearing a trash bag, and a metal collar with a padlock. She tells police she had been held against her will and sexually assaulted by a man at a home nearby. But this is just the beginning. City law enforcement knows - but has consistently denied - that local black women have been going missing. When another victim turns up murdered, the lies and cover-ups begin to be exposed. And things turn uglier when a retired former detective is implicated in other local murders, with misconduct and malfeasance more prevalent than many realised. In episode 329, Jac and Alexis detail the alleged case against Timothy Haslett Jr, and how his supposed crimes have been enabled by a police department rife with systemic racism. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

11 Dec 2024

40 MINS

40:13

11 Dec 2024

#529

DEEP DIVE: SISTER WIVES

Today is a different kind of deep dive! You know the show Sister Wives? Yeah, the wacky reality show on TLC about that weird polygamist guy with the ramen noodle mullet? Did you know one of his wives has a serial killer in her family tree? This week we’re deep diving the dark, twisted history of the LeBaron family. And there’s murder….lots of murder. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

05 Dec 2024

41 MINS

41:20

05 Dec 2024

#528

Episode 328: Dr. Blatti

On March 22, 2016, a 50-year-old woman passes away in Baldwin, New York. She had been suffering from chronic pain for almost 10 years following surgery, and was found to have died from an opioid overdose. It’s a tragic yet not uncommon story in a country in the grip of a sweeping prescription opioid epidemic. It wouldn’t be until almost two and a half years later that an investigation commenced into not just the woman’s death, but that of three other people who had also died in similar circumstances in the meantime. As law enforcement looks into how the deceased obtained the prescription drugs which had caused their deaths, it became clear that they were all provided by the same physician. But before the doctor could be charged, a fifth person lost their life. In episode 328, Jac and Alexis discuss the shocking case of Dr George Blatti, someone with no regard for the Hippocratic oath, the patients he was obligated to help, or their families. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

04 Dec 2024

38 MINS

38:23

04 Dec 2024

#527

DEEP DIVE: ELLEN

You asked for it, and boy did we deliver! This week’s Deep Dive is allllllll about Ellen DeGeneres. Hats on. Minds open. Because it turns out that Diddy isn’t the only diabolical supervillain floating around the 1%. We dive into the Wayfair x Ellen Trafficking conspiracy theory, the bizarre death of Anne Heche and tWitch, and why exactly did Ellen and Portia flee the country??? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

28 Nov 2024

48 MINS

48:39

28 Nov 2024

#526

Episode 327: UPDATES: Rita & Colleen

In October of 2023 we released two episodes discussing the cases of Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee. There have been significant developments regarding the man convicted of their murders. These essential updates involve the Long Island Serial Killer suspect, Rex Heuermann. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

27 Nov 2024

42 MINS

42:45

27 Nov 2024

#525

DEEP DIVE: MEGAN FOX & THE BLACK GOO

Another day, another deep dive! This week Jac & Lex dive into the latest Diddy updates, including a bombshell story about Diddy sacrificing a dove in the middle of Central Park just minutes before his acquittal of the 1999 nightclub shooing??? WTF? We also chat through the latest bizarre celeb news of the week: Megan Fox’s black goo pregnancy announcement, an Ariana Grande only fans impersonator, and Jay Leno “falling down a cliff”. It was quite the week. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

21 Nov 2024

41 MINS

41:05

21 Nov 2024

#524

Episode 326: Lonene "Lonnie" Rogers

In the early hours of January 7, 1981, a 29-year-old vibrant young mother of two vanishes from her home in Hayfield Township, Pennsylvania, during a blizzard. All of her belongings—including her wallet, car, glasses, and hearing aids—are left behind in a home that is disturbingly spotless. When questioned, the woman’s husband claims she left in the middle of the night after an argument. Yet despite these claims, the mother is never found, leaving her children with haunting questions about what truly happened that fateful night. In episode 326, Jac and Alexis dive into the tragic disappearance of Lonene “Lonnie” Rogers and her daughter Alison's decades-long quest for the truth. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

20 Nov 2024

59 MINS

59:45

20 Nov 2024

#523

DEEP DIVE: SATANIC FASHION

Today we’ve got so much more than tinfoil hats for you. All hats are encouraged on this special DIDDY DEEP DIVE x FASHION crossover episode. With such strong ties between the worlds of music and fashion, we had to investigate. We’re talking all about Hollywood’s high priestess and her husband, Rick Owens AKA the “Lord of Darkness.” We’re talking the satanic Balenciaga scandal and the celebrities who support them anyway. And you may notice that some of these same celebrities with elusive ties to the dark world of fashion are the same ones with ties to Diddy. BUCKLE UP. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

14 Nov 2024

50 MINS

50:02

14 Nov 2024

#522

Episode 325: Lana Clarkson & Phil Spector, Part 2

In part 2 of our coverage of the Lana Turner case, Jac and Alexis conclude with a deep dive into the frenzied trial. Phil Spector finally went to court for the murder of Lana Clarkson in 2007, almost 4 years after her senseless death. Under the pervasive glare of the media, it would take six years and two jury trials, both lasting for months at a time, for the case to be adjudicated. Yet questions still linger for Lana’s best friend, Pie McLaughlin. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

13 Nov 2024

36 MINS

36:36

13 Nov 2024

#521

DEEP DIVE: DIDDY, PART 7

We’re drowning in the deep end for week 7 of our Diddy deep dive! We bring you the latest updates including who the hell is Courtney Burgess and why is HE the one with all of the freak off tapes, what was on diddys NDA agreements, and did Kanye sacrifice his mother to the devil? Plus we rage about Peanut the squirrels murder 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: [patreon.com/thefirstdegree] (http://patreon.com/thefirstdegree) 📸 Instagram: [instagram.com/thefirstdegree] (http://instagram.com/thefirstdegree) 🕺 TikTok: [tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee] (http://tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee) 👤 Facebook: [facebook.com/thefirstdegree] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217377075786622/) ... Read more

07 Nov 2024

45 MINS

45:13