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The First Degree

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!)

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Today · 44 min
DEEP DIVE: DADDY ISSUES
Come one, come all to another crazy week of the Deep Dive. We are talking Sophia Franklin’s memoir Daddy Issues, Erika Kirk shilling hot sauce, Alfalfa from The Little Rascals entering his Yesteryear era, Casey Anthony being insane once again, and in the least surprising news of the week: Russell Brand is going to jail! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Yesterday · 47 min
Episode 428: Margaret Haddican-McEnroe
In October 2006, a mother of three disappears from her home in Warren Township, New Jersey, following an argument with her husband. Although her husband reports her missing two days later, her family isn't notified until six days after she was last seen. As investigators begin searching for answers, inconsistencies in her husband's story raise questions about what really happened. But despite mounting suspicions, years pass without an arrest, leaving her family desperate for answers. In episode 428, Jac and Alexis examine the disappearance of Margaret Haddican-McEnroe, the troubling circumstances surrounding her case, and her family's 20-year fight to find out what happened to her. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
November 5 · 45 min
DEEP DIVE: HUMAN BRAIN COMPUTERS
Things are starting to get creepy over here. This week we’re talking about computers made with ALIVE human brain cells that need to be fed to stay alive, a dude swallowing $800k worth of Tiffany’s diamond earrings (and the police having to wait for him to shit them out), the FORBES 30 Under 30 to prison pipeline, and we’re back with more Kelly Clarkson / Brooklyn toy controversy conspiracy theories! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
November 4 · 37 min
Episode 427: Darkness In Dawson Creek
By 2024, there are 11 unsolved murders in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. All committed in the previous three years. Families of the murdered and missing are desperate for answers about their loved ones' deaths and whereabouts. The quiet, small town is dealing with the consequences of a natural resource boom, where workers flood into town to make big money, as well as to spend it. Before long, the insidious nature of drug addiction has many locals in its grip. But the other, far more dangerous and frightening consequence is the power wielded by local dealers. The resulting violence sets reporter Timothy Sawa on a quest to explore why residents are afraid to speak out. In episode 427, Jac and Alexis detail the string of mysterious disappearances and unsolved murders in Dawson Creek and Timothy’s journey towards the truth, which he chronicles in his compelling podcast, The Mile Zero Murders. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 29 · 44 min
DEEP DIVE: CAMP LOOKSMAXING
Another weird week over here on the deep dive! We get a good look into Clavicular’s new Camp Looksmaxing where a bunch of losers pay $5k to have him tell them they’re ugly. Also, Laura Owen’s / Clayton Echard updates, new bombshell evidence that Stockton Rush planned the Ocean Gate implosion, and we finally find out what skinwalkers really look like. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 28 · 43 min
Episode 426: We Were Never Alone
Some encounters with the unexplained are terrifying. Others offer an unexpected sense of comfort. But all leave us wondering what, if anything, exists beyond death. In this special Halloween episode, Lex and Jac share more extraordinary stories from Firsties, including disturbing encounters, mysterious apparitions, and chilling evidence captured on camera. Are these coincidences, tricks of the mind, or glimpses of something we don't yet understand? Enjoy this year’s final Halloween tribute episode, because we’re back to the traditional format next week. Join Jac and Lex on Talk Shop Live to dish about Lex’s book, Between the Devil and the Tide. Link to join below. You can also get your signed copy using the same link. Date/ time- Thursday, October 29th at 3pm PST/ 6pm EST Join Jac & Lex on TalkShop Live for the Between the Devil and the Tide livestream 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 22 · 45 min
DEEP DIVE: SECRET PIZZA PARTY?
Jac pulls the string of the Kelly Clarkson / $15K mechanical bird drama and (SHOCKER!) it leads to Epstein adjacent children’s books about secret pizza parties??? Plus, the girls chat about Jonestown opening for tourists, Kate Gosselin’s alleged abuse, and not being able to get away from the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 21 · 38 min
Episode 425: The Things That Haunt Us
This week, Firstober continues with a collection of chilling listener stories, unexplained encounters, and a real-life Halloween nightmare. From eerie apparitions to a mysterious death on Halloween night, Lex and Jac explore the things that haunt us, both supernatural and all too human. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 15 · 46 min
DEEP DIVE: WHAT IS SUSAN DELL?
The world is going crazy and we’re just trying to keep up. This week we are talking about a woman sneaking into high school to pretend to be a substitute teacher just to talk shit to students, a possible serial killer in Michigan, a brand new cute Trump statue, a new cat species, and what the hell is Susan Dell? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 14 · 46 min
Episode 424: The Dead Speak
In this special Halloween episode, Lex and Jac share chilling paranormal encounters from Firsties who swear they’ve experienced something they can’t explain. Then, they unravel the incredible true story of a murdered woman who may have found a way to identify her own killer from beyond the grave. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 8 · 51 min
DEEP DIVE: CALEB FLYNN
You asked for it, you got it. This week we are going down the rabbit hole that is the atrocious man named Caleb Flynn. Alexis’ new obsession has been courtroom tv, and she has been watching the entire trial in real time. We go through texts with his mistress, the embarrassing AI songs he wrote for her, and how one man can go from hot to Frankenstein in less than a year. Plus, we discuss Erika Kirk’s new bizarre photoshoot, Gypsy Rose’s husband’s untimely death, and another Epstein whistleblower found dead by *suicide*. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 7 · 47 min
Episode 423: Spooky Stories & Strange Crimes
Today, Jac and Lex are taking us on a spooky adventure into the places where true crime and the paranormal collide. From chilling listener encounters to a historic murder case with a supernatural twist, they’re leaning all the way into spooky season. Plus, they unpack the bizarre story of a true-crime author whose unexpected encounter with police quickly spiraled into a case of its own. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 1 · 45 min
DEEP DIVE: DR. TOMASZ KOSOWSKI
This week we are diving into one of the most bizarre cases of the year, Dr. Tomasz Kosowski. You may have seen clips circulating online of his insane courtroom behavior, or maybe of him trying to suck DNA off his fingers in the back of a cop car. No matter what you’ve seen so far, it only gets weirder the more you go down the rabbit hole. Buckle up, it’s a wild ride. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 30 · 55 min
Episode 422: Rachel Hansen
In June 2022, a 19-year-old woman calls 911 after someone enters her apartment and shoots her in the middle of the night. She survives long enough to tell the dispatcher she doesn’t know who shot her or why, but dies from her injuries shortly afterward. As investigators search for answers, they uncover a series of strange circumstances surrounding the apartment, including an unsettling incident just two days before the murder and questions about whether the killer may have been looking for someone else. In episode 422, Jac and Alexis examine the murder of Rachel Hansen, the theories investigators continue to explore, and how her family is keeping Rachel’s memory and legacy alive while fighting for answers. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 24 · 46 min
DEEP DIVE: ANIMALS ARE FREAKS
If you thought humans were weird as hell, buckle up because animals are FREAKS. We’re bringing you all of the creepy, strange, murderous facts about the animal kingdom. Prepare to learn things you didn’t want to about dolphins, spiders, birds, pandas, anglerfish, and so much more! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 23 · 33 min
Episode 421: Daniel Hiers Jr.
On March 15, 2005, police respond to a 911 call from a home in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Inside the residence, the body of a 24-year-old woman is found in bed, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. The number one suspect is already accused of crimes against a child. But when he fails to attend the sheriff’s office to turn himself in for the offenses against a minor and can’t be located, it’s a five-alarm fire. It’s like he’s vanished into thin air. Authorities place the man on the US Marshals 15 Most Wanted list as the victim's devastated family continues to wait years for news. But the perpetrator can’t run forever. In episode 421, Jac and Alexis detail the senseless death of Ludimila Cohe de Araujo Hiers, and the dramatic capture of her killer years later, exploring just how far some people will go to escape the consequences that inevitably await them. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 17 · 47 min
DEEP DIVE: THE AI TAKEOVER? REAL OR PSYOP?
Things are feeling a bit spooky this week and we are barely halfway through September. We are discussing all of the weird shit going on in the AI world (like if it gonna kill off humanity in 10 years or what?????). Plus, some updates in the Lindsay Clancy trial, Mormon Wived drama, and who the hell does Armie Hammer think he is?? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 16 · 47 min
Episode 420: Elisa Roberson
In August 1989, a 13-year-old girl leaves her home in Aransas Pass, Texas, for a short walk to meet a friend at a nearby elementary school. But she never makes it there, and investigators soon theorize she was abducted somewhere along that short route. In episode 420, Jac and Alexis examine the disappearance of Elisa Roberson, the investigation that followed, and her family’s decades-long fight to find out what happened to her. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 10 · 45 min
DEEP DIVE: CYBORG COCKROACHES
We’re bouncing all over the place this week, so put on your seatbelts and get ready for the ride. A new lawsuit alleges that Frederic Fekkai was an integral part to Epstein’s trafficking ring, the new teaser for Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes doc is out and it is INSANE, and the announcer on Wheel of Fortune got caught in illegal chatrooms on an airplane. Plus, cyborg cockraoches! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 9 · 33 min
Episode 419: Dana Woods
In August 2012, two young women spend a summer night together in Berkeley County, South Carolina, before accepting a ride from someone they know. Hours later, Dana Woods and June Guerry are found murdered in the remote Francis Marion National Forest. As investigators work to identify those responsible, a seemingly ordinary night begins to unravel, revealing just how close a small community can be to something horrifying. In episode 419, Jac and Alexis examine the murders of Dana Woods and June Guerry, the men ultimately held responsible, and the lasting impact of realizing just how close you can be to a tragedy without ever knowing it. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 🎥 Youtube youtube.com/@thefirstdegreepodcast 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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