Content Warning: This article contains details of real-life crimes.
My Favorite Murder is one of the most popular podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify today, which is no surprise to those who follow it. The hosts, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, bonded over their mutual love of true crime of all kinds.
With more than 300 episodes and counting, My Favorite Murder is fairly long-running in podcast terms. The weekly releases have provided hours of entertainment for their followers and fans, but the daunting backlog can be difficult to get through. Thanks to the fans at Reddit, new listeners can jump to the most iconic episodes that are the best representative of the pod.
Episode 221 - Symbolic Violins
LeftCoast28 strongly recommends the Symbolic Villains episode, saying, "Karen’s story about her show idea for Baby Jessica is just hilarious; Georgia does a great job covering Sid & Nancy." Karen and Georgia each have their own strengths in storytelling, and they really shine in this episode.
The stories are well known and have been well discussed before. Baby Jessica fell down a well and became a national obsession as the world followed the attempts to get her out and Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious were well-known punk rock celebrities who were dating in the late '70s. Nancy was murdered in '78 and Sid, though he tells conflicting stories, was never found guilty.
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Episode 136 - The Uninhibited
One Redditor recommends episode 136, which covers the murder of Stanford White and the Case of the Boys on the Tracks. "Both were thoroughly researched, well done, and both were super in-depth rabbit hole type stories." Just as is said, this is an exemplary episode for outlining the type of public obsession that can occur after a crime which only the best true crime podcasts can really illustrate.
Stanford White was an architect who was murdered in public by Harry Kendall Thaw, who had married Evelyn Nesbit. Nesbit would later reveal that White had sexually assaulted her when she was just 16. "The Boys on the Tracks" is the story of two young boys who were apparently run over by a cargo train, but later autopsy revealed they had died by stab wounds and bludgeoning.
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Episode 77 - Live At The Keswick Theatre
Redditor Yesnoic said, "The banter at the beginning isn’t the greatest but Karen’s story is horrifying and well told, and Georgia’s story about the Amish Murder cracked me up." Live shows can be less appealing to many because they miss the magic of editing, but the magic of a live audience and experience can really add to the episode. Additionally, this live episode shows that the women aren't just funny with editing - their podcast is just as much a comedy as it is a tragedy.
During this episode, Karen tells the story of the murderer who inspired Buffalo Bill from the film Silence of the Lambs, Gary Heidnik. Gary killed six women, keeping them captive in a pit in his basement beforehand. The other murderer discussed is Edward Gingerich, an Amish man who killed his wife and would become the first Amish person to be convicted of murder.
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Episode 139 - A Hundred Feelings
Redditor wld_ktnz loves this episode, saying, "My fav until now is 139 about the Kunz Family murder, creepy AF!" This episode covers the Kunz Family Murders and The Murder of Joan Dawley, both of which are terrifying cases of how apparently idyllic homes may hide dark secrets. The spooky is turned up to 11 with Georgia's story of the Kunz's murders.
The Kunz's were a happy family of five who lived in Wisconsin until a relative discovered them dead in their homes. In the investigation, disturbing secrets about the family came out - but the killer was never found. Similarly, the Joan Dawley murder case is a long tale that covers the disintegration of a marriage that turns bloody, in the end.
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Episode 190 - Lick The Clock
LeftCoast28 gave a glowing recommendation of "Lick the Clock," saying, "Georgia does a great job covering the Radium Girls." This episode is a bit more understated than others, but Karen's discussion of the murder of Lisa Cihaski matches the aforementioned story very well. Karen and Georgia provide each other with good comfort and lightened spirits as they read through the details.
The Radium Girls are women who worked in watch-making factories, painting the faces and dials with radioactive radium paint. Management and poor labor practices led to hundreds of deaths. Lisa Cihaski was a woman murdered by Lori Esker over the latter's ex-boyfriend. Lisa's death is a sad story of how one moment can suddenly change everything for a small town.
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107 - Live From The Revolving Stage
Redditor MrYellowFancyPants lauds Karen's performance in this live episode: "Karen covers Jodi Arias and she is in her absolute element." Live episodes are a very different beast from their pre-recorded siblings, but if listeners are interested in the special sort of chaos that goes with a live taping, start with this episode, which covers the killers Winnie Ruth Judd and Jodi Arias.
Winnie Ruth Judd was a medical secretary who was the focus of an investigation on the murder of the woman's two close friends. She was found responsible and was nearly put to death for it, but she was found "mentally incompetent" and committed to a psychiatric facility. The Jodi Arias case is well-known, but Georgia's telling of how Arias murdered her ex-boyfriend is chilling and somehow even funny in equal measure.
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Episode 75 - Breakfast Wine
Redditor tobaccoYpatchouli is a big fan of "Breakfast Wine:" "Both stories are incredible and entertaining [...] and they're on their game the whole time during the stories and it makes me crack up every time." During this episode, Karen and Georgia cover the Main Line Murders and the murder of Spider Sabich. This episode is a perfect example of the excellent humor the two hosts share.
"The Main Line Murders" covers the murder of a high-school English teacher and her two young children in Philadelphia. This murder remains unsolved and is among the most well-known cold cases on the East Coast. Spider Sabich was an Olympian skier and sports star who died of a gunshot wound in 1976, and this murder is also unsolved and confusing.
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Episode 129 - Coincidence Island
Redditor everyones_hiro noticed a pattern, saying, "I think a lot of people say the episode titled Coincidence island is one of the best of the podcast" and this is true, this episode frequently arises in discussions about the best episode. The stories covered are "The Honolulu Strangler" and "The Galapagos Affair," and both women tell their stories with excellent humor and drama alike.
The first is Karen's "Honolulu Strangler" story, which covers a serial killer who strangled five women on the Big Island in 1985-1986. Though there was one strong suspect in Howard Gay, no one was ever charged. "The Galapagos Affair," as told by Georgia, covers a number of involved disappearances in the '30s, largely of European visitors.
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Episode 189: What Wonderful Luck!
One episode stuck out to Redditor calidcancer, episode 189: "It’s so heartbreaking and the fact the company profited off the deaths of so many hardworking young women." This is in response to Georgia's heartbreaking retelling of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, in which more than 100 workers died due to negligence and greed.
Karen's story is less sad, but far more creepy - the story of the Barnetts, who adopted a child and then abandoned her while claiming she was actually an adult scammer. The idea of an adult masquerading as a child is terrifying, but the alternative - that these people abandoned a neuroatypical child - is far darker.
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Episode 18 - Investigateighteen Discovery
Redditor everyones_hiro provides perhaps the best suggestion of this early episode: "It’s not the best in terms of good info but it just really feels like you’re hanging out with your best friends while they tell you this crazy story." This really captures the appeal of MFM, the feeling of hanging out and chatting about scary stories, horrible happenings, and the dark things out there.
Karen covers Mary Vincent's story of survival after being kidnapped and nearly murdered. The young woman's survival is a rare happy ending to the stories told by MFM. Georgia's story in this episode is that of Franklin Delano Floyd, a murderer and kidnapper who is still on Death Row today, committing his crimes more than 30 years ago.
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