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Send us Fan Mail This week on Nerdery and Murdery, Zig travels to a galaxy far, far away for one of the most celebrated sequels in movie history: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back! From the frozen battlefields of Hoth to Yoda and Dagobah, Cloud City, Darth Vader, and one of the biggest revelations in cinematic history, Zig takes us back to the darkest chapter of the original Star Wars trilogy. Then Geoffrey continues his A–Z Serial Killers Across America journey with Nevada and the disturbing story of Carroll Edward Cole. Cole's murders crossed multiple states, but the killings of Kathlyn J. Blum and Marie Cushman brought his story to Nevada, where he would eventually be sentenced to death. After years of arrests, psychiatric evaluations, institutionalization, and release, Cole ultimately confessed to more than a dozen killings and claimed the true number could be much higher. From the Empire hunting the Rebellion across the galaxy to a killer moving from state to state... It's time for another episode of Nerdery and Murdery! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 271 of Nerdery & Murdery is here! On the Nerdery side, Zig is stepping inside the TARDIS for a look at Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor! From his unusual arrival through bi-generation to the adventures, companions, enemies, and personality that defined his time as the Doctor, Zig takes a look at Gatwa's incarnation of the legendary Time Lord and what he brought to more than sixty years of Doctor Who history. Then on the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America journey reaches Nebraska and the story of Anthony Garcia. In 2008, eleven-year-old Thomas Hunter and housekeeper Shirlee Sherman were brutally murdered inside an Omaha home. There was no obvious motive, no clear suspect, and the case went cold. Five years later, another Omaha couple was murdered. This time, investigators noticed a connection. What followed uncovered a story of professional resentment, revenge, two seemingly unrelated crime scenes, and a former doctor prosecutors said had carried a grudge for years. Garcia was ultimately convicted of four first-degree murders and sentenced to death for each.  From traveling through time and space... To a grudge that survived the passage of time. It's another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 270 of Nerdery & Murdery is here! On the Nerdery side, Zig returns to the final frontier with Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Following the events of The Wrath of Khan, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise discover that Spock's story may not be over after all. Zig takes a look at the third film in the original Star Trek movie series, the return of some familiar faces, and the lengths the Enterprise crew will go for one of their own. Then on the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America journey reaches Montana and the disturbing story of David Meirhofer. When seven-year-old Susie Jaeger disappeared from her family's tent during a camping trip, investigators had almost nothing to work with. Then her abductor began making phone calls. What followed involved a grieving mother who refused to let hatred consume her, an emerging new method of criminal investigation, and a suspect who seemed to fit an experimental FBI psychological profile with frightening accuracy. Four victims. A killer hiding in plain sight. And a case that would become an important chapter in the development of modern criminal profiling. From the search for Spock... To the search for a killer. It's another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 269 of Nerdery & Murdery is here! On the Nerdery side, Zig explores four stage plays that made the leap to the big screen. Some became award-winning classics, others developed devoted cult followings, but each proves that a great story can thrive both on the stage and in the theater. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America journey reaches Missouri with the story of Maury Travis. For years, women disappeared throughout the St. Louis area with few clues to connect their cases. Confident he would never be caught, Travis taunted investigators with a letter and a map, believing he was proving his superiority. Instead, one overlooked digital clue turned his arrogance into the key that unraveled one of Missouri's most disturbing serial murder investigations. Stories that found new life beyond the stage. A killer whose own ego led detectives straight to his door. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 268 of Nerdery & Murdery is here! On the Nerdery side, Zig returns with another edition of Indie Songs for Your Playlist, highlighting a collection of hidden gems, alternative favorites, and unforgettable tracks that deserve another listen. Whether you're looking to discover something new or revisit a few classics, there's plenty to add to your playlist this week. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America journey reaches Mississippi with the story of Samuel Little. For decades, women disappeared across the United States, many of their cases left unsolved and their names slowly fading from public memory. It wasn't until a man already serving life in prison began confessing that investigators realized they were uncovering the work of what the FBI now considers the most prolific confirmed serial killer in American history. Through painstaking investigative work, long-forgotten victims finally began getting the answers they, and their families, deserved. Great music waiting to be discovered. A story that reminds us why every victim deserves to be remembered. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 267 of Nerdery & Murdery is live! On the Nerdery side, Zig takes us back to the golden age of computing as he explores the rise of 16-bit computers. From groundbreaking home systems to the machines that helped shape modern personal computing, it's a nostalgic look at the technology that changed the way we worked, played, and created. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America journey arrives in Minnesota with the chilling case of Paul Michael Stephani, better known as the Weepy-Voiced Killer. After brutally attacking his victims, Stephani did something almost unheard of. He called the police himself. Through tears and sobs, he confessed just enough to haunt investigators, only to disappear before they could identify him. For years, detectives chased a voice before finally uncovering the man behind the disturbing phone calls. A look back at the computers that launched a generation. A serial killer whose own voice became one of the biggest clues in the investigation. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 266 of Nerdery & Murdery is live. On the Nerdery side, Zig dives into three delightfully schlocky science fiction films: Starcrash, Xtro, and Swamp Thing. Whether it's low-budget space adventures, bizarre alien horror, or comic book creatures emerging from the swamp, these films prove that sometimes the weirdest corners of science fiction can be the most memorable. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America journey continues with Michigan and the case of John Norman Collins. During the late 1960s, a series of murders terrorized the communities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. As young women disappeared and fear spread across southeastern Michigan, investigators found themselves racing to stop a killer before another victim was added to the growing list. The case would become known as the Michigan Murders and remains one of the most infamous investigations in the state's history. Schlocky science fiction on one side. A community living in fear on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 265 of Nerdery & Murdery is live. On the Nerdery side, Zig steps into the 1985 revival of The Twilight Zone, the ambitious return of one of television's most iconic anthology series. With a mix of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thought-provoking storytelling, the series introduced a new generation to strange worlds, unexpected twists, and the idea that the impossible might be lurking just around the corner. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America series continues with Massachusetts and the story of Tony Costa, the man newspapers would eventually dub the Cape Cod Vampire. What began as the disappearance of two young women in Provincetown grew into one of the most infamous murder investigations in Massachusetts history. As rumors spread and headlines grew increasingly sensational, the line between fact and legend began to blur, leaving behind a case that still fascinates true crime researchers more than fifty years later. A journey into another dimension on one side. A killer surrounded by rumor, mystery, and notoriety on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 264 of Nerdery & Murdery is live. On the Nerdery side, Zig travels back to the early days of television to explore the classic 1950s anthology series Science Fiction Theatre. Long before The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits became household names, Science Fiction Theatre was bringing science-based speculative storytelling to television audiences, blending real-world scientific concepts with imaginative "what if?" scenarios and introducing viewers to the possibilities of the future. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America series continues with Maryland and one of the strangest cases we've covered so far: Hadden Clark. The murders of six-year-old Michelle Dorr and twenty-three-year-old Laura Houghteling would eventually be linked to a man whose confessions blurred the line between truth and fantasy. Even after his convictions, investigators continued asking the same question: how many of his claims were real, and how many were attempts to create his own mythology? A pioneering vision of tomorrow on one side. A killer surrounded by uncertainty on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 263 of Nerdery & Murdery is live. On the Nerdery side, Zig returns with another installment of songs that helped define the college radio experience. From alternative rock and post-punk to underground favorites and influential artists that helped shape the sound of a generation, we explore ten tracks that became staples of dorm rooms, campus stations, and late-night radio discoveries. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America series continues as we head to Maine and the case of James Hicks. What began as the disappearance of a young mother in 1977 slowly evolved into something far more disturbing. Years later, another woman vanished. Then another. For decades, investigators struggled to prove what many suspected until an arrest hundreds of miles away finally unlocked the truth behind one of Maine's most haunting serial murder investigations. The soundtrack of college radio on one side.  A decades-long mystery of missing women and buried secrets on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 262 of Nerdery & Murdery is live. On the Nerdery side, Zig steps into the strange and unsettling world of Night Gallery, Rod Serling’s eerie follow-up to The Twilight Zone. From haunting paintings and supernatural tales to psychological horror and dark twists, we revisit one of classic television’s most atmospheric anthology series and the unique style that made it unforgettable. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America series continues as we head to Louisiana and the case of Ronald Dominique. For years, men disappeared across southern Louisiana. Bodies were discovered near bayous, canals, and isolated roads while investigators slowly realized they were hunting a serial killer targeting vulnerable victims across multiple parishes. By the time the investigation ended, Dominique had confessed to more than twenty murders. Classic television horror painted in shadows on one side.  A real-world nightmare hidden in the Louisiana bayous on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 261 of Nerdery & Murdery is live. On the Nerdery side, Zig steps into the eerie world of Tales from the Darkside, the horror anthology series that brought strange stories, unsettling twists, and late-night nightmare fuel to television throughout the 1980s. From creepy atmosphere to unforgettable episodes, we take a look back at one of horror television’s most memorable cult classics. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America series continues as we head to Kentucky and the case of Donald Harvey. For years, patients in hospitals and nursing homes died under what appeared to be natural circumstances. But investigators would eventually uncover a disturbing pattern connected to a quiet healthcare worker who later confessed to dozens of murders carried out behind the walls of places meant for healing and care. A world of unsettling television horror on one side.  A real-life nightmare hiding inside hospitals on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 260 of Nerdery & Murdery is live. On the Nerdery side, Zig takes a look at Earth: Final Conflict, the late 90s sci-fi series created from ideas by Gene Roddenberry. From mysterious alien benefactors to growing suspicion about their true intentions, we explore what made the show unique, how its themes evolved over time, and why it still holds a place in science fiction television history. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America series continues as we head to Kansas and the case of Dennis Rader, better known as BTK. Beginning in 1974, a series of murders in Wichita shocked the community. The killer taunted police, named himself, and then disappeared for years at a time. When communication resumed decades later, investigators were finally given the opportunity they needed to identify the man behind one of Kansas’ most infamous serial killer cases. Alien visitors with uncertain motives on one side.  A killer hiding in plain sight in Kansas on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 259 of Nerdery & Murdery is live.  On the Nerdery side, Zig dives into Selectavision, RCA’s ambitious attempt at home video that arrived during the early days of the format wars. From stylus-based playback to fragile discs and bold marketing, we look at what made Selectavision unique, why it struggled to compete, and how it became one of the most fascinating dead ends in home media history. On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America series continues as we head to Iowa and the case of Robert Ben Rhoades. A long-haul truck driver traveling America’s highways. Truck stops along major Iowa corridors. A pattern that stretched across state lines and a crime that moved quietly from place to place. What began as a routine stop would eventually expose a chilling series of crimes tied to one man and the road itself. A forgotten experiment in home video on one side.  A case that traveled the highways of Iowa on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 258 of Nerdery & Murdery is live. On the Nerdery side, Zig continues his journey through the Planet of the Apes franchise, picking up where he left off in Episode 243 with Escape from the Planet of the Apes and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. As the series shifts tone and leans deeper into social commentary, we explore how these films reshape the mythology and push the story toward a darker future. On the Murdery side, we step away from our A–Z Across America series for a case that was simply impossible to ignore. In September 2002, an 18-year-old girl got into a car with people she knew. She never came home. What followed was a chilling group crime fueled by suspicion, loyalty, and a decision that would change multiple lives forever. A franchise evolving into something darker on one side.  A case of betrayal and silence on the other. Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd. Support the show