Unexplained Deaths: The Truth May Never Be Known

(Linda Kurle & The Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. Picture credits: Chicago Tribune)

This is one of those cases that you may not have heard about considering that it took place in 1980 and received little to no coverage. I actually stumbled across this story whilst going through one of my old true crime books which had been published many moons ago. I started to do some digging about the case to see if there had been any conclusion or updates and what I found was quite interesting to say the least. 

As you know I have written about killer nurses in the past (Lucy Letby & Beverley Allitt)  as well as the shocking crimes of Doctors Harold Shipman and Josef Mengele who have abused their position and harmed or murdered innocent patients in their care. It's a frightening thought to know that the stories I have written about involving these individuals are just a tiny speck on a huge number of cases which are still going on to this day. We used to be able to say that whilst in hospital you were considered to be in the best place, it was seen as safe, clean and staffed by qualified medical professionals that only had your best interests at heart. We used to be able to say that you could 100% trust your Doctor but in this day and age with numerous mistakes being made, patients concerns being ignored, corner cutting and unexplained deaths, you really do have to think twice. 

So back in 1980 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, a shocking story briefly hit the headlines involving a 24 year old nurse by the name of Linda Kurle. Apparently Linda, who had been working her usual 11pm to 7am nightshifts at The Good Samaritan hospital was being suspended due to an investigation into two unexplained deaths of elderly female patients who had primarily been in her care. The two patients had been in hospital for routine surgery (one of the patients was in hospital for a hip operation) but suddenly died due to lapsing into a insulin induced coma. The two women had been perfectly fine previously so their deaths became a mystery and shock to the staff of the hospital. Linda was in charge of 12 patients on that particular ward and was the one who had apparently found both of these patients not responding and raised the alarm. According to Linda, she had done everything she possibly could to keep both of these women alive. 

Both of the women had undergone autopsies which revealed that both of them had died through heavy doses of insulin. After the autopsies the remains were released to the families for cremation. Linda Kurle was suspended by the hospital who continued on with their investigation into the unexplained deaths. Linda contacted a lawyer and got the press involved declaring that she was innocent and had been targeted by the hospital. Her argument was that the insulin had been kept in a room which anyone could have had access to as it was always open and was situated right next to a public elevator. Her lawyer also argued the fact that the hospital was not questioning everyone who had access to that room, the focus was purely on Linda.

A hearing about Linda's suspension was held and she turned up with her lawyer and an army of friends who were prepared to provide a positive character reference for Linda. She had also alerted the media. The hospital forbid the press to attend but interviews with Linda and her lawyer as well as the attorney representing the hospital were conducted outside. The hearing only lasted 20 minutes but Linda was provided with a two-page document which contained the concerns that the hospital had in regards to her conduct during her shifts. Linda was in tears and again declared that she was innocent and even offered to take a polygraph (lie detector) test. 

The shocking story did make the nightly news and the public were waiting to hear what the final decision was going to be in regards to Linda's possible guilt, innocence and her career as a nurse. The hospital board were set to make a decision within days of what manner in they wished to proceed. It ended up with Linda being fired from her position but because the deaths could not be proven to be her responsibility they still let her go. The hospital still believed the deaths to be highly suspicious and unexplained but they could not prove that Linda was 100% responsible although they did suspect her. Nobody else was ever questioned. 

Not one to take the news of her nursing career at the age of 24 being over, Linda pressed forward and took the hospital to court to fight for her nursing reputation, employment and financial damages. She claimed that her life and professional career had been ruined and that she'd been made a scapegoat. 

In a surprise turn of events due to lack of evidence which could 100% prove that Linda had been the person who had administered the insulin to the patients, the court decided that the hospital give Linda back her nursing position as well as money owed and financial compensation for distress caused. 

The story quickly vanished from the media which is quite interesting because if it had occurred today, I think that members of the public and the media would be interested in getting to the bottom of it all. We have seen with the likes of Dr Harold Shipman, with his patients who had routine ailments mysteriously passing away out of the blue but those relatives of those victims and members of the public would not let it lie despite the victims being of a certain age. I could be wrong but it seems like because the two patients in the Good Samaritan Hospital case were elderly women and it occurred in 1980, there seemed to be an attitude of just letting the case dwindle away. You'd think that the hospital would continue their investigations into everyone who worked there, not just Linda. At the end of the day the hospital was left with a bad reputation as well as being dragged through the court in front of the media by Linda, you'd think they'd want to get to the bottom of the unexplained deaths. To not only bring some sort of closure to the patient's families but to help repair their image to the public. 

Linda returned to her position as a nurse at the hospital which is quite baffling to me for a number of reasons. One being that she was allowed to return (by order of the court not by the hospital wanting her back) to her position despite the fact that it was not known if she had been responsible for the deaths. Two that she would even return to a place where everyone suspected her of being a murderer basically. In this situation I think that if there's any doubt (obviously with some sort of evidence) about someone's conduct in that position with vulnerable people, I think that chances should not be taken. 

After Linda's return no other incidences were reported but was Linda 100% innocent all along or was it the case that she was guilty and knew that all eyes were on her, so if anything was to happen she knew they'd look to her first? 

The unexplained deaths of Ellen O'Hara and Vivian Brown were never solved, nobody was brought to justice and their families were left with unanswered questions. Linda continued on with her career and reportedly passed away at the age of 35 in 1991 taking any possible secrets to the grave. This case was over 43 years ago and the people that were working in the hospital at the time are probably no longer with us or at least in their late 60s if they were around the same age as Linda. 

The Good Samaritan Hospital still exists to this day but goes by the name of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. Linda having passed away at the young age of 35 one wonders if it was illness related or had she taken her own life? I couldn't find any information except for a death notice. If Linda was indeed innocent, it's a very sad end to a very tragic story. To be accused of murder at the age of 24 then passing away not that long after at the young age of 35 the ordeal of being falsely accused and no doubt suffering PTSD afterwards as a result for the rest of those years, one hopes that she did find some peace towards the end. On the other hand, if she was guilty, it is still tragic and questions remain why did she do it? was it an error in judgement or a deliberate act? 

What would you have done in that situation if you had been accused of something you hadn't done? Would you have given up your nursing career? This is a case that leaves a lot of unanswered questions which in my opinion we'll never know the answers to. Too much time has passed, no evidence was saved and unless someone has a death-bed confession we may never know. 

I think about the families of the deceased women and hope they were able to find some sort of peace despite everything. 

RIP Ellen and Vivian 

I feel that I should say RIP also to Linda because even I am not psychic and cannot say whether she was or was not guilty. 

The story of what happened at that hospital back in 1980 has long been forgotten I'm sorry to say. It's popped up on my blog now in 2024 and it may inspire others to look for answers or cover the story but it's one of those cases that has been lost in the sands of time and it really is a tragedy no matter how old the victims were. There's also the thought that if Linda was innocent, someone spent all of those years allowing her to suffer and have her reputation as a nurse called into question. If that is the truth of the matter, I hope that karma has come back around for that person. 


Further reading & sources: 

Linda Kurle: Article | Chicago Tribune

Kurle Courtcase | Case Text

Hinsdale High School Yearbook

The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes | Book by Michael Newton

Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital

Linda Kurle | News Report 

 

Thank you as always for joining me in my latest true crime post, I hope that you found it interesting and informative. please let me know your thoughts below, by email (jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com) or on my Socials

See you next time and stay safe x 

The 'Canal Killer' Finally Brought To Justice After 30 Years! | The Horrific Murders of Angela Brosso & Melanie Bernas

(Left: Bryan Patrick Miller. Top right: Melanie Bernas. Bottom right: Angela Brosso. Picture credits: The US Sun)

*Please be aware that I will be sharing some disturbing details in this post which involve details of murder, violence towards women and horrific crime scenes. As always I will try to be as sensitive as I can be without leaving out the facts of the case* 

When we look back at some of the most horrific murders and serial killers over the years it's easy to look at the decades of the 70s and 80s as some of the most dangerous times but the truth is, we've always had sickening crimes happening. The frightening reality is, that there are serial killers out there right now and some will be caught and some will remain at large. Some cases will be solved in a short space of time and some may go decades without justice being done. Then there's the case files that are locked away in a cold case box which over time gathers dust and as years go by and other factors, such as lack of proper evidence, or lost evidence, they are sadly never solved. But sometimes incredible things do happen and thanks to the advances in DNA technology and the tireless efforts of dedicated investigators (as well as members of the true crime community) attention is once again brought to these historical cases and even though decades have gone by there have been cases which have eventually been solved. 

I'm happy to say that in the past couple of years I have seen a significant number of cold cases solved, cases which a lot of people had given up on. The heartbreaking story of Caroline Glachan which occurred in my hometown back in Scotland and which had a personal connection to myself, was solved after 27 years. I had worked with Caroline's mother and as a teenager I had walked the same route that Caroline did in those dark hours before her death. I knew first hand the culture and the mentality of the local people, the attitude of knowing information but keeping quiet. I also grew quite close to Margaret (Caroline's mother) and had seen first hand the devastating impact of years of not knowing who had murdered her child had done to her as well as the horrific loss of her beloved daughter. I wrote all about this previously but the belief for so many years was that the case would never be solved, luckily that belief was wrong and the three murderers are now behind bars where they should stay. 

We often look at the likes of Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer and numerous documentaries and films have been been made about them, but in years to come it will be the serial killers of the 90s and 00s that will be written about as well as them, maybe even more so. With the advances in DNA a lot of cases which occurred in the 90s and early 2000's are currently being solved as well as some being connected to well known serial killers. We have the technology now to go back and test evidence as well as track down relatives of deceased serial killers to test for DNA in a bid to close an unsolved murder case which carried all of their hallmarks. 

So this case which I'm focusing on in this post took place in the early 90s and was only solved in recent times thanks to DNA technology. The murders of two beautiful young women just 10 months apart in Phoenix, Arizona in the timeline of 1992 and 1993 had shocked and horrified anyone who had watched the news and read the papers. Angela Brosso was just about to turn 22 years old the very next day when she decided that she would take her usual bike ride along the beautiful scenic route by Cave Creek Park the night before. This activity was a regular occurrence for Angela but she always had her boyfriend with her. On this rare occasion her boyfriend decided to stay home and continue planning her birthday celebrations as well as making her a cake. Obviously a young woman going for a bike ride late at night would concern a lot of people but because it was a regular routine and there had been times in the past where she'd been on her own and all was fine, she must have thought that this time would be ok too. 

Unfortunately this time, Angela did not return home and panic set in. She was reported missing but the reality of what had happened was quickly apparent. Someone had cruelly murdered Angela in the most gruesome and cold-blooded way. Her remains had been found within hours on the day of her birthday, she had been decapitated and disemboweled, it was a crime scene so sickening that investigators believed the murder to be the work of a serial killer. Whoever murdered Angela had obviously been lying in wait and could possibly have been watching her and her boyfriend cycling previously so knew her routine. The murder looked like that of a fast, frenzied, aggressive attack with a sharp, ragged object. When Angela's remains were originally found, her head was missing. Her head was later found on the 20th of November, nearly two weeks later. With no clue as to who was responsible, the investigators tried to work with the evidence that they had but DNA techniques were still in their infancy at that point. The case remained opened.

Just 10 months after Angela's gruesome murder, a 17 year old girl by the name of Melanie Bernas had been found murdered at the same location where Angela's head at been found. Melanie had not been disemboweled or decapitated like Angela but both had been sexually assaulted before they were murdered or after the fact. Melanie had also had the letters WSC carved into her chest by the unknown killer. DNA evidence found at the scene connected both murders to the same culprit. Both girls had been out riding their bikes at the beauty spot near the Arizona Canal when they were attacked and murdered, the media dubbed the killings ''The Canal Murders''. Both of the bikes have never been found but the DNA collected was kept on file and later entered into the national database. 

As I mentioned before, investigators believed the murders of both Angela and Melanie to be the actions of an unidentified serial killer. The evidence collected together with the perpetrator's DNA sample was kept on file and on the database but for decades there was no match. 

For years the case went unsolved but a big break came in 2015 when investigators discovered a match on the national database. A man named Bryan Patrick Miller came to their attention and he was promptly brought in for questioning and later charged. All of the DNA evidence matched up to him and it turned out that Bryan had quite the background of violence towards women. During his trial (which took years to get up and running due to a series of delays, especially with the covid pandemic) details emerged of his difficult and abusive childhood, he had an addiction to violent porn and BDSM. At the time of the murders (of which he was just 20 years old at the time of the killings) he had been fantasizing bout abducting, sexually assaulting and mutilating women and had written about his fantasies. In later years he went on to marry and have a daughter. 

During his trial his lawyer tried to plead his case trying to gain some sympathy for his client who was clearly a sexual sadist. They were trying to paint him as an abuse survivor who wasn't in his correct frame of mind at the time of the killings due to severe PTSD. Looking at the evidence presented and the gruesome reality of the crimes, it was clear that he had planned these murders and had written about violent fantasies involving sexually assaulting and murdering women since his teens. It was clear he had been a ticking time bomb. The fact he was able to just move on with his life after the murders and start a family shows just how callous he was. He continued on with his life whilst the families and friends of Angela and Melanie suffered. One wonders what it must have been like for Angela's boyfriend who must have felt a huge amount of guilt (even though he wasn't to have known what would happen that night) as well as devastation at what had happened. 

After decades Bryan Patrick Miller was finally found guilty and was given two death sentences. As the murders of Angela and Melanie occurred when he was 20 years old and he wasn't caught until 2015 one wonders if he was connected to any other murders. Some investigators believe he could have started killing in his teen years. Investigators are still looking into other cases that he may have been responsible for. 

I know this was a difficult post to get through and I appreciate that you have made it this far. 

RIP to Angela, Melanie and to any other unknown victims of Bryan Patrick Miller. 

Further Reading & Sources:

Bryan Patrick Miller: Article | AZ Central

Angela & Melanie: Article | The Sun

The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes | Book by Michael Newton

Bryan Patrick Miller: Article | The Mirror

Bryan Patrick Miller: Article | AZ Central

Bryan Patrick Miller: Article | CBS News

Angela & Melanie: Article | The US Sun

Thank you for taking the time to read my latest case and I hope that you will join me next time. In the meanwhile I hope to see you on my socials. Take care and stay safe x 

''If I go to hell,...I'll see you there.'' | She Told His Wife & All Hell Broke Loose | The Sugarbaby Murders

(From left: Sultan Shareef. Middle: Kania Brunson. Right: Johnny Hopgood Jr. Photo credits: hollywoodunlocked)

*Please be aware that I will be sharing some disturbing details in this post which involve murder and the desecration of remains. I will, as always try to be as sensitive as I can be whilst stating the facts of the case*

In my final instalment of The Sugarbaby Murders series, I wanted to briefly share this shocking case which took place quite recently in Milwaukee, a city in the USA in September of 2022. 20 year old Kania Brunson was a beautiful young woman from a close family who was just about to attend college and work on her future dreams. Kania was a bright young woman who was still trying to decide which field of work she wanted to do, she was always interested in cosmetology but she also had thoughts of the possibility of a career as a dentist or veterinarian. Popular with friends and loved by those that knew her, the world was pretty much her oyster and she was excited to see what the future held. 

Like a lot of students, she struggled financially but tried not to let financial worries get her down. For a young woman who seemed to have a bright future ahead and appeared to take any troubles in her stride, nobody knew the other side of Kania's life until those potential dreams and years were cruelly stolen from her. 

For Kania's personal life was troubled. As a naive teenager she had gotten involved with a man in his 50s who promised her the world and when times were financially tough, she found herself becoming more involved with him. The man she was involved with was already married and had a lengthy criminal record behind him. He may have had the money but it was clear where he had gotten that money from, illegal activities and by the time Kania was starting college, she had already become financially dependent on him. 

Sultan Shareef not only had a bad past as a drug dealer but he'd spent years in and out of prison in the 1990s and it was clear that even though he was no longer behind bars, he was still up to his old activities. The pair had been having a toxic relationship for years and when Sultan decided that he'd had enough of the relationship and helping Kania, the situation got worse. 

Kania had pleaded with him to continue to help her financially especially as she was going to college but he refused. In an act of revenge, Kania decided to contact Sultan's wife and told her everything that had been going on between them. When Sultan found out he was full of rage and tried to cover things up with his wife and then set about looking for Kania. 

When Sultan finally caught up with Kania, he decided to silence her for good in the most evil way. The poor girl (as naive as she was she didn't deserve what ended up happening to her) had been tied up with wire, shot, stabbed to death and (with the help of his brother in law) her body was burned in a recycling bin. Her remains were then dumped in an alleyway. Kania had to be identified by her dental records. 

It wasn't long before the police knew who was responsible and Sultan and his brother in law were arrested. 

Sultan denied killing Kania but the evidence against him was overwhelming. His brother in law (Johnny Hopgood Jr) who helped burn Kania's body, was given a plea deal if he gave up the full details of what happened. He was classed as having 'time served' and put on a 10 year probation order. In other words, he pretty much got away with his part in the gruesome act.

Sultan Shareef was sentenced to life in prison, he tried to appeal his sentence claiming that he was an innocent man but his appeal was rejected. 

What happened to Kania was a cruel and cold hearted, selfish act that saw the promising future of a bright, young woman just wiped out and what for? a selfish career criminal who wasn't happy that more of his lies had been exposed? Kania was 20 years old and he was in his mid 50s, he'd been having an inappropriate relationship with her since she was a teenager. He had somehow manipulated her into thinking that she needed him in her life, especially financially. The situation was indeed very toxic and Kania should never have been involved with him but she didn't deserve to lose her life and to have been treated in such a horrific and disrespectful way. He was the adult and he was married, he should have known better but he obviously was never one to be told what to do or have respect for others since he made his illegal living off the back of the vulnerability of others. 

My heart goes out to Kania's family and to Kania herself who (it is clear to see) has left a lasting effect on this world to those who knew her for all of her amazing qualities. 

We all make mistakes when we are young, we've all maybe had relationships we shouldn't have entered into. Nobody is a saint and we don't know the full story of what went on between Kania and Sultan. It's a sad and heartbreaking story but again, a cautionary tale, to be careful of who we trust. 

''If I go to hell,...I'll see you there.'' - Shawnte Brunson (what Kania's father shouted to Sultan in the courtroom).

RIP Kania, your beautiful smile and the memories that you have left will never be forgotten. 

Further reading & sources: 

Kania Brunson: Article | Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

Kania Brunson: Article | CBS 58 News

Kania Brunson: Article | WISN

Kania Brunson: Article | Hollywood Unlocked 

Milwaukee | Wikipedia

Thank you for joining me in this final part of The Sugarbaby Murders series, I hope that you found this series informative and interesting as tragic and heartbreaking as the cases were. My heart goes out to all of the victims and their families who I have written about briefly in this series. 

I will be back next time with a new case, at the moment I am not sure which that will be but I will be checking out my list of cases that I have not covered. As always, I welcome your requests or any comments either below, on my socials  or by email at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com 

Take care and I'll (hopefully) see you in the next post x 

Monster In Disguise: The Sugardaddy From Hell | The Sugarbaby Murders

(From left: Mackenzie Lueck. Right: Ayoola Ajayi. Picture credits: The Salt Lake Tribune)

*Please be aware that I will be sharing some disturbing details in this post involving domestic violence, sexual assault and murder. I will, as always try to be as sensitive as I can be whilst stating the facts of the case*

It pains me to have to include the beautiful and talented Mackenzie Lueck in my series, The Sugarbaby Murders. All of the cases have been tragic and each victim matters, but to describe Mackenzie as just a ''Sugarbaby'' would be a terrible injustice, for she was more than that. She was just 23 years old when she had her life cruelly and sadistically taken by a man she mistakenly trusted. Mackenzie (who preferred to be called 'Kenzie') was a promising student at the University of Utah and had dreams of becoming a nurse, she also worked part time and was committed to her Mormon faith. 

So when Mackenzie mysteriously vanished in June of 2019, everyone was shocked and frantic with worry because it was so out of character for her. Mackenzie would always keep in contact with her close family and friends and for messages and calls to go unanswered? The people who knew her best knew that something was wrong. Those closest to her knew that she had taken a flight to Salt Lake City International Airport from her family home in California where she was originally from (she had been visiting her family and had been attending her grandmother's funeral) but when nobody could reach her, the panic set in. It's testament to how loved Mackenzie was that straight away alarm bells were ringing and people were concerned about her whereabouts. 

Her family and friends had a right to worry because they were sadly right, Mackenzie did come to harm and it was a situation that should never have happened. Being a student, working part time and trying to make ends meet whilst away from the support of close family, took it's toll on Mackenzie and with student debts racking up she had heard about other girls at her University joining a site called 'Seeking Arrangement'. She had been told that joining this site would put her in contact with men who would help her out financially if she went on dates with them. 

The opinion on 'Seeking Arrangement' is divided, some people have purely online arrangements whilst other girls will actually meet their 'Sugardaddies' in person. With some Sugarbabies they will just go on a date and with others they will provide sexual services in exchange for more money. 

Mackenzie was looking for a man who could help her out with her debts and claimed in her advertisement on the site that she was serious and looking for a serious arrangement. It was on here that she was contacted by an older man by the name of Ayoola Ajayi who claimed to be living in Utah and had previously studied at the same University (he'd kept details to himself such as his history of violence towards women and the fact that he'd been kicked out of University for theft). He'd also had a stint in the army but that didn't last long either. Ayoola was the type of person who would never finish anything he started, situations with him would either end in some sort of disgrace or he would simply give up. His neighbours thought of him as a bit of a weirdo who never spoke two words to them, instead he would walk around his backyard with his earphones in preferring not to engage in conversation. 

Ayoola was portraying himself as a nice, rich guy on 'Seeking Arrangement' but what he actually was, was a dangerous threat to women and had harmed women in the past as well as being involved in petty crime. He was a raving fantasist who had a strange sexual appetite as well as fantasies of committing murder, so much so that he actually wrote a self published book that he sold on Amazon (this book has now been removed). The book was about murder and the burning of victim's remains. 

If you have had the unfortunate opportunity of watching Ayoola in action in police footage, you will see how much of a master manipulator this guy actually is. When his home was searched when Mackenzie was reported missing, he was acting like Mr harmless nice guy who just wanted to help the cops. He was lying through his teeth but the cops were not buying it. 

The tragic truth of Mackenzie's sudden disappearance soon became clear, she had been keeping in regular contact with Ayoola on the 'Seeking Arrangement' site and the pair were messaging each other back and forth before arranging a meeting. When Mackenzie had arrived back in Utah that night in June, she took a cab to a park in the early hours of the morning. It was there in the darkness that she met Ayoola. Either by force or persuasion, Mackenzie ended up back at Ayoola's house and the next thing that anyone knew was that she was missing and he claimed he had nothing to do with it, even going as far as to saying that Mackenzie had actually blocked him from the 'Seeking Arrangement' website. His phone records and search history said otherwise. 

All the evidence led back to him and when his house was searched the police made the heartbreaking discovery of Mackenzie's personal items along with some burned remains. Her body was later found and more items were found in the Jordan river which was near to the house. Ayoola had tied Mackenzie up with rope and zip ties, she had been subjected to a horrendous assault and suffered blunt force trauma to her skull as well as being strangled. He then tried to burn her remains along with her personal items. When he had problems burning her body he took her to a wooded area in Logan Canyon where she was placed in a shallow grave, the rest of her belongings were thrown in the river. 

As horrendous as this case was, thanks to the incredible effort of the family and friends of Mackenzie together with the police, Ayoola was charged very quickly with her kidnap and murder. A contractor had came forward to reveal that Ayoola had contacted him previously about the possibility of creating a soundproof room for him in his home, the room would also contain hooks. Ayoola gave a ridiculous story that he had a girlfriend who was Mormon and against drinking so he needed the soundproof room and hooks to hide the alcohol. It was clear that he had planned the whole nightmarish scene. The contractor found him to be very creepy and refused to do the job.

Ayoola kept telling everyone who didn't care to listen, that he had PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as a way of gaining some sort of sympathy but the man was a monster with sick fantasies and any act that he was trying to put on just wouldn't wash. He faced the courtroom and was given life in prison. It was a small price to pay for taking away such a beautiful life. As well as being the sweetheart that she was, Mackenzie wanted to help others by fulfilling her dreams of becoming a nurse but all that was taken away from her. She was a young, naive girl who made a mistake meeting a monster. You wish you could turn the clock back and talk to her, tell her not to go and meet this strange guy in a park in the early hours of the morning but we've all done silly things when we were young. Mackenzie had just attended her grandmother's funeral, maybe her mind wasn't in the right place at the time or maybe she fell for Ayoola's nice guy act? whatever the case, she did not deserve to lose her life. 

Ayoola was a loser, a no mark who has to spend the rest of his life behind bars at the cost of the American tax payer. He robbed us all of a shining light who brought goodness into the world and wanted to help people in need, just think of all of the vulnerable people she would have helped through her nursing career. It is a sad and tragic loss. 

RIP Mackenzie. 

Further Reading & Sources:


Thank you for joining me in my latest post in this series, I know it was another difficult one to get through but I appreciate you being here. I think as well as sharing these heartbreaking cases in the series, it is not only important to share what happened to these beautiful young girls but to serve as a warning to anyone who is tempted to join sites such as 'Seeking Arrangement' or is tempted to meet a strange man for financial reasons. It is a very dangerous and risky thing to do. In these current days of 'influencers' and pressures to have a certain lifestyle, a lot of young people place a lot of importance on money and the lines between what is safe and not safe, become blurred. I'm sure that the lovely girls that I have written about in this series, would want to warn anyone who was thinking of going down this route. Money isn't everything. 

I hope you will join me in my final post in this series next Sunday, until next time please stay safe and see you (hopefully) on my socials x

My Thoughts On Casey Anthony, Jodi Arias, Rose West! Meeting Murderers & What Do I Think Of The The UK Justice System? | Q&A With Jo: Part Two

(For all of my links, check out my Linktree page Here!!!)

So. here we are in part two of my Q&A, I hope you found the first part interesting. I have tried to answer all of the questions that I was sent on Instagram and X/Twitter so if your question is not answered, please let me know and I'll update this post but I think I've covered everything. 

So here goes....

Q1: Which crime related series is your favourite?

I have to say 'Mindhunter'! I was so obsessed with that series that I would literally sit up until 5 am, watching every episode when a new series came out. We only got two series which is a crying shame! I'm still fuming that Netflix are still back and forth about making a third series. The people are crying out for it, give the people what they want!!!! Here's hoping that Mindhunter 3 is made, otherwise we just have to appreciate it for what it was. I would like to own both series on Blu-Ray though. 

Q2: Have you ever met a murderer?

Yes, I have, loads of them! One of these strange encounters happened at university. I was on a psychology course and this older guy sat down next to me in the lunch area and proceeded to tell me (with a smile on his face) that he had murdered his step-father. I have written about this on my blog previously (this was back in 2019 that I wrote this so forgive the bad quality picture and serious lack of false eyelashes lol). It was a strange experience and the guy made my skin crawl to be quite honest. 

Q3: Would you ever become a cop?

Nope! I know there are amazing cops out there who work so hard and are passionate about helping people but I've seen a lot of things and conduct at the hands of British police that I'm not happy with. 

Q4: What do you think of the justice system in the UK?

Nine times out of ten it's a complete joke! I don't agree with cold-blooded murderers being given 15 years and serving half their sentence (in certain cases). I find it also ridiculous that people can be locked up for the most stupidest of things whilst the real monsters are let off with a slap on the wrist. 

Q5: Are you interested in doing a collaboration with other members of the true crime community?

Yes, I would love too! I always welcome it so if anyone would like to collaborate on a case or request a case, just email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com

Q6: Which book are you currently reading?

A masterpiece of a book (which I've read before): And The Band Played On by Randy Schilts. The book is an in depth look and detailed account of the AIDS crisis in the 1980's. 

Q7: Do you believe in the paranormal?

Yes! I believe in aliens, ghosts and some sort of afterlife. I believe that our souls go to a higher frequency (I don't know if I'm making any sense here) and that the spirits of our loved ones are around us. I believe that they send us little signs every day to let us know that they are looking out for us. 

Q8: What is your favourite thing to cook?

I love cooking Italian food. It sounds simple but I love making Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread and sprinkles of grated Parmesan cheese. I also like cooking a traditional Sunday roast (vegetarian style) with roast potatoes and all of the trimmings and gravy. 

Q9: Which of your true crime posts took the longest for you to research and put together?

It's hard to point out one particular post because a lot of them have taken me a long time to research and write. If I had to choose one which I remember writing into the wee small hours of the morning for a number of nights, it has to be The Most Evil Woman Ever? | Gertrude Baniszewski, this horrific case was about the cruel and heartbreaking murder of Sylvia Likens. It's a story that can never be forgotten and shocks anyone who has ever heard about it or read about it. A truly disturbing case that I have never forgotten. It was a tough one to research and took a lot of writing but I am glad I was able to share Sylvia's story along with many others. I have had various messages over the years about the post and I'm glad that other people have been inspired by my article to write about the case and that people think of Sylvia as she was before what had happened to her. 

Q10: What has been the best compliment that someone has given you on your work?

I have had some amazing things said about my work and it really means the world to me. As someone who has battled learning difficulties with dyslexia, the thought that my blog had been visited by over 1 million people is insane. So many interesting people have contacted me over the years. I guess I just love to hear that people enjoy my writing, I'm still growing as a writer, I'm still learning. I also love that I have dedicated readers who've been here with me from my very first true crime case back in 2019, I think that's amazing. 

Q11: Describe your ideal night-in?

My ideal night in would be a takeaway, some candles, a stack of classic horror movies and maybe some wine. I love nights like that, watching as many horror movies as you can until you basically pass out!

Q12: What are your thoughts on Rose West, Jodi Arias and Caylee Anthony? 

Well, Rose West (I wrote about her and her husband Fred here in a previous post) was a master manipulator who basically wore the trousers in the relationship with Fred. They were both evil and each had a part to play in the crimes but she was the mastermind in everything. When she basically threw Fred to the wolves in the courtroom and ignored him, he couldn't cope with that, he practically lived for her and couldn't cope with that rejection from her so he took his own life. I go into all of the details in that post so please check it out if you are interested in knowing more about the case. 

Jodi Arias, what a lost and messed-up person she was but also a master manipulator. I do feel that the male victim, Travis Alexander used her and messed with her head but he did not deserve what happened to him. Jodi was a beautiful girl and this is part of the intrigue that some people have about her case. To anyone looking in they would wonder why she didn't just move on to someone else and forget about Travis. But behind the looks was a raving narcissist who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. She stalked, begged and pleaded Travis until he gave in, she would use her sexuality to try and own him but it didn't work. In a final act of utter rejection she found that he wasn't interested in a serous relationship with her, he saw her as a dirty secret. In her mind, she had given him everything and posed for private, intimate pictures for him and still that wasn't enough. Her obsession with Travis drove her crazy and she committed the most evil and horrific murder whilst trying to cover her tracks. 

The Caylee Anthony story was a case that shocked us all and is still talked about to this day. Casey Anthony got away with murder, she's as guilty as sin. The whole thing sickened me and again, she is another master manipulator, a narcissist who used her looks and pathetic performances to try and gain sympathy. All three of these women are proof that sometimes the female of the species can be (sometimes) more deadly than the male. 

And there you have it, all done! I hope my responses to the questions didn't drag on for too long and that you enjoyed reading my replies. I enjoyed answering them and a big THANK YOU to everyone who sent me the questions. I liked the variety of questions...I did get a few naughty ones too lol! 

In my next post I will be continuing with my series 'The Sugarbaby Murders' so I hope you will continue to join me for that. 

In the meantime, I hope to see you on my other socials, you can find me HERE!! (I'm mostly on my X/Twitter pages: @CaledonianKitty / @TrueCrimeWithCK

To contact me for whatever reason if you're not on those social platforms, you can email me at: jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com 

If you would like to stay updated with my work or help support me by buying me a coffee, you can do so here or here

Thank you as always & I hope to see you in the next post x 

Why Do I Write About Serial Killers?, My Book & The Thriller On Netflix That Everyone Should Be Watching | Q&A With Jo: Part One

(Me aka Jo aka Caledonian Kitty lol: All of my social media links can be found HERE!!)


So, as you may know, I'm currently in the middle of doing a four part series here on my blog called 'The Sugarbaby Murders'. You may also know (if you are a regular reader of my work - thank you!) that I always post my content on Sundays, well, this week I haven't had the time to really research and study the third instalment of the series unfortunately.  As I am always one to keep my promises and deliver fresh new content every week, I decided that I would do a Q&A since it's been a long time since I have done one. 

On Thursday I asked my followers on Instagram and Twitter to send me their questions and I ended up with more questions than Bob Holness lol (not that I'm complaining). So to be fair to everyone who asked me questions, I have split this into two parts. After these Q&A posts, I will continue on with the series, The Sugarbaby Murders. 

Hope you enjoy reading my Q&A posts, here goes....

Q1: How is your book coming along and when will it be released?

I'm still in the process of writing my book! As with a lot of things that I do, I want it to be right. I want to take my time so it's done properly. As an owner of so many true crime books, it's shocking to see seasoned criminologists and true crime writers who rush their books or self publish on Amazon only to find a mountain of mistakes. I also want a good quality cover that won't fall apart after a few reads. I will keep everyone updated when it's all done and I'll even send a few out to my regular readers with some Caledonian Kitty merchandise when the time comes. I'm actually excited just thinking about it. 


Q2: Which true crime case has shocked you the most recently?

I was reading about a case last night actually and it left me feeling both heartbroken and angry. It was the horrible story of the murder of 5 year old Shaniya Davis. The girl's mother had sold the poor child to a sick monster to settle a $200 debt under the knowledge that this man would SA the child (it just makes your blood boil). The man took Shaniya, assaulted and murdered her before dumping her remains. The whole story was horrendous and both the mother (if you can even call her that) and the peadophile are now behind bars. It just breaks my heart that this little girl went through all of this pain and suffering. There was some CCTV footage that caught the perpetrator carrying Shaniya towards an elevator and it's haunting, the poor girl looks so scared and confused and you wish that you could just jump through the screen and save her. A horrible case which left an effect on me for sure as I'm sure it does for anyone who reads about it. 


Q3: Are you watching any trials lately? Which was the last one that you followed?

I'm not watching any trials at the moment unless it's part of a case that I'm researching. The last trial I followed was the Gareth Pursehouse trial. He was given life without parole for the murder of Hollywood therapist Amie Harwick. I wrote about her case briefly on my X/Twitter page but didn't cover the story in full on my blog. The trial is still available to view on Youtube. 

Q4: Can you recommend a good thriller on Netflix?

One that I watched recently which was more of a sci-fi thriller but brilliant all the same was 'T.I.M'. If you like the 'Black Mirror' series, this will be right up your street. It definitely taps into the modern age with all of this AI stuff and how much we rely on technology in our every day lives. I've actually watched this twice because it was so good! Highly recommended. 

Q5: Will you be bringing out any new merch soon? 

Yes, I will be bringing out new merch, I'll update everyone when I get around to it. 


Q6: What made you get interested in writing about serial killers?

I saw The Silence of The Lambs when I was 6 years old and I was hooked! I wanted to be like Clarice Starling and work for the FBI Behavioural Science Unit. I'm a big fan of John Douglas (who the character of Jack Crawford is based on) and I have tons of true crime books. My grandmother loved her murder mysteries and my Dad was into true crime stuff so I suppose I just grew up around it. Re-runs of Columbo and Taggart were a big thing in my house growing up. 

Q7: How long does it take you to do your research at average? 

It depends on the case but it usually takes a week. I spend hours and hours studying, going through books, court documents, newspaper articles etc until I feel like I know the case inside out and have all the important dates, names and locations and then I write about it. I try my best to have everything done for Sunday and I always manage to do it. 

Q8: What is your favourite movie?

As I'm not sure what genre to go by, I'll say which is my favourite horror movie and that is the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

Well, that's a wrap for part one! I hope you found it an interesting read and hope you will join me next Sunday for part two. As I mentioned earlier, The Sugarbaby Murders series will continue after the second Q&A post. 

In the meantime, I hope to see you on my other socials, you can find me HERE!! (I'm mostly on my X/Twitter pages: @CaledonianKitty / @TrueCrimeWithCK

To contact me for whatever reason if you're not on those social platforms, you can email me at: jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com 

If you would like to stay updated with my work or help support me by buying me a coffee, you can do so here or here

Thank you as always & I hope to see you in the next post x 

Sugardaddy On The Run: The Shocking Murder of Sofya Krasilnikova | The Sugarbaby Murders

(Left: Sofya Krasilnikova. Right: Vyacheslav Popov. Picture credits: thesun)

I wasn't sure whether to write about this shocking and bizarre case due to the limited information available, but I thought for the sake of Sofya, I would. At the end of the day, her story deserves to be told and the individual who took her life deserves to face justice. 

This case occurred in 2022 so it's not that long ago, part of the reason for there being limited information is because the crime took place in Russia. I have done my best to gather as much information as I can to provide you with as much details as possible. I will be updating this post as soon as more information about the case becomes available. 

So what do we know about the backstory of this case? Well, Sofya Kraslinikova was a beautiful 18 year old Russian girl who decided at the age of 17 to join a website looking for a Sugardaddy (for those unaware, a Sugardaddy is often a older man who dates younger women whilst financially supporting them. This type of 'relationship' if you could call it that, is purely financial and the conditions vary. A Sugardaddy may want sexual favours in exchange for money. some might want 'the girlfriend experience', others may just want an attractive young woman to go to dinner with them without anything sexual occurring). Well, on this website, Sofya was pretending to be 18 and it wasn't long before her pictures and advertisement caught the eye of a seasoned Sugardaddy. 

A man in his early 40s by the name of Vyacheslav Popov was no stranger to Sugarbaby arrangements, in fact he preferred to 'date' only Sugarbabies and claimed at that point to have been 'dating' various young women for over 10 years. Vyacheslav wasn't exactly up there in the looks department but he seemed to have quite a lot of money to keep his Sugarbabies happy (how he happened to have so much money to burn is a mystery). He would lavish them with gifts, luxury hotels, holidays and visits to 5-star restaurants but like a lot of these arrangements, Vyacheslav would grow tired of his latest Sugarbaby and move on to the next. 

(Sofya krasilnikova. Picture credit: The Sun)

Vyacheslav was already a regular user of this particular Sugarbaby site and when he and Sofya started to message each other, it appeared that they both had a lot in common according to Vyacheslav. He claimed their chance meeting on a Sugarbaby site was ''like a fairytale''  and he'd never felt that sort of connection before with any of his other Sugarbabies. 

Vyacheslav liked to think of himself as a bit of a playboy and he had dreams of being famous. He appeared on a TV show in Russia bragging about his life with Sugababies. He was quite proud of his lifestyle and saw nothing wrong with it. 

So after messaging each other back and forth on the Sugababy website, they arranged to meet in person on one condition, that Vyacheslav pay a 'meeting fee' (a 'meeting fee' is a standard arrangement that Sugarbabies always have in place, the Sugardaddy is expected to pay this fee whilst also paying for the dinner, any transport costs etc plus a discussion about a weekly or monthly allowance will also take place). 

Sofya requested that he pay £200 to meet her and he agreed. When they had dinner, Vyacheslav couldn't have been happier and claimed to have got on so well with Sofya that she didn't leave his home until morning. It puts a chill down the spine to think about this 17 year old girl just going to some random older man's house and staying there until the morning. He wouldn't go into details of what they go up to, he said they ''just talked'' but make of that what you will. Sofya finally confessed to Vyacheslav that she was just 17 but he didn't seem to mind this and the pair continued to see each other. 

In a further strange twist of events, Vyacheslav suggested they move in together and have a proper relationship. Sofya agreed but it wasn't the bliss filled experience that she hoped for. It turned out that Vyacheslav was a bit of a nutcase (incase that hasn't shone through already in this post) and there was a reason he was a single man in his 40s paying young women for their time. He enjoyed paying women for their time because he enjoyed the control and the power. The women would tell him what he wanted to hear and he would be in charge of what was happening whilst they collected the money. Going on arranged 'dates' was one thing, a Sugardaddy and Sugarbaby living in the same house is quite the other. Throw into the mix that Sofya was a child compared to 42 year old Vyacheslav, there would have been that father/daughter/adult/child dynamic. He probably expected homecooked dinners, ironed clothes and all the things you would expect from a mature woman in her 40s but trying to place all of these demands on a young girl who barely set foot out of High School. 

(Vyacheslav Popov. Picture credit: The Sun)

Being a teenage girl living with someone so much older would have been quite stifling I imagine but she obviously thought this would be a great financial set-up. Things continued to get worse with daily arguments between the pair, it was clear that it wasn't working and things were said to have turned violent. Sofya had reported a horrible incident to the police where she accused Vyacheslav of sexual assault but the charges were later dropped and nobody knows why. Was it through fear? According to Vyacheslav, it was all fake and designed to gain publicity as he wanted to be a social media influencer. 

I don't know how that could possibly make anyone 'popular', being accused of sexual assault. The man was delusional and a fantasist just trying to cover his own tracks. 

It wasn't long after this that it became common knowledge around Sofya's family and friends that she wanted to leave Vyacheslav and was putting plans in place to do so. Nobody could imagine the horrific moment when Sofya's mother went over to visit her at the house (Vyacheslav was nowhere to be seen) only to find her daughter, deceased and covered in blood. It was clear that Sofya had been through a horrendous ordeal before she died, she was totally unrecognisable. She had been stabbed 15 times and her mother later said that the only way that she knew that the poor girl lying on the floor was Sofya was by the distinctive tattoos that she had. 

Straight away the police were on the scene looking for Vyacheslav who completely vanished without a trace. He had been the last person to see Sofya and footage emerged of him walking into the house with her and leaving in a hurry just 12 minutes later. It was shortly after this that her Mother arrived and nobody else was seen going to or from the house. 

The motive for the heartless murder of a young girl? She was going to leave him, those close to her knew it and she was very unhappy and it was clear that she was terrified of him. When she reported the assault she maybe thought that the police would offer her some sort of protection but it didn't work out that way and like a lot of terrified victims, she felt she had to return to him. We don't know what he may have threatened her with? Maybe threatened to hurt her family if she didn't do as he asked. 

So a manhunt is officially ongoing, where could he possibly be? A murderer who has cash at his disposal is a frightening thing, he could be in Spain, France, here in the UK, anywhere! A friend of his was questioned by the police and the friend refused to believe that Vyacheslav was responsible for the murder of Sofya. He said ''What would he have to gain out of it?''

You don't have to be Columbo to figure out what has gone on here, Vyacheslav said that he believed his relationship with Sofya to be like a fairytale. He treated her differently to his other Sugarbabies and claimed to have never felt that connection before. She'd tried to get away from him before and went to the police, the situation was violent and getting worse. She was trying to leave him and there was probably a part of him that really resented her because he gave her money (we've seen this happen a lot with Sugardaddies who have later found out that their Sugarbabies have a boyfriend and they seek revenge) hoping she would fall in love with him.

None of us know what was going on in his mind but a young girl's life was cruelly taken. Sometimes I worry for young girls who watch Sugarbaby channels on Youtube who advertise this type of lifestyle. It can be very dangerous and it's not the 'easy money' they think it is. What they are seeing on Youtube and Instagram is the 'highlights', the material goods that a Sugarbaby has been given (whilst apparently doing nothing sexual at all for it lol) but they are never honest about what they have had to do to get that money. What happens when you get on the wrong side of your Sugardaddy or you have one that is a control freak and they find out where you live? There's so many ways that this situation can go wrong. 

I love Pretty Woman as a movie but I think to certain women it gives this sort of ideal fantasy where they think the right Sugardaddy will pop up like Richard Gere and money will be no object. The reality of being a Sugarbaby is not all fun and glamorous as it's made to look on social media. 

I hope that other content creators in the true crime community will cover Sofya's case and if you are in Russia and know more about the latest developments on the hunt for Vyacheslav Popov, please get in touch with me (jocaledonianKitty@gmail.com)

RIP Sofya.

Thank you as always for checking out my latest post and for joining me in the second instalment of The Sugarbaby Murders series. I will be back again on Sunday evening with a new case. 

In the meantime, you can find me o my socials here and if you would like to support my work (that would be amazing, thank you!), you can do so here


Take care x


[Usually I provide a list of books, further reading & sources that have been part of my research on a particular case. in this instance, information is pretty scarce, all we know is that the investigation into the murderer's whereabouts is continuing. The article published by The Sun newspaper was invaluable with the main details of this case. My knowledge of the Sugarbaby lifestyle is by my own research watching Youtube videos over the years and for my ongoing research for this series. Any questions or enquiries please don't hesitate to email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com]