Don't Blame The Mom

On 19th January 2025 what should have been an exciting climb to the summit of Austria's tallest mountain instead turned into a nightmarish ordeal for 33 year old Kerstin Gurtner.

Her boyfriend 37 year old Thomas Plamberger who was an experienced climber had suggested they make the trip up to the Grossglockner but it ultimately ended in tragedy.

As a struggling & deteriorating Kerstin was left alone on the mountain without protection from the elements, she succumbed to hypothermia & her avoidable death soon exposed glaring mistakes her boyfriend had made.

Some of which are so unsettling it could well have lasting implications for mountain sports in the future.

Today's case is extremely polarising & Plamberger's lenient sentence despite being found guilty of negligent homicide has sparked a great deal of debate not only in Austria, but around the world.

With the circumstances surrounding Kerstins death raising some disturbing but very important questions.When does personal judgement and risk taking cross the line & when does it become a matter of criminal liability?

Was her death planned & intentional as some people still believe, or was it in-fact another tragic alpine accident ...?

This is episode 164....
Left On A Mountain To Die? The Death Of Kerstin Gurtner

**Crime talk begins 7:57 minutes in

Sources:The guardian.com/ www.nytimes.com/bbc.co.uk/ Reddit/ the Irish Times/ www.exploreweb.com/ YouTube / 7 News Australia/ www.number.com/ Ladbible/ Wikipedia.com
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Social media platforms & streaming channels like YouTube are hugely popular nowadays, with some live streams bringing in millions of viewers at any one time.

On December 18th 2022, 32 year old Stephen McCullagh decided to use his own YouTube channel in order to create a false alibi.

By playing a pre recorded gaming stream to his viewers he was able to slip away from his home & savagely murder his girlfriend Natalie McNally who was 15 weeks pregnant with his child .

A cunning plan he wrongly believed would enable him to commit the perfect murder but McCullagh was not as smart as he liked to believe.

Almost four years after Natalie's murder her family got to see to her killer, the man they had trusted finally face justice. A killer so cruel he has since been described as cold blooded, brutal & outlandish.

Even though McCullagh is now behind bars awaiting his sentence, this has not taken away any of the pain or loss Natalie's family still have to live with every single day...

This is episode 163:The YouTube Killer- The Murder Of Natalie McNally

**Crime talk begins 5 mins 40 seconds in

Sources :BBC.co.uk/ Wikipedia/ the guardian.com/ the telegraph article/ ITV’s The UTV podcast- Journey to Justice: A look back at the Natalie McNally Murder Trial / RTE.ie/ The Irish Times/ Kentonline.co.uk/ YouTube.fandom.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes you might hear about a shocking situation in life that makes you pause & question 'how would I react in that situation'?

Like what would you do if you saw a hand desperately banging against the window of a passing car & what would you do if you heard terrified screams coming from inside ?

Some might just pass it off as a domestic, or a child having a tantrum perhaps, or just carry on driving with the assumption that it's probably nothing.

But when Jane Kowalski witnessed exactly that in North Port Florida in January 2008 she did what she thought could help & called 911.

But tragically for 21 year old Denise Amber Lee even though eye witness Jane provided 911 operators a live location of where the kidnappers car was at the time still help did not reach her as she was trapped inside.

And despite Denise herself bravely making attempts to save her own life like calling 911, huge failures in the 911 response system meant the reports of an abduction were misfiled & police failed to find her in time...

These mistakes led to the beloved wife & mother of two suffering a terrifying hours long ordeal that ultimately resulted in her murder .

Today's harrowing case highlights massive errors that existed in the 911 system nationwide & how it took the devastating loss of Denise's life for those failures to be recognised.

It is also a testament to Denise's courage, bravery & quick thinking even when she was faced with the most horrific situation one could ever imagine.

Her legacy lives on not just through her children but also in the Denise Amber Lee Foundation that her family set up in her. This is aimed at instilling better training for 911 operators & creating improvements in the system that will help prevent other victims in the future losing their lives.

This is episode 162: When Help Never Came: The Tragic Murder Of Denise Amber Lee

**Crime talk begins at 8:02 minutes in

Sources: En.Wikipedia.org/ deniseamberlee.org/ abcnews.com/ euheraldtribune.com/ editioncnn.com/ explorewithus/ sarasota herald tribune YouTube/
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The public was horrified after news hit the media that five people were responsible for the murders of 21 year old Channon Christian & 23 year old Christopher Newsom in Knoxville, Tennessee in January 2007.

The young couple had suffered immensely as they were sexually assaulted & tortured by their tormentors before being killed .

Their brutal slayings caused huge controversy amongst the media & public bringing up questions & issues of race in the lead up to the many murder trials .

The killers turn on each other offering up differing accounts of what happened with all of them ultimately receiving significant sentences for their crimes.

Despite having to live with the reality of what their loved ones went through both the Christian & Newsom families have taken steps to create positive changes to help others, creating long lasting legacies in Channon & Christopher's memory....

This is episode 161: The Brutal Murders Of Channon Christian & Christopher Newsom Part 2

**Crime talk begins at 11:15 minutes in

Sources: Knoxville News Sentinel/ Wikipedia / allthatsinteresting.com/ court tv on YouTube/
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21 year old Channon Christian & her boyfriend 23 year old Christopher Newsom were on their way to a party in Knoxville, Tennessee when they were suddenly kidnapped at gunpoint on January 6th 2007.

They were driven to a nearby home where the young couple were sexually assaulted & tortured over a period of hours & in Channon's case days before they were murdered .

After the shocking discovery of Christopher's burned body authorities were alerted & soon they would discover the horrifying truth of the couples brutal slayings.

A police manhunt was launched ultimately leading to the arrest of the five violent perpetrators responsible for these crimes, leading to each of them receiving significant prison sentences .

But even though the killers remain behind bars today the truly wicked & depraved ordeal they put their two innocent victims through still shocks many across the world to this day & has left two families utterly devastated & still mourning the deep loss of their loved ones...

This is episode 160: The Brutal Murders Of Channon Christian & Christopher Newsom Part 1

**Crime talk begins 10:15 minutes in

Sources: Knoxville News Sentinel/ Wikipedia / allthatsinteresting.com/ court tv on YouTube/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.