The Cold Case Murders of Rose Burkert & Roger Atkinson + The Unkillable Michael Malloy | MFM 514

1. Karen & Georgia: Celebrating a Decade of Podcasting

Timestamp: 00:00:08 to 00:03:52 - watch this moment on skim

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark kick off the episode by acknowledging their upcoming 10-year anniversary, reflecting on the journey and showcasing unique ceramic gifts from listeners for their 9-year milestone, including a vintage Siamese cat made from a 1970s mold. Ultimately, the hosts express gratitude for the outpouring of creative support from their dedicated audience.

Significance (Low): This opening sets a warm, celebratory tone, highlighting the podcast's longevity and the deep connection with its community. It grounds the show in its unique blend of personal interaction and true crime.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller), Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

2. Listeners' Artistic Tributes to My Favorite Murder

Timestamp: 00:03:57 to 00:08:38 - watch this moment on skim

The hosts continue to unwrap and describe listener-submitted ceramic art, including stacking Moth Man mugs with a hidden expletive and a symbolic ceramic butterfly accompanied by a poetic message about metamorphosis and community. Ultimately, these gifts underscore the profound impact the podcast has had on its listeners' lives, inspiring art and fostering connection.

Significance (Low): Showcasing these intricate, thoughtful gifts reinforces the strong bond between the hosts and their 'Fan Cult,' demonstrating the podcast's cultural influence beyond just entertainment.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller), Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

3. Georgia's Resolution for a Future Self & Karen's NYE Antics

Timestamp: 00:08:42 to 00:12:25 - watch this moment on skim

Karen and Georgia share personal updates from their break, with Georgia revealing her New Year's resolution to make difficult decisions now for an easier future, while Karen recounts a humorous New Year's Eve experience attending a Tom Petty cover band concert that surprisingly ended before midnight. Ultimately, these personal anecdotes offer relatable insights into their lives outside of true crime storytelling.

Significance (Low): These personal reflections humanize the hosts, offering a glimpse into their lives and struggles, which resonates deeply with their audience and strengthens their connection.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller), Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

4. Podcast Picks: From Personal Trauma to Investigative Journalism

Timestamp: 00:12:28 to 00:15:05 - watch this moment on skim

Karen praises 'Beth's Dead' for its smart and personal handling of a difficult experience, while Georgia recommends 'Undercover of Night,' an investigative podcast about a mysterious death in a small Texas town, highlighting its journalistic approach to uncovering truth. Ultimately, these recommendations showcase the diverse landscape of true crime content and the hosts' appreciation for different storytelling styles.

Significance (Low): By recommending other podcasts, the hosts demonstrate their engagement with the broader true crime community and provide valuable content suggestions for their listeners, reinforcing their role as curators.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller), Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

5. Exactly Right Media: New Shows and Fan Cult Perks

Timestamp: 00:15:09 to 00:17:04 - watch this moment on skim

The hosts promote their 'Exactly Right Media' podcast network, highlighting new shows like the legal podcast 'Brief Recess' and 'Do You Need a Ride,' while also encouraging listeners to join the Fan Cult for exclusive content and ad-free episodes. Ultimately, this segment serves as a comprehensive advertisement for their expanding media empire and its benefits for loyal fans.

Significance (Low): This segment is a direct commercial plug, leveraging the podcast's platform to expand their network's reach and monetize their audience, a common practice in the podcast industry.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller), Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

6. Georgia: The Cold Case of Rose Burkert & Roger Atkinson

Timestamp: 00:17:07 to 00:22:00 - watch this moment on skim

Georgia introduces the 1980 cold case double homicide of Rose Burkert and Roger Atkinson, found murdered in a Holiday Inn in Williamsburg, Iowa, revealing their affair and the devastating impact on Roger's wife, Marcy. Ultimately, this tragic introduction sets the stage for a complex and frustrating unsolved mystery.

Significance (Medium): This case immediately plunges the audience into a classic true crime scenario, combining infidelity, murder, and the emotional fallout, hooking listeners with its inherent drama.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

7. Bizarre Crime Scene Evidence in the Hotel Room

Timestamp: 00:26:00 to 00:29:01 - watch this moment on skim

The crime scene reveals Roger Atkinson's missing money, a partial fingerprint, a chair pulled up to the bed as if someone was conversing with the victims, and a bar of soap that had been whittled, with the word 'this' written on the bathroom door in soap. Ultimately, these highly unusual and seemingly contradictory pieces of evidence complicate the investigation, making it difficult to discern the killer's motive or identity.

Significance (High): The bizarre and seemingly random nature of the evidence, particularly the whittled soap and the cryptic message, adds a chilling, almost theatrical, layer to the crime, captivating the audience while frustrating investigators.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

8. Paul Holes' Controversial Toothpaste Theory

Timestamp: 00:32:57 to 00:36:30 - watch this moment on skim

Georgia presents Paul Holes' theory, from 'The DNA of Murder,' that the squeezed toothpaste at the crime scenes could be linked to heroin addicts simulating ejaculation due to erectile dysfunction, a theory Karen finds psychologically compelling but Georgia struggles to verify online. Ultimately, this specific and unusual theory adds a unique, albeit unconfirmed, psychological dimension to the killer's potential profile.

Significance (High): This highly specific and unusual theory from a renowned investigator sparks intense discussion, demonstrating how seemingly minor details can lead to profound, if unproven, psychological insights into a killer's mind.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

9. Unresolved DNA Evidence and Case Frustration

Timestamp: 00:36:47 to 00:40:20 - watch this moment on skim

Georgia discusses the discovery of unknown DNA on a bathroom towel in 2015 and Paul Holes' recommendation to exhume a suspect's body, highlighting the ongoing frustration with the cold case and the confusing nature of the evidence. Ultimately, the presence of unidentified DNA offers a glimmer of hope for resolution, yet the lack of a hit underscores the persistent challenges in solving such long-standing mysteries.

Significance (Medium): The existence of unidentified DNA offers a tantalizing possibility for a breakthrough, yet the lack of a match fuels the frustration inherent in cold cases, leaving the audience with a sense of unresolved tension.

Sources in support: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

10. Karen: The Unkillable Michael Malloy: A Depression-Era Scheme

Timestamp: 00:41:21 to 00:45:58 - watch this moment on skim

Karen introduces the incredible story of Michael Malloy, a 60-year-old alcoholic regular at Tony Marino's Bronx speak easy during the Prohibition and Great Depression eras, who becomes the target of a diabolical life insurance fraud scheme by Marino and his associates. Ultimately, this setup establishes a dark yet fascinating premise for a tale of extreme human resilience and greed.

Significance (High): This introduction immediately grabs attention with its promise of an 'insane' story, setting up a narrative that explores the depths of human desperation and the extraordinary limits of survival during a harsh historical period.

Sources in support: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

11. Tony Marino's Precedent and the Insurance Fraud Plot

Timestamp: 00:46:02 to 00:50:31 - watch this moment on skim

Karen reveals that Tony Marino, the speak-easy owner, had previously murdered a woman named Mabel Carlson for insurance money using a similar method of exposure and alcohol, setting a chilling precedent for the 'murder trust' to attempt the same scheme on Michael Malloy. Ultimately, Marino's past success emboldens the group, highlighting the calculated nature of their criminal enterprise.

Significance (High): The revelation of Tony Marino's prior successful murder for insurance money establishes his ruthless character and the sinister pattern of exploitation, raising the stakes for Michael Malloy's fate.

Sources in support: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

12. Michael Malloy's Unbelievable Resilience to Poison

Timestamp: 00:51:51 to 00:56:04 - watch this moment on skim

The 'murder trust' attempts to kill Michael Malloy by giving him unlimited alcohol, then switching to methanol-laced drinks and oysters, but he astonishingly survives each attempt, even asking for more. Ultimately, Malloy's incredible tolerance to lethal substances defies all expectations, frustrating his would-be killers and solidifying his 'unkillable' legend.

Significance (High): Malloy's repeated survival against increasingly potent poisons creates a darkly comedic and astonishing narrative, showcasing his extraordinary resilience and the sheer incompetence of his would-be murderers.

Sources in support: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

13. Michael Malloy's Return After Near-Fatal Attack

Timestamp: 00:59:58 to 01:01:07 - watch this moment on skim

After being run over by a taxi and left for dead, Michael Malloy reappears at the speak easy days later, bandaged and limping but ready for a drink, completely unaware of the murder attempts. Ultimately, his miraculous return, coupled with his amnesia, further solidifies his reputation as 'the man who wouldn't die' and deeply frustrates his conspirators.

Significance (High): Malloy's astonishing return after being run over is the climax of his 'unkillable' legend, creating a moment of disbelief and dark humor that cements his place in true crime lore.

Sources in support: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

14. Michael Malloy's Death by Gas Poisoning

Timestamp: 01:03:02 to 01:05:04 - watch this moment on skim

The 'murder trust' finally succeeds in killing Michael Malloy by carrying him to a rented apartment, locking him inside, and opening gas nozzles, leading to his death by carbon monoxide poisoning, which a bribed doctor falsely certifies as pneumonia. Ultimately, this final, desperate act brings an end to Malloy's incredible streak of survival, albeit through a more insidious method.

Significance (High): Malloy's eventual death by gas poisoning, after surviving so many direct attempts, provides a grim resolution to his 'unkillable' narrative, highlighting the conspirators' relentless depravity.

Sources in support: Karen Kilgariff (Host, Storyteller)

Neutral sources: Georgia Hardstark (Host, Storyteller)

Financial Gain from Victim's Book (Medium severity)

Type: Financial

Marcella Lynn Hatcher Atkinson, Roger Atkinson's widow, authored a book about the cold case, 'Axed,' which is cited as a main source. She also received a substantial life insurance payout and settled a wrongful death lawsuit against the hotel.

Significance: This financial tie could color Marcella's perception of events and her narrative within the book, potentially shaping the public's understanding of the case. The audience is left to wonder if the pursuit of financial compensation influenced her account or if certain details were emphasized or omitted.

Hosts' Promotion of Own Network (Low severity)

Type: Commercial

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the hosts, extensively promote their own podcast network, Exactly Right Media, and its various shows, including 'Brief Recess' and 'Do You Need a Ride,' during the episode.

Significance: While common in podcasting, this self-promotion could be perceived as a commercial interest that momentarily shifts focus from the core content. The audience might question if the recommendations are purely organic or driven by the need to boost their network's visibility and revenue.