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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we delve into the curious case of Minnie Wallace Walkup, a teenage bride whose wealthy husband suddenly dropped dead just a month into their marriage. Was it the aphrodisiac he was taking, or did Minnie have a more hands-on approach to becoming a wealthy widow? With arsenic, strychnine, and a suspiciously timed death, this tale of love, poison, and courtroom drama will have you wondering if Minnie was just unlucky—or a master of the marital exit strategy.

If you'd like to learn more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out the information below:

• https://www.grunge.com/1356474/minnie-wallace-teen-accused-of-killing-husband-1885/
• https://bayoujustice.com/2024/02/minnie-wallace-gold-digger-or-murderess/
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169506226/minnie-estelle-keating
• https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register-minnie-wallace-w/18279321/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=AhaKyRTT54I
• The Adventuress: Murder, Blackmail, and Confidence Games in the Gilded Age (McConnell, 2010)

KEYWORDS:

Minnie Wallace Walkup case

Teenage bride murder

Arsenic and strychnine poisoning

Suspicious death of a wealthy husband

Victorian crime story

Poisoning mystery in marriage

Courtroom drama and deadly romance

True crime historical podcast

Minnie Walkup murder trial

Marital exit strategy by poison

Wealthy widow mystery

Love and poison crime

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we explore how William G. Butler, a cattleman with a grudge, made sure the thriving town of Helena, Texas dried up faster than a saloon on Sunday. Join us for a tale of how one man’s vendetta wiped a town off the map without firing another shot.

Interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death? Check out the links below:

• https://westwardsagas.com/helena-the-toughest-town-on-earth/
• https://authentictexan.com/helena-killed-wrong-man-price/
• http://pacweb.alamo.edu/InteractiveHistory/projects/rhines/StudentProjects/2001/Helena/Helena.htm
• https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-history-101-65/
• https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2012-08-17/day-trips/

KEYWORDS:

William G. Butler revenge

Helena, Texas ghost town

Cattleman’s vendetta in Texas

Old West town wiped out

True crime history podcast

Texas town revenge

Helena ghost town story

Historical vendetta in Texas

Forgotten Old West town

William G. Butler and Helena

Texas town dried up

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we dive into the bizarre and bloody tale of the Bender family, who turned their Kansas inn into the final stop for unlucky travelers in the 1870s. With a dad who muttered like a horror movie villain, a mom who could make Medusa look friendly, and a daughter who combined fortune-telling with cold-blooded murder, the Benders were a family that really knew how to keep secrets buried in their orchard. Join us as we delve into the macabre world of the Bender family and the mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

If you're interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:

• https://www.humanitieskansas.org/get-involved/kansas-stories/people/true-crime-in-kansas-the-mystery-of-the-benders
• https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/31/a-mysterious-murder-site-has-a-new-owner-hes-looking-for-answers-about-the-bloody-benders/
• https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/bill-caldwell-bloody-benders-were-frontier-serial-killers/article_f6349444-0acf-11ee-974c-53c671e62b02.html
• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-benders/

KEYWORDS:

Bender family mystery

1870s Kansas inn murders

Bloody Benders true crime

Unsolved murder case

Serial killing family

Fortune-teller murderess

Macabre innkeepers

Cold-blooded family crime

Frontier crime history

Bender family orchard secrets

Gruesome family murders

True crime frontier podcast

Unsolved Bender murders