Shows / The First Degree
The First Degree
Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new…
Episodes
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: CAMP LOOKSMAXING
Another weird week over here on the deep dive! We get a good look into Clavicular’s new Camp Looksmaxing where a bunch of losers pay $5k to have him tell them…
- The First Degree
Episode 426: We Were Never Alone
Some encounters with the unexplained are terrifying. Others offer an unexpected sense of comfort. But all leave us wondering what, if anything, exists beyond…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: SECRET PIZZA PARTY?
Jac pulls the string of the Kelly Clarkson / $15K mechanical bird drama and (SHOCKER!) it leads to Epstein adjacent children’s books about secret pizza…
- The First Degree
Episode 425: The Things That Haunt Us
This week, Firstober continues with a collection of chilling listener stories, unexplained encounters, and a real-life Halloween nightmare. From eerie…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: WHAT IS SUSAN DELL?
The world is going crazy and we’re just trying to keep up. This week we are talking about a woman sneaking into high school to pretend to be a substitute…
- The First Degree
Episode 424: The Dead Speak
In this special Halloween episode, Lex and Jac share chilling paranormal encounters from Firsties who swear they’ve experienced something they can’t explain…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: CALEB FLYNN
You asked for it, you got it. This week we are going down the rabbit hole that is the atrocious man named Caleb Flynn. Alexis’ new obsession has been courtroom…
- The First Degree
Episode 423: Spooky Stories & Strange Crimes
Today, Jac and Lex are taking us on a spooky adventure into the places where true crime and the paranormal collide. From chilling listener encounters to a…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: DR. TOMASZ KOSOWSKI
This week we are diving into one of the most bizarre cases of the year, Dr. Tomasz Kosowski. You may have seen clips circulating online of his insane courtroom…
- The First Degree
Episode 422: Rachel Hansen
In June 2022, a 19-year-old woman calls 911 after someone enters her apartment and shoots her in the middle of the night. She survives long enough to tell the…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: ANIMALS ARE FREAKS
If you thought humans were weird as hell, buckle up because animals are FREAKS. We’re bringing you all of the creepy, strange, murderous facts about the animal…
- The First Degree
Episode 421: Daniel Hiers Jr.
On March 15, 2005, police respond to a 911 call from a home in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Inside the residence, the body of a 24-year-old woman is found in…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE AI TAKEOVER? REAL OR PSYOP?
Things are feeling a bit spooky this week and we are barely halfway through September. We are discussing all of the weird shit going on in the AI world (like…
- The First Degree
Episode 420: Elisa Roberson
In August 1989, a 13-year-old girl leaves her home in Aransas Pass, Texas, for a short walk to meet a friend at a nearby elementary school. But she never makes…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: CYBORG COCKROACHES
We’re bouncing all over the place this week, so put on your seatbelts and get ready for the ride. A new lawsuit alleges that Frederic Fekkai was an integral…
- The First Degree
Episode 419: Dana Woods
In August 2012, two young women spend a summer night together in Berkeley County, South Carolina, before accepting a ride from someone they know. Hours later…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE BUTT SNIFFER STRIKES AGAIN
It’s another variety show type of week over here at the Deep Dive and we’ve got something for everyone. D4VD’s lawyers dump him, Laura Owens pleads guilty, a…
- The First Degree
Episode 418: Bigger Than the Trial
The Lindsay Clancy case has brought renewed attention to postpartum psychosis, a rare but potentially devastating condition that, when left untreated, has been…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: WHAT IS WRONG WITH EVERYONE?
No, for real, what is wrong with everyone lately? This week we’re discussing a woman who was giving sex eyes to the camera during the Lindsay Clancy trial…
- The First Degree
Episode 417: Stozek/McBrien
Growing up in suburban Chicago, a young girl is raised to trust the adults around her. Her church, her school, and her family all feel like safe places. But…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS
Today we are discussing the tragedy of Hayden Panettiere’s sudden passing and everyone who failed her throughout her life, Anthropic and Amazon destroying rare…
- The First Degree
Episode 416: Trish Haynes
In May 2018, a 25-year-old woman suddenly disappears while living with a childhood friend in Grafton, New Hampshire. Her family immediately knows something is…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: TO CATCH A PREDATOR?
There’s a lot going on this week, so put those tin foil hats on. First, we’re discussing the new bizarre documentary Predators, and the impact Chris Hansen has…
- The First Degree
Episode 415: Three People Knew
In August 2017, a newlywed is found shot to death inside a hotel room in Athens, Georgia, while on a road trip with her husband. As investigators begin piecing…
- The First Degree
Introducing: CRIMES OF REDDIT, Alexis’ new show with Sabrina Deana-Roga
Reddit is an endless archive of humanity’s most disturbing, bizarre, and deeply human stories. If you love The First Degree, you are going to love CRIMES OF…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: AUTHOR SESSIONS - CHAOS
Today's episode is the Deep Dive x The First Degree Book Club crossover you didn't know you needed. We're sitting down with bestselling author Tom O'Neill to…
- The First Degree
Episode 414: Manson murders, MKUltra, and the CIA
This week on The First Degree, we're doing something a little different. Consider this episode your CHAOS crash course. Tom O'Neill's groundbreaking book…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE MANOSPHERE BAKERY
This week Jac is taking you on a very niche deep dive, so buckle up. We’re going all the way down the manosphere rabbit hole via a “hot” viral bakery owner…
- The First Degree
Episode 413: Christian Sayre
In October 2021, the owner of a beloved dive bar in Everett, Washington is arrested on multiple counts of sexual assault, sending shockwaves through the…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: MKULTRA ALIVE & WELL?
Tin foil hats on! Today’s episode, we go down the rabbit hole of Tulsi Gabbard’s brother being arrested for luring kids into his hotel room with candy, being…
- The First Degree
Episode 412: Hotel Zaza Tragedy
On July 29, 2019, police respond to a 911 call from a hotel in Dallas, Texas. There are noise complaints about some guests, but hotel security is reluctant to…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: TYLER ROBINSON HEARING
Tyler Robinson’s hearing has officially started and it is a shit show already. We are discussing the highlights, the plot holes, and the fake news getting…
- The First Degree
Episode 411: Jeremy "Scotty" Cockrell
In June 2006, a 17-year-old spends the evening volunteering with a local haunted house before making plans to spend the next day at the lake with friends. But…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: LEX'S LISK UPDATE
This week, Alexis is giving you the inside scoop on all of the latest LISK updates, including what she saw at the sentencing hearing, never heard stories, and…
- The First Degree
Episode 410: Terrence Woods Jr.
On October 5, 2018, a 26-year-old man disappears while on a work assignment close to Orogrande, Idaho. The energetic, ambitious production assistant and…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: MOUNT SHASTA MYSTERY
Today is a bit of a medley episode, because there’s just so much to talk about. We’re hitting the headlines: FBI confirms the Nancy Guthrie ransom letters are…
- The First Degree
Episode 409: Paula & Brandon Wade
In October 2002, a 25-year-old mother is preparing to leave Valdosta, Georgia, with her 3-year-old son and move back home to be closer to family. She has…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: PETER THEIL’S SUPERVILLAIN LIST
We’ve got two very important topics to talk to you about today. One, hackers revealed Peter Theil’s “list”, aka the people who meet up in black cloaks at 3am…
- The First Degree
Episode 408: Deanna Merryfield
In July 1990, a 13-year-old girl disappears in the early hours after sneaking out to see her twin sister in Killeen, Texas. When she is reported missing…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: MISSING & MURDERED SCIENTISTS, PART 2
We are concluding our 2 part series on the missing and murdered scientists today, and it gets more bizarre the farther you fall down the rabbit hole. Why these…
- The First Degree
Episode 407: Jeremiah Aviles
In May 2023, an 18-year-old is preparing for graduation, planning for college, and looking forward to the future in Mesa, Arizona. But after spending the night…
- The First Degree
Presenting: The Final Hours with Sarah Turney and Kourtney Nichole
Today, we’re sharing a preview of The Final Hours, a true crime podcast from Crime House, powered by PAVE Studios. Hosted by Sarah Turney and Kourtney Nichole…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: A NEW BOMBSHELL HAS ENTERED THE VILLA
Get ready for another wild week of headlines. Did you ever submit your DNA to 23 and Me or Ancestry.com? Well, the CIA might be digging through yours right now…
- The First Degree
Episode 406: Simrit Gill
On the morning of February 1, 2008, a man calls his 20-year-old daughter in Charlotte, North Carolina after receiving a disturbing phone call urging him to…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: MISSING AND MURDERED SCIENTISTS
You asked for it….get ready for the ultimate deep dive digging into the over 13 missing and murdered scientists over the past few years. We are starting with…
- The First Degree
Episode 405: Amber Arnett
On June 23rd, 2023, a 39-year-old woman messages her mom asking if she can come to her home because she doesn’t feel safe where she is staying. Unfortunately…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: MACKENZIE SHIRILLA
Today we’re deep diving everything that the Netflix documentary The Crash missed about the Mackenzie Shirilla case. From scouting out LA modeling agencies…
- The First Degree
Episode 404: Sons Of Sam, Part 2
In episode 404, Jac and Alexis are joined by Josh Zeman for Part 2 of their coverage on the infamous Son of Sam murders—and the man whose relentless obsession…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: MEDIA GHOULS
What the hell even happened this week?! We’re diving into it all: Luigi Mangione updates, the James Charles x Gypsy Rose crossover you’d never expect, the…
- The First Degree
Episode 403: Sons Of Sam, Part 1
In the early hours of July 29th, 1976, an 18-year-old woman sits in her car outside her house chatting with a friend following a night out in New York City…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: EPSTEIN STILL DIDN’T KILL HIMSELF
It’s a bizarre variety show kind of week over here on the deep dive! We’re talking Epstein “suicide note”, Brittany Furlan x Ronnie Radke catfish scandal, Alex…
- The First Degree
Episode 402: Stephen Jacobo
In November 2022, an 18 year old attends a birthday celebration with his family before heading to a party with friends in Mesa, Arizona. Just hours later, in…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE
There is so much shit going on this week that we don’t even know where to begin. Starting off with updates on Blake vs Justin, D4VD, the Hantavirus (plssss not…
- The First Degree
Episode 401: Austin Kanuch
In September 2023, a 39-year-old man is attacked inside his home in the early morning hours while his family sleeps nearby. He is pronounced dead at the scene…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: GET HIM TO THE CREEP
This week we have updates on the DV4D case (an arrest has finally been made thank GOD), finding out who really built Zorro ranch, there’s somehow a second…
- The First Degree
Episode 400: Father Robert Hoeffner
On January 28th, 2024, a 76-year-old man and his 69-year-old sister are murdered at their home in Palm Bay, Florida. The killer flees, engaging the police in a…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: HALEY BECK, PART 2
Another week of crazy headlines awaits us including D4VD finally being arrested, Michael Jackson’s weird link to Epstein, and Gislaine Maxwell’s possible…
- The First Degree
Episode 399: Clayton Echard
You might know Clayton Echard as The Bachelor, but this time, he’s sitting down to tell his side of the story. In this special interview episode, we’re joined…
- The First Degree
Clayton Echard: The Story
You might know Clayton Echard as The Bachelor, but lately his name has been tied to something far messier: a viral paternity scandal filled with bold…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: HALEY BECK
We have found our new hyper fixation and it is the insane and unbelievable case of Haley Beck. We’re reading the police report, going through texts, and…