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
Episode 398: The Last New Year’s Eve
On New Year’s Eve 2019, deputies respond to reports of gunfire at a quiet home outside Montgomery, Texas. Inside, a young mother has been shot multiple times…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: EPSTEIN, ALIENS, AND EVEREST
Epstein, aliens, and Everest, oh my! It’s a scam filled week over here at the Deep Dive, and we are exposing them all. From Mount Everest fraud, to alien…
- The First Degree
Episode 397: Jonathan Hoang
On the morning of March 31, 2025, a mother goes to wake her son for school and finds his room empty. He is 21 years old, autistic, and vulnerable, and his…
- The First Degree
EXCLUSIVE: THE HALEY BECK SCANDAL
*** BONUS EPISODE ALERT*** A disturbing scandal has surfaced in Peoria involving Centennial High School, where two female teachers from the same campus are…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: DISNEY ADULTS
We’re all over the place with this weeks deep dive! Starting off with the headlines: government bimbo fetishes, Lindsey Graham (who has no kids) waving around…
- The First Degree
Episode 396: They Never Stop
In February 2008, two trusted members of the Turlock, California community - a police officer and a teacher - are both accused of exploiting their positions to…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: PALM BEACH PETE
“I’m not Epstein, I’m Palm Beach Pete!” Or, at least that’s what Epstein’s new viral doppelgänger says. We deep dive this fascinating man on today’s episode…
- The First Degree
Heaven’s Gate Part 1 with Serial Killers & Murderous Minds
In this special true crime crossover, we joined Vanessa Richardson and forensic psychologist Dr. Tristin Engels on Serial Killers and Murderous Minds for a…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 7 (PLUS REBEL WILSON)
Another week, another handful of Epstein bombshells. We’re talking about the prison guard working during Epstein’s death being set to testify to congress…
- The First Degree
Episode 395: The Eleventh Gun
In early January 1985, a 20-year-old National Guardsman is on a training exercise in Henderson, Nevada. The ambitious and intelligent young man has a strong…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 6
Even though the world has seemingly moved on from Epstein, we refuse to stop talking about it. This week we are diving into the headlines of the week…
- The First Degree
Episode 394: Toby Beaugh
In February 2006, a newly married 29-year-old man is walking home from a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans when a black truck nearly strikes him and his…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 5
We’ve been pulled into a few different rabbit holes this week, and it’s yet again a crazy ass ride. First, we look into Epstein’s ties to the Interlochen…
- The First Degree
Episode 393: After The Crash
On October 29, 2010, a 50-year-old woman is shot at her home in Cresson Township, Pennsylvania. The same day, her college aged son is also involved in a car…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 4
Another week of chipping away at the iceberg. Today we’re diving into the Gislaine sighting in Canada, Bill Gates admitting to affairs with two Russian women…
- The First Degree
Episode 392: The Au Pair Catfish
On a quiet February morning in an upscale Virginia suburb, a 911 call shattered the quiet. An au pair reported an intruder. A federal agent said he fired his…
- The First Degree
TFD Special Episode: Introducing The Knife
Firsties, we are so excited to introduce you to an amazing true crime podcast hosted by some new friends to The First Degree, Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton. The…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 3
And we're back for round three... This week, we're diving into the latest updates surrounding the Epstein files, discussing the DOJ's recent release of…
- The First Degree
Episode 391: Danny Rex Harris
On October 26, 2007, a 55-year-old military veteran was found murdered in his home on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee. The family of the father of four was…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 2
This week we continue to chip away at the Epstein files, starting off with the top headlines of the week. We dive into bizarre code words throughout the files…
- The First Degree
Episode 390: Peggy Klinke, Part 2
After more than a year of stalking, threats, and repeated pleas for help, the danger in Peggy Klinke’s life reaches its breaking point. As the criminal case…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES
Where do we even begin? Over 3 million files and we are just at the tip pf the iceberg. This week we’re going over the biggest Epstein related headlines…
- The First Degree
Episode 389: Peggy Klinke, Part 1
In the late 1990s, a driven and bright woman builds a life in New Mexico, staying deeply connected to her family back in Ohio. But after meeting a man through…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: BLAKE VS JUSTIN (AND TAYLOR?)
You asked for it, you’ve got it. We are diving DEEP into all of the recently released documents in the Blake vs Justin saga, and we are going line by line…
- The First Degree
Episode 388: The Bird Creek Tragedy
On May 30, 2022, the body of a 40-year-old mother of three is found in a creek on the outskirts of Tulsa, Oklahoma. At first, it appears the woman has…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: BECKHAM FAMILY FEUD
We were graced by the Deep Dive gods this week with Brooklyn Beckham’s very public break up with his parents (including that BIZARRE wedding dance mention? We…
- The First Degree
Episode 387: Jonathan Gerlach
Today we’re stepping back to examine a case that has swept the nation — and shaken public trust in places meant to be sacred. At the center of it is Jonathan…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: STOP BULLYING ME!
Man, 2026 is off to a bizarre start. This week a group of people were locked up in jail for posting tweets about Brigitte Macron (yep, you can get arrested for…
- The First Degree
Episode 386: John Hinckley Jr.
On March 30, 1981, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, is just two months into his presidency when he attends a speaking engagement at the…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: HOW WILL MOMTOK SURVIVE THIS???
There’s a hell of a lot going on in the world right now, but we are hyper obsessing about Ashley Tisdale being booted from her mom group (it’s not an airport…
- The First Degree
Episode 385: Jason Marous
In January 2023, a 36-year-old man is found shot inside his vehicle outside his Fort Lauderdale apartment in the early morning hours. As detectives…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: NEW YEAR, SAME BULLSHIT
Happy 2026! It’s a new year but we are still obsessing over the same ole shit. We’re deep diving into the latest Epstein files, and why doesn’t anyone talk…
- The First Degree
Episode 384: The Crimes That Defined 2025
On this New Year’s installment of The First Degree, Jac and Lex take you through the crime stories that defined 2025. From trials that dominated Court TV to…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: BYE BYE 2025
It’s time to reflect on the past year and break down all of the celebrity scandals, cultural moments and conspiracies that shaped this year. We’re diving into…
- The First Degree
Episode 383: An Arrest & Murder Trial Abroad
This week, we are stepping outside our usual format to bring you a rare combination in true crime. First, we revisit a case we covered in episode 326. The 1981…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: RIP ROB REINER
This week we delve into the shocking events surrounding the tragic deaths of Rob and Michelle Reiner, exploring the complex family dynamics, and the chilling…
- The First Degree
Episode 382: Arthur J. Williams Jr., Part 2
In 2006, things come crashing down around Arthur ‘Art’ J Williams Jr. One of the country’s top counterfeiters, a skill he first learned in his teens, the law…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: DIDDY DEEP DIVE
The OG Diddy Deep Dive is back! Like everyone else in the world, we binged 50 Cent’s new Diddy doc and we have THOUGHTS. We are chatting about bombshells in…
- The First Degree
Episode 381: Arthur J. Williams Jr., Part 1
In 1999, a young US Secret Service special agent is assigned to the counterfeit squad in Chicago, Illinois. Aside from dignitary protection, one of the…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: RAGEBAIT
New photos of Epstein Island just dropped, and we’re going through them all including yet ANOTHER dentist office?? Plus, we deep dive into the craziest Epstein…
- The First Degree
Episode 380: Danielle Bell
In September 2001, a 14-year-old high school freshman fails to come home after a night out with friends in Cantonment, Florida. As detectives begin searching…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: EPSTEIN EMAILS
You asked for an Epstein deep dive, you’re getting an Epstein deep dive. We decided to sift through the headlines and find the bizarre and random celebs in the…
- The First Degree
Episode 379: True Crime Side Dishes
This Thanksgiving week, we’re switching things up. Instead of one deep dive, we’re hitting three breaking cases lighting up the headlines. We look at the…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: BETTER CALL KRIS
Tin foil hats ON this week, people because there’s a lot to talk about. D4VD is finally named a suspect by authorities, Blake Lively’s team doing weird shit…
- The First Degree
Episode 378: Thirteen Years Later
It began as a familiar face from high school, someone she once trusted. But over thirteen years, that connection twisted into something far darker. No matter…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: BRITNEY SPEARS & GEORGE BUSH SITTING IN A TREE
This week tin foil hats are ON BABY. We discuss the wild conspiracy theory that Britney Spears was a government asset to create diversions away from Bush’s…
- The First Degree
Episode 377: Taken Back
On October 12, 2023, a 25-year-old nursing student goes missing while on her lunch break in Macomb Township, Michigan. Her co-workers then receive a series of…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: PRINCE ANDREW NO MORE
In the least surprising news EVER, Prince Andrew has been stripped of his Prince title, but guess what? He must have some dirt on the royal family because…
- The First Degree
Episode 376: Kelly Bergh Dove
In the early morning hours of June 18, 1982, a 20-year-old mother vanishes from her night shift at a Harrisonburg, Virginia gas station, just moments after…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: BIG CANDY
It’s another week full of heists, weirdos, and conspiracy theories. George Clooney denies getting a BJ from Gislaine Maxwell, Lily Allen & the dude from…
- The First Degree
Episode 375: Sarah & Kayla Anderson
On August 5, 2022, the peacefulness of a close-knit neighborhood is shattered in Butler Township, Ohio. A 39-year-old man goes on an armed rampage, killing a…
- The First Degree
Introducing a chilling new podcast: TWISTED TALES WITH HEIDI WONG
Reality is the real horror. Every Monday, poet and paranormal obsessive Heidi Wong unearths the chilling true stories behind the world’s most terrifying…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: THE HEIST
It’s been a wild, crazy, and random week. We are breaking down all the details of the Louvre jewelry heist (so chic, right??), telling the insane story of a…
- The First Degree
Episode 374: Meghan Kiefer
In October 2021, a 27-year-old woman is rebuilding her life on Long Island after leaving an abusive relationship. She has a new job, a safe place to stay, and…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: ROMANTIC HOMICIDE
Oh boy we’ve got a lot to catch up on this week! We’re giving you all the latest updates on D4VD, including a full timeline of everything that has happened in…
- The First Degree
Episode 373: Joseph "Joby" Palczynski
On March 7, 2000, a terrifying crime spree unfolds in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. A 31-year-old man goes on a rampage, killing four people before…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: PSYCHIC MEDIUM JONATHAN MARK
This week on a very special Deep Dive, we are joined by psychic medium Jonathan Mark! We chat with him about why celebrities trust him to do their readings…
- The First Degree
Episode 372: The Hillside Stranglers, Part 2
The call from Washington changed everything. When Los Angeles detectives learned Kenneth Bianchi had been arrested for a double murder hundreds of miles away…
- The First Degree
DEEP DIVE: BAD WITCH CLUB
It’s officially soooky szn, and what better way to kick it off than with a PROFESSIONAL WITCH! It’s a super special Deep Dive with Sarah Potter: tarot reader…
- The First Degree
Episode 371: The Hillside Strangers, Part 1
In late 1977, Los Angeles was terrorized by a string of brutal murders that the press dubbed the work of the “Hillside Strangler.” Victims were found in public…