Foul Play: Crime Series

• S36 Ep4: Serial Killers in History – The Foundling Wheel Killer

  Quick Synopsis (appears in most podcast apps)In 1772 Portugal, an 18-year-old caregiver named Luísa de Jesus turned the era’s child-welfare “foundling wheel” into a murderous money scheme. Before authorities intervened, at least 33 abandoned infants lay buried on Monte Arroio or hidden beneath her cottage floorboards. We expose the systemic cracks, the killer’s psychology, and the reforms her crimes set in motion. Episode Breakdown00:00 Opening scene on Monte Arroio04:15 How foundling wheels worked—and failed09:02 Luísa’s early life & public façade15:30 The money trail: 600 réis per child22:47 Forensic discoveries: graves & hidden clay pots30:18 Confession to 28 murders36:55 Trial, garrote, and public execution43:20 Child-welfare reforms that followed48:05 Today’s take-aways on safeguarding the vulnerableWhy This Case Still ResonatesFirst female serial killer executed in Portugal—and the last woman ever put to death there.Exposed lethal flaws in 18th-century child-protection policy, triggering nationwide reform.Challenges myths that women “only poison”; Luísa strangled newborns for profit.A cautionary tale of how financial incentives plus lax oversight can weaponize charity.Fast FactsYears active: 1771–1772Confirmed victims: 33 infants (one child remains unaccounted for) Method: Strangulation or suffocation within days of state payoutMotive: Collecting stipends meant for wet nursesSentence: Hands severed, garroted; body burned, ashes scattered (1 July 1772)Sources & Further ReadingNational Archives, “Casa da Roda” foundling-wheel records, 1760-1775António Barata, Infanticídio e Justiça em Portugal Setecentista (2018)Royal Chancellery of Coimbra trial transcripts, 1772–1773Stay ConnectedFollow & subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred app.Rate & review—it helps other ethical true-crime fans find us.SEO KeywordsLuísa de Jesus, Foundling Wheel Killer, Coimbra infanticide, 18th-century serial killer, female serial killer history, child-welfare reform, Foul Play podcastMyths & Malice illuminates truth with empathy. Thank you for listening.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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• S36 Ep3: Serial Killers in History – The Mad Master of Jamaica

  In the 18th century paradise of Jamaica, Lewis Hutchinson, an immigrant from Scotland, became the island's first documented serial killer.Known as the Mad Master of Edinburgh Castle, Hutchinson's strategic property in Saint Ann Parish became a deathtrap for wealthy travellers. He would invite them into his home or shoot them from his gunports, dispose of their bodies in underground chambers, and proudly display their possessions.His reign of terror ultimately resulted in a manhunt, arrest, and a sensational trial that exposed the flaws in colonial law enforcement. Hutchinson was sentenced to death in 1773, leaving a dark legacy in Jamaican history.Support the Show:Enjoying the series? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite platform. Share with fellow history buffs and true crime fans—evil wears many faces, but together we shine the light on the darkest corners of the past.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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• S36 Ep2: Serial Killers in History – Catherine Monvoisin: The Affair of the Poisons

  Beneath the chandeliers of Louis XIV’s Versailles, whispers of love and ambition turned lethal. Episode 2 of Serial Killers in History chronicles Catherine Monvoisin—La Voisin—the fortune-teller whose poison ring ensnared France’s elite and sparked the explosive Affair of the Poisons.In this episode:How a Parisian herbalist built a criminal empire of black masses and murder-for-hireThe secret pact with Madame de Montespan, the King’s mistress, to keep royal affection at any costGabriel de La Reynie’s investigation that unmasked 17th-century high-society corruptionThe Chambre ardente: France’s first special court for poison and witchcraft—and the 36 deaths it orderedWhy La Voisin’s trial signaled the twilight of witchcraft fear and the dawn of Enlightenment scepticism🔎  itsfoulplay.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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• S36 Ep1: Serial Killers in History – Locusta of Gaul: Rome’s Imperial Poisoner

  Poison seeped through the marble corridors of ancient Rome—and one woman mixed every drop. In the Season 36 opener of Serial Killers in History, we track Locusta of Gaul, the herbalist-turned-assassin who helped Emperor Nero carve a blood-stained path to power.What you’ll hear:How a captive chemist became the world’s first documented serial killerDeadly dinners: the mushroom that felled Emperor Claudius and the draught that doomed BritannicusThe Senate’s panic and the birth of Rome’s anti-poison lawsModern forensic insights that finally decode Locusta’s toxic recipesStay to the end for a teaser of Episode 2—Paris’s infamous Affair of the Poisons.🔍 Visit us online: http://foulplaypodcast.com/locusta🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your true crime fix.#FoulPlayPodcast #SerialKillersInHistory #LocustaOfGaul #TrueCrime #HistoryNerdSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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• S35 Ep4: The Chia Children - Evidence

  In the final episode of our series on Charles and Jennifer Chia, we examine the known evidence and unanswered questions that continue to surround their tragic case. With insight from retired detectives Allan Fox and Ron Dreher, we revisit the timeline, key suspects, and overlooked details from the original 1989 investigation. From a mysterious ransom call to a suspicious shovel found near the burial site, every piece of information could be vital. If you remember anything—no matter how small—please come forward. This is a haunting, unsolved murder of two children that still cries out for justice.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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