Echoes
Season 1
He Killed His Family, Then Went to a Football Game
I KILLED MY TWIN SISTER WHILE SLEEPWALKING
The Fourth World: Inside the Deadly Fantasy of Parker and Hulme
by Raune
In the quiet town of Duncan, Oklahoma, the Hruby family was the picture of success. John Hruby was the respected publisher of the local newspaper, and his family was beloved by the community. But behind the perfect facade, their 19-year-old son, Alan, was living a secret life fueled by debt, greed, and an insatiable desire for luxury. In October 2014, that secret life exploded into an act of unimaginable violence. Alan Hruby methodically murdered his father, mother, and 17-year-old sister. His motive? To cash in on his inheritance and pay off a loan shark. What he did in the days immediately following the murders is just as chilling as the crime itself.
In the dead of night, 17-year-old Benjamin Elliott made a frantic 911 call with a chilling confession: "I just killed my sister." His next words would create a mystery that baffled investigators and tore a family apart: "I thought it was a dream." This is the tragic and perplexing story of Benjamin and Meghan Elliott, inseparable twins whose bond was shattered by an act of unimaginable violence. With no motive, no history of conflict, and a family left reeling, Benjamin's defense presented one of the rarest arguments in legal history: homicidal sleepwalking. They claimed a sleep disorder called parasomnia caused him to commit a horrific act while completely unconscious. Was Benjamin Elliott a cold-blooded killer with a convenient excuse, or was he the victim of a profound mental malfunction—a nightmare that bled into reality?
Juliet Hulme, shared an intense and imaginative friendship.1 They created their own elaborate fantasy world, a paradise they called "The Fourth World," complete with its own religion and moral code.2 But when their parents threatened to separate them, this fantasy world collided with reality in the most brutal way imaginable. On June 22, 1954, the girls lured Pauline's mother, Honorah Rieper, to a secluded path in Victoria Park and bludgeoned her to death with a brick wrapped in a stocking.3 The crime was not a spontaneous act of rage but a premeditated murder, planned to remove the one person they saw as an obstacle to their life together. Join us as we delve into the sensational case that shocked a nation. We'll explore the girls' complex relationship, which some at the time speculated was a lesbian romance, a factor that fueled the media frenzy. We will examine the contents of Pauline's diary, which provided a chilling account of their plans and motivations. We'll also discuss the trial, where the defense argued insanity, claiming the girls were suffering from a shared delusion or "folie à deux." Finally, we will uncover the surprising second acts of their lives. After serving just five years in prison, both women were released, changed their names, and disappeared from the public eye.3 One became a reclusive horse-riding instructor, while the other, under the name Anne Perry, became a world-renowned, best-selling author of crime novels.
A quiet street. A fleeing SUV. In her hand, a plastic bag with a cheeseburger and a receipt—time‑stamped at 2:33 AM. In this episode, we follow the haunting case of 20‑year‑old model and TV talent Julie Ann “Jaja” Rodelas, abducted just after midnight along Macapagal Blvd in Pasay City in 2012 and found hours later in Cubao, Quezon City. One small clue—the receipt—becomes the breadcrumb that unravels a web of jealousy, betrayal, and a plan that spun out of control. We trace the investigation from CCTV at a UN Avenue fast‑food branch to a black SUV, to arrests made within days, and the courtroom journey that stretched for more than a decade, culminating in a 2024 verdict. This is a faceless, non‑graphic, story‑driven episode designed for all ages, focusing on the investigation, the relationships at the heart of the case, and how tiny details can speak louder than words. Content note: discussed themes include kidnapping and murder (non‑graphic). If you or someone you know is in danger, contact local authorities.