Hard Times and True Crimes
Hard Times and True Crimes
Listen to two Southern, Christian women tell each other historical true crime stories.
Choose your favorite podcast player

Recent Episodes

View all
July 23, 2025

A Crime, A Conversion, A Controversy: The Karla Faye Tucker Case

A Crime, A Conversion, A Controversy: The Karla Faye Tucker Case

In 1983, brutal double homicide in Houston, Texas shocked the public—not just because of the violence, but because of who was eventually held responsible. Karla Faye Tucker, a 23-year-old woman with a troubled past, quickly became one of the most controversial figures in modern true crime history. But this isn’t just a story about murder. It’s about transformation. It’s about a young woman who claimed to find God behind bars. It’s about a justice system unprepared for the public outcry that followed. And it’s about the power—and limits—of redemption in the face of execution.

View more
July 16, 2025

MINI Episode - A Supernatural Turn in the Welch Family Case

MINI Episode - A Supernatural Turn in the Welch Family Case
View more
July 8, 2025

105. North Carolina's First Serial Killer: The Chilling Confession of Asbury Respus

105. North Carolina's First Serial Killer: The Chilling Confession of Asbury Respus
View more
June 25, 2025

104. Burned Alive: The Martyrdom of Graham Staines and His Sons in India

104. Burned Alive: The Martyrdom of Graham Staines and His Sons in India

In this gripping true crime episode, we explore the harrowing and heartbreaking story of Graham Staines, an Australian missionary who was burned alive along with his two young sons by a radical mob in Odisha, India, in 1999.  Even in the face of horrific violence, forgiveness and faith can speak louder than hate.

View more
June 10, 2025

103. Moonshine and Murder in the Smoky Mountains: The Perry’s Camp Murders of 1949

103. Moonshine and Murder in the Smoky Mountains: The Perry’s Camp Murders of 1949
View more
May 28, 2025

102. Murder On Route 66: The Welch Family Tragedy

102. Murder On Route 66: The Welch Family Tragedy

There is an UPDATE on this story, which we recorded as a bonus/MINI episode. It is linked below in the show notes. In June 1961, JD and Utha Welch packed up their car, their four young sons, and headed west from Oklahoma to visit family in California. It was supposed to be a simple road trip — a summer memory in the making. But one quiet night near Seligman, Arizona, while the boys slept in a canvas pup tent, JD and Utha were gunned down in cold blood as they rested in their car. The boys woke up as orphans. In this tragic episode, we explore the mysterious murders that shattered a family on the side of Route 66 — and the long road to identifying James Abner Bentley, a violent drifter with a chilling trail of crimes behind him. We unravel the investigation, the break in the case, and why — despite compelling evidence — Bentley was never tried for the Welch murders. Featuring quotes from those who knew the case best, courtroom drama, and the shocking behavior of Bentley during his sanity trial, this episode dives deep into a brutal killing that’s been overshadowed by time — and the four boys who survived it.

View more
May 13, 2025

101. Boy in the Walls: The Daniel LaPlante Horror Story

101. Boy in the Walls: The Daniel LaPlante Horror Story

Show Notes: In 1986, Tina and Karen Bowen were just teenage girls when their mother passed away from cancer. Not long after, strange things started happening in their home. Knocking from inside the walls. Furniture moved. Objects disappeared. Messages scrawled in red across the bedroom walls: 💬 “I’m in your room. Come and find me.” The girls thought maybe—just maybe—it was their mother trying to reach them from beyond. But what they were dealing with wasn’t a ghost. It was a monster. Daniel L...

View more
April 30, 2025

100. The Pied Piper of Tucson: Charles Schmid's Deadly Reign Over 1960s Arizona

100. The Pied Piper of Tucson: Charles Schmid's Deadly Reign Over 1960s Arizona
View more
April 15, 2025

99. A Deadly Obsession: The Murder Of Olga Duncan

99. A Deadly Obsession: The Murder Of Olga Duncan

📍 Episode Summary: In 1958, 30-year-old nurse Olga Duncan vanished from her Santa Barbara apartment. She was newly married, seven months pregnant, and full of hope for the future. But what no one could’ve imagined was that the person behind her disappearance wasn’t a stranger… it was someone much closer to home. This week on Hard Times & True Crimes, we tell the heartbreaking story of Olga Duncan — and the chilling, manipulative woman who plotted her murder: her mother-in-law, Elizabeth...

View more
April 2, 2025

98. The Doctor's Wife: A Searcy, Arkansas Murder Story

98. The Doctor's Wife: A Searcy, Arkansas Murder Story
View more
View all Episodes

Recent Blog Posts

The Tragedy of The Donner Party
Aug. 14, 2024

The Tragedy of The Donner Party

On our latest episode we tell about a tragic event in the history of westward expansion. The Donner Party, named for brothers George and Jacob Donner, and included the James Reed family, made some vital mistakes as they took their families across th…

Read the Blog Post
View all posts

About the Hosts

Melody Gwyn Profile Photo

Melody Gwyn

Melody, married to Tim for over three decades, has spent the bulk of her parenting years homeschooling her five children, while simultaneously working a side hustle or two. She became interested in true crime as a teen after discovering a local author's books at the library. Her love of reading, writing, and murder mysteries converged when she met Darlene and they discovered their mutual desire to produce a podcast telling true crime stories. Since she is the "Type-A" personality in the partnership, she takes care of the filing, back-ups, and techie stuff. This also involves trying to keep Darlene organized and on track while they try out her rather creative and impressive ideas.

Darlene Hildreth Profile Photo

Darlene Hildreth

Darlene loves Southern culture, history and a good story! For her fifteenth birthday, her G-pa gifted her an Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. She owes her fascination of psychology, true crime and fear of the dark to him.

Darlene has been married to her husband ( the narrator) for twenty-five years. They have four children together. They've spent the majority of the past twenty-six years homeschooling and learning how to parent. Just as they were getting the parenting thing figured out, three of the four grew up. This year Curtis and Darlene were blessed with two daughters-in-law and their first grand baby.

Darlene is a true-crime podcast fan as well. As much as she loves to hear good stories, she loves to tell them! Hosting and creating this podcast is a dream come true for her.

Reviews

Lawson family

"Just listened to episode 1. I am a NC native, but had never heard this story before, and I did not know there was a town in NC named "Lawsonville". I am very curious about the song. I am glad you …"

Gary Gaskins | Dec. 23, 2022

Great for the Commute

"I have really enjoyed listening to the Hard Times and True Crimes podcasts on my drives to and from work. I occasionally have to take a detour to give an episode time to finish! I really appreciate…"

Ricky Allred | May 15, 2023

Great true crime podcast

"I just found these two wonderful ladies a couple days ago and I am HOOKED!!! Keep doing a great job ladies!! I absolutely love you podcast"

ellarias mama | June 20, 2023

Hard Times and True Crimes

"You’re uncovering buried stories of hardships and crime reminding us how they often go together. If history is forgotten it will surely be repeated. Ambition and death are alike. Neither one is ever …"

Christinme! | July 9, 2023

So interesting.

"I really love how they tell these stories, to each other and bring us listener in. I'm hooked and now a big fan .can't wait for the next episode"

Timmy | Aug. 6, 2023

Loving It!

"I am enjoying listening to these true crime stories. I have not really listened to podcasts until now. Keep up the great work!"

Fivepowells | July 14, 2024

Excellent stories and presentations.

"I’ve listen to parts of podcasts on YouTube. Never subscribed until now. I’m from Forsyth county. I enjoyed the most recent story about the death of a young woman and execution of her killer in Winst…"

Jim Canter | Aug. 2, 2024

Just an NC girl, living in a True Crime World

"I LOVE this podcast. As a born and bto toar Heel girl, hearing the cases that took place here really pull me in and I feel like I am there. I love hearing the cases from surrounding states as well, i…"

Dancepink09 | Feb. 6, 2025

Mayberry's Dark Day: The 1951 Mt. Airy Bombing

"I really enjoyed this episode. I thought that I knew a lot of the history of Mount Airy, North Carolina. But, I was not aware of this story. I downloaded it to keep with all of my many own memories/s…"

Scott'sLaptop | Jan. 23, 2025

Amazing True Crime Podcast!

"As a lifelong NC girl, it warms my heart to see some fellow NC ladies create such an amazing true crime podcast. I get so excited when I see new episodes based in north carolina. Top notch story t…"

Michelle | Feb. 14, 2025
See all reviews