Overview of MFM Minisode 490
This minisode is a classic listener-story roundup from My Favorite Murder, with Georgia and Karen reacting to a mix of true crime, bizarre coincidence, family chaos, and uplifting queer history. The episode moves from chilling encounters with serial killer Dorothea Puente to a decades-old cold case, a disastrous dog-sitting injury, wild high school crime legends, a Britney Spears mall contest victory, and a Pride Month tribute to lesbian photojournalist Kay Lahusen.
Stories and Segments Covered
Dorothea Puente dinner party story
- A listener’s aunt, who worked as a dental assistant in Sacramento, became friendly with serial killer Dorothea Puente after frequent appointments.
- She even attended a dinner party at Puente’s house and noticed an empty plate for one of the tenants.
- Puente then opened a door and revealed a man passed out on a bed, casually saying he was “sleeping it off.”
- Years later, after Puente’s crimes were exposed, the aunt was subpoenaed and gave evidence to the DA.
- The hosts react to how unnervingly “normal” a murderer can seem in everyday life.
Solved cold case in Ohio
- In 1998, four teenagers found two suitcases off I-77 near Medina, Ohio containing dismembered human remains.
- The victim was unidentified for over 20 years until DNA technology identified him in 2023 as Lawrence A. Drotliff.
- Investigators then discovered his son, Larry Drotliff, had been fraudulently collecting his Social Security checks and claiming he had moved away.
- Larry later confessed he found his father dead, dismembered the body, and dumped the remains in suitcases along the highway.
- The listener’s stepdad recognized Larry from a documentary and realized he had unknowingly been giving him rides through recovery meetings.
Garbage dog / garbage dad story
- A family left their elderly parents in charge of their two-year-old golden retriever, Nellie, while they traveled.
- The narrator’s mom took the dog on a walk, got yanked down when Nellie chased wildlife, and broke her hip.
- She had left her phone behind, and no one could see her from the road until a neighbor found her.
- Meanwhile, the narrator’s dad apparently stayed home watching TV and didn’t notice for hours.
- The story becomes a cautionary tale about trusting a “garbage dog” and a “garbage dad” with caregiving duties.
Two outrageous Oregon high school crime stories
- DeAndre story: A very popular, charming student transferred to an Oregon high school from California, became a star student, joined student government, and even earned a solo at the Christmas concert.
- Then police burst into choir practice and arrested him because he was actually a 31-year-old fugitive and convicted felon, not a 17-year-old teen.
- He had attended the same school 15 years earlier and had returned because it was the happiest period of his life.
- Tom story: Another golden-boy student body president, athlete, and homecoming king was secretly committing armed robberies around town.
- He escaped to Mexico as a teenager and even spent time with classmates there during a graduation trip before eventually being caught after appearing on America’s Most Wanted.
- The hosts emphasize how absurdly cinematic both stories are.
Britney Spears mall contest win
- A listener’s mom entered a local radio contest for front-row tickets to Britney Spears’ Oops!... I Did It Again tour.
- Her prankster husband entered her name repeatedly behind her back.
- The mom had severe social anxiety, but she committed fully:
- thrifted a schoolgirl outfit,
- studied Britney’s choreography,
- and competed in a lip-sync battle at a mall stage built over a fountain.
- She beat out dozens of contestants, including drag queens, and won.
- She and her kids later sat front row at the Britney show, with the mom dancing the whole time.
- The story becomes a shoutout to moms who embarrass themselves for their kids’ dreams.
Pride Month tribute to Kay Lahusen
- A nursing student met a resident in assisted living who described herself as “a gay lady who takes pictures.”
- That resident turned out to be Kay Lahusen, widely recognized as the first openly lesbian American photojournalist.
- Kay worked with Barbara Giddings on The Ladder, a lesbian magazine, and pushed to replace bland, coded imagery with real lesbian faces on the cover.
- She later photographed activists, co-founded the Gay Activists Alliance, and fought to remove homosexuality from the DSM.
- Kay and Barbara shared a life together for 46 years; their ashes are interred in a bench engraved with “gay is good.”
- The listener credits Kay with helping her imagine a future growing old with a woman she loves.
Key Themes and Takeaways
- Ordinary settings can hide extraordinary darkness: dentists, dinner parties, school hallways, and recovery meetings all become places where shocking truths surface.
- Cold cases can still be solved: new DNA technology continues to reopen and crack cases that once seemed impossible.
- Family chaos is a recurring MFM genre: the dog-sitting disaster is both funny and grim, with a real injury caused by a well-meaning pet.
- High school legends can be stranger than fiction: the Oregon stories blur the line between teen drama and criminal thriller.
- Mom behavior can be heroic: the Britney contest story celebrates parents who push through fear for their kids.
- Queer history matters: Kay Lahusen’s story is a meaningful Pride Month reminder of the people who made LGBTQ+ visibility possible.
Notable Lines and Reactions
- Dorothea Puente’s line to a grieving dental assistant: “Everyone has to die sometime.”
- The hosts’ recurring joke that serial killers can still show up for normal adult errands like dental appointments.
- Their favorite kind of story: a case that starts with something absurdly cinematic, like suitcases on the side of a highway or a high school student who turns out to be a fugitive adult.
- Pride Month closing sentiment: “Gay is good.”
Overall Impression
This minisode is a strong mix of true crime, listener nostalgia, and heartfelt community storytelling. It captures what My Favorite Murder does best: finding humor and humanity in shocking stories, while also making space for meaningful history and deeply personal listener contributions.