Overview of 518 - Live at the San Diego Civic Theatre (San Diego Night 1)
This is a live episode of My Favorite Murder (Exactly Right / iHeartPodcasts) recorded in San Diego. Hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark open with audience banter, sponsor reads, and personal anecdotes, then tell two long-form true‑crime history stories: the rise, disappearance and legacy of evangelist Sister Amy Semple McPherson; and the undercover U.S. Fish & Wildlife investigation into butterfly smuggler Yoshi Kojima (anchored by Special Agent Ed Newcomer). The show closes with a hometown submission from an audience member and standard outro/credits.
Key segments & summaries
Opening & host banter
- Sponsors and ads read (Hyundai, Baja Mar, Talkspace, SimpliSafe, Squarespace, etc.).
- Light, comedic front‑stage banter: tour/airport anecdotes, wardrobe/brooch mishap, hotel mirror lighting, a tiny table on stage, and the hosts’ mission statement for the show: they’re a true‑crime comedy podcast, they don’t think murder itself is funny, but use humor as a coping mechanism.
- Hosts emphasize that hometown stories are real surprises for each other and staff.
Story 1 — Sister Amy Semple McPherson (told by Georgia)
- Amy Semple McPherson: born 1890 in Ontario; became a charismatic Pentecostal evangelist and faith‑healer; worked in tent revivals, then in Southern California.
- Built Angelus Temple in Echo Park (opened 1923); attracted huge crowds (tens of thousands) and celebrities; early radio evangelist with her own broadcast station.
- Her theatrical style (props/costumes/faith healings) made her hugely popular but also controversial; she carried out charity work (food distribution, clothing banks).
- Disappearance (May 18, 1926): vanished after a swim at Venice Beach; widely believed drowned; massive searches and grief.
- Reappearance (June 23, 1926): found in Agua Prieta, Mexico; claimed she’d been kidnapped and held in a desert shack. Media and followers celebrated her “miraculous” return.
- Controversy and investigation: District Attorney Asa Keyes convened a grand jury; many suspected the whole event was a publicity stunt or a cover for an affair with radio engineer Kenneth Ormiston. Case dropped for lack of evidence; alternate theories included possible involvement by her mother.
- Later life & death: continued ministry, humanitarian work through the Depression, struggles with sleep and pills; died in 1944 of an accidental overdose (barbiturate). Her International Church of the Foursquare Gospel remains active and Angelus Temple still stands.
Main takeaway: McPherson was a pioneering, theatrical female evangelist who blended spectacle, mass media and charity—her 1926 disappearance remains debated (kidnapping vs. staged abduction vs. cover for romance), and her legacy mixes scandal and sustained social good.
Story 2 — The Butterfly Smuggler & Special Agent Ed Newcomer (told by Karen)
- Setting: LA Natural History Museum Bug Fair (2003 and 2006). Black‑market trade in rare, protected butterflies is lucrative.
- Key figures: Yoshi Kojima (notorious butterfly dealer—“Indiana Jones of Butterflies”), and Special Agent Ed Newcomer (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), who goes undercover as “Ted Nelson.”
- Initial 2003 undercover contact: newcomer meets Yoshi at the fair; an informant is unreliable but Ed establishes rapport, gets Yoshi’s contact info and a sample (13 mounted butterflies).
- Investigation tactics: Ed builds a persona, exchanges emails/Skype calls, arranges meetings, collects recordings, and tries to coax illegal transactions as evidence.
- Complications: early attempts stall; Yoshi is cautious and even tips off authorities at one point. Ed briefly steps away (takes other cases).
- Breakthrough (2006): renewed contact results in Yoshi shipping around 40 butterflies (including two protected Queen Alexandra’s birdwings) to “Ted Nelson” — enough physical evidence plus recorded admissions.
- Arrest & aftermath: Yoshi is arrested in Los Angeles (2006), pleads guilty to multiple counts (17 counts), sentenced (21 months) and fined; returned to Japan. Ed later uses his career to pursue other wildlife trafficking cases (including a jaguar cub/OnlyFans seller case referenced as his final case before retirement).
- Human complication: Ed later acknowledges manipulating Yoshi’s romantic/sexual interest in order to recruit/get evidence — a morally fraught sting element described as a sad/costly part of the operation.
Main takeaway: the story shows an unusual but persistent form of wildlife trafficking—rare butterflies can command huge sums—and the moral complexity of undercover operations that exploit personal relationships to obtain convictions.
Notable moments & audience interactions
- Opening line reminding audience: “We don’t think murder is funny. We just think we’re funny.”
- Stage mishaps and live elements: tiny table surprise, brooch that broke backstage, heavy fog machine, and real-time audience signs (e.g., requests for a “herky”).
- Emotional hometown segment: audience member Jennifer recollected a local 1983 murder of a young woman (Anna Marie) — a somber real‑life testimony live onstage.
- Recurring MFM sign‑offs and community emphasis: “please stay sexy and don’t get hurt!”; thanks to the Murderino community.
Sponsors, promo codes & links (as read on episode)
- Talkspace: go to Talkspace / MFM and enter promo code SPACE80 for $80 off first month. (spoken: “Talkspace slash MFM and enter promo code SPACE80”)
- SimpliSafe: 50% off new system with professional monitoring at simplisafe.com/fav (spoken: simplisafe.com slash fav).
- Squarespace: free trial at squarespace.com/murder; use code MURDER to save 10% at purchase.
- HungryRoot: HungryRoot.com/mfm and use code MFM for 40% off first box + a free item for life.
- Gruen’s (greens gummies): use code MFM for up to 45% off.
- Other sponsors mentioned (no codes given): Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, Baja Mar, Pandora. (If you plan to click or visit, use the exact paths as read: talkspace / MFM, simplisafe.com slash fav, squarespace.com slash murder, HungryRoot.com slash MFM.)
Sources & further listening / reading referenced in the episode
- On Amy Semple McPherson:
- Claire Hoffman — Sister Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Amy Semple McPherson (book)
- PBS American Experience — “Sister Amy” (documentary episode)
- On Yoshi Kojima & butterfly smuggling:
- Jessica Speart — Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World’s Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler (book)
- Criminal podcast — Episode 305, “The Butterfly Smuggler”
- Special Agent Ed Newcomer — Nature’s Secret Service (his podcast / interviews)
- My Favorite Murder: the show’s contact: myfavoritemurder@gmail.com; Instagram: @myfavoritemurder.
Action items / practical links
- Email hometown stories: myfavoritemurder@gmail.com (hosts read hometowns live).
- Follow/show: Instagram @myfavoritemurder; My Favorite Murder on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, or your podcast app.
- Read/watch primary sources above for deeper research into Sister Amy and the butterfly smuggling case.
Final takeaways
- This live episode balances humor, audience energy, and two carefully told historical crime narratives—one centering on a pioneering and controversial religious figure whose disappearance remains ambiguous; the other on a niche but globally consequential wildlife‑trafficking investigation led by a rookie federal agent.
- The hosts repeatedly stress community and self‑care (their signature “stay sexy, don’t get hurt” ethos) while acknowledging the complicated ethics and emotional weight behind the stories they cover.