Overview of Rewind with Karen & Georgia - 81: Weapon Bush
This Rewind episode (originally My Favorite Murder episode 81, “Weapon Bush,” aired Aug 10, 2017) revisits the original show with fresh commentary. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark open with personal banter (dogs, sunburns, tour dates, listener concerns), address criticism about cultural insensitivity, then recap two long-form true‑crime stories: Peter Kürten (“The Vampire of Düsseldorf”) and Jeffrey McDonald (Fort Bragg family murders). Georgia frames McDonald’s case with both the canonical story he told and the alternate reconstruction based on forensic evidence.
Key takeaways
- Hosts reaffirm they listen to listeners’ criticisms about language and stereotyping and aim to improve — they identify as “flawed allies.”
- Karen retells Peter Kürten’s violent life: childhood abuse, escalation from animal cruelty to serial murder, letters/maps to police, and execution in 1931.
- Georgia covers the Jeffrey McDonald triple homicide (1970), explains McDonald’s “acid-head hippies” account, and lays out the forensic case that strongly suggests McDonald murdered his wife and daughters and staged the crime scene.
- Both stories highlight: the brutality of human violence, how media/moral panics shape narratives, and how investigative mistakes complicate truth-finding.
- As of Jan 2026, McDonald remains incarcerated; the case continues to attract debate and media coverage (e.g., FX’s A Wilderness of Error).
Episode recap
Intro, community notes, and tone
- Karen and Georgia begin with casual studio banter (dogs escaping, sunburns, burgers, roast-level humor).
- They respond to an article alleging elements of racism in earlier coverage: both express that they want to listen, learn, and correct mistakes (example: updating language from “prostitute” to “sex worker” after feedback).
- Several tour dates and live-show announcements are promoted (Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, U.S. dates).
- Frequent self-aware humor and meta-commentary about “rewind” format.
Karen’s story: Peter Kürten — “The Vampire of Düsseldorf”
- Background: Born 1883 into severe family dysfunction and abuse; adolescent cruelty to animals escalated into sexual violence and murder.
- Crimes: From juvenile killings (reported as accidental at the time) to a series of brutal murders, stabbings, and arsons across the 1910s–1920s in and around Düsseldorf.
- Modus and notoriety: Returned to scenes, sometimes revisited bodies, sent maps/letters to police; press labeled him “The Vampire of Düsseldorf” amid rumors he drank victims’ blood.
- Capture and confession: After mounting evidence and false confessions by others, Kürten confessed to many crimes (reportedly claimed dozens; some sources cite 79 acts).
- Outcome: Tried, convicted on multiple murder counts, and executed by guillotine in July 1931.
- Themes Karen highlights: childhood trauma, escalation from animal cruelty to serial killing, the psychopath’s compulsion to return to scenes and taunt authorities.
Georgia’s story: Jeffrey McDonald — Fort Bragg murders (1970)
- Official narrative McDonald gave: In the early morning of Feb 17, 1970, McDonald (an Army doctor and Green Beret) claimed four drug-crazed intruders (a Black man in fatigues, two white men, and a blonde woman carrying a candle) attacked his apartment, chanting “acid is groovy, kill the pigs.” McDonald said he was knocked out, awoke on the stairs, and found his wife Colette (pregnant) and daughters Kimberly (5) and Kristen (2) murdered; “pig” was written in blood on the headboard.
- Investigation complications: Crime scene contamination (many people trampled through), missing/destroyed evidence, a stolen wallet, lost footprints, and conflicting witness claims fueled confusion.
- Alternative/reconstructed case (Georgia’s forensic account, based largely on the researcher Philip Callahan and McDonaldcasefacts sources):
- Forensic traces (blood types, fiber distribution, wounds, and blood spatter) suggest a domestic altercation escalated into McDonald killing his family.
- Key points: differing blood types in each victim allowed room-to-room reconstruction; pajama fibers under victims contradict McDonald’s claim he’d used his pajama top to cover victims; wounds indicate surgical knowledge (targeted blows); the self-inflicted chest wound consistent with a chest‑tube incision location — suggesting staging to support his intruder story.
- Presence of an Esquire article disclosing the Sharon Tate/Manson-style “hippie” narrative may have offered a template to stage the scene.
- Prosecution & appeals:
- Initial charges dropped for lack of evidence, after which McDonald briefly gained public sympathy and TV appearances.
- CID reinvestigation led to indictment (1974–75) and conviction for all three murders; he remains incarcerated, has continued appeals, and has never admitted guilt (so won’t apply for parole).
- As of Jan 2026 the U.S. courts have repeatedly rejected his challenges; the case remains controversial and heavily debated.
- Media/coverage: FX’s 2020 doc A Wilderness of Error revisits the case; other podcasts and writers debate the evidence both for and against McDonald’s guilt.
Themes and context highlighted by the hosts
- How childhood trauma, social environment, and personality (psychopathy, sadism) can shape violent trajectories (Kürten).
- The tension between forensic evidence and storytelling: staged scenes, media narratives, and sloppy investigations can mislead public opinion (McDonald).
- Responsibility in true‑crime storytelling: hosts discuss the duty to listen to marginalized critics, avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes, and evolve language based on feedback.
- Popular culture’s role in shaping suspects and alibis — the Tate/Manson murders influenced public fantasies and may have been used as a model for staging crimes.
Notable quotes & moments
- Hosts on community feedback: “We are listening… we are your allies — flawed allies — that are doing their best.”
- Repeated comedic/foreshadowing bits: “Weapon Bush” (the joke name for where McDonald allegedly dumped weapons — becomes the episode title) and the recurring “Stay sexy. Don’t get murdered.” sign‑off.
- Georgia’s reconstruction takeaway: forensic minutiae (blood types, fibers, wound positions) can dramatically change how a crime is understood.
Further resources & recommended follow-ups
- Biography.com — Peter Kürten profile (good starting point for Kürten’s life and crimes).
- McDonaldcasefacts.com (Philip Callahan) — detailed room‑by‑room forensic reconstruction and evidence catalog for the McDonald case.
- A Wilderness of Error (FX, 2020) — documentary series revisiting the McDonald case and legal controversies.
- Generation Why podcast — episode(s) covering McDonald with a forensic/legal focus (recommended for a point‑by‑point breakdown).
- MyFavoriteMurder.com/live — for original tour dates and live-show links (hosts referenced in episode).
Action items (if you want to dig deeper)
- Read the detailed forensic reconstructions (Philip Callahan / McDonaldcasefacts) alongside court transcripts and DO J statements to see how evidence and legal decisions diverge.
- Watch FX’s A Wilderness of Error to review modern documentary perspectives.
- If you’re a regular listener, note how Karen & Georgia emphasize responsiveness to community feedback — expect evolving language and corrections in their archives.
Stay concise: this episode blends conversational banter, cultural commentary about responsibility in true crime, and two very different murder narratives — an early‑20th‑century European serial killer (Kürten) and a messy, contested modern American family homicide (McDonald) where forensic detail makes the strongest case.