Overview of Rewind with Karen & Georgia - 107: Live At The Revolving Stage at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix
This Rewind episode revisits a legendary live show from February 8, 2018 at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre, where the rotating stage creates plenty of chaotic, funny banter before the hosts dive into two Arizona true-crime cases: the 1931 “trunk murders” of Winnie Ruth Judd and the Jodi Arias murder trial. The episode closes with a hometown crime story about a border militia-related double murder in Arizona, plus modern updates on all three stories.
Live Show Energy and Opening Banter
The intro is mostly a celebration of how bizarre the venue was:
- Karen and Georgia joke about being disoriented by the revolving stage.
- They riff on:
- performing “in the round”
- having to keep turning to face the crowd
- bad hair, stage fright, and sore ankles
- hotel chaos and post-show adrenaline
- They also repeatedly marvel at the audience and the absurdity of doing a live true-crime/comedy show on a spinning platform.
Winnie Ruth Judd and the Phoenix “Trunk Murders”
Georgia tells the story of Winnie Ruth Judd, convicted in the 1931 Phoenix “trunk murders.”
Core facts
- Ruth Judd, originally from Indiana, moved to Phoenix as an adult.
- She became involved with John J. “Happy Jack” Halloran, a wealthy married businessman.
- She also lived with two women:
- Agnes Ann LeRoy
- Hedvig Samuelson (“Sammy”)
- After a fight, Judd shot both women.
- The bodies were dismembered and placed in trunks and bags before being sent by train to Los Angeles.
What happened next
- Train staff noticed leaking fluids and a terrible smell.
- Police discovered the bodies in the trunks.
- Judd was later found with a gunshot wound in her hand, which she claimed was from self-defense.
- She was convicted, sentenced to hang, later declared mentally incompetent, and sent to the Arizona State Hospital.
- She escaped multiple times over the years, eventually living in California under a fake name.
- A later confession letter allegedly in her handwriting said she acted alone, though the case still carries an air of uncertainty.
Why the case stands out
- It became a sensational national scandal.
- The episode leans into the absurdity and grimness of the case simultaneously.
- Karen and Georgia note how much local Phoenix lore still surrounds it.
Jodi Arias Case
Karen covers the highly publicized murder of Travis Alexander by Jodi Arias.
Background
- Travis Alexander met Jodi Arias at a work conference in 2006.
- Their relationship became intense, secretive, and volatile.
- The episode emphasizes:
- constant emails and contact
- Jodi’s possessiveness
- her growing obsession with him
- her attempts to integrate herself into his life
The murder
- In June 2008, friends found Travis dead in his shower after he failed to show up for a planned Cancun trip.
- He had been:
- stabbed 27 times
- had his throat slit
- been shot in the head
- The crime scene and digital evidence were overwhelming:
- blood in the bathroom
- palm print on the wall
- camera photos placing Jodi at the scene
- DNA and fingerprint matches
- evidence of gas cans and cross-state travel
Trial and aftermath
- Jodi initially claimed a home invasion.
- Her story later changed to self-defense.
- She was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
- The episode highlights how the case became a media obsession and a cultural spectacle.
- Karen notes the public fascination with the mix of sex, religion, jealousy, and violence.
Hometown Story: Arizona Border Militia Murders
A listener shares a hometown crime story involving Shauna Ford and a border militia in Arizona.
The case
- Shauna Ford was involved with a self-styled militia near the Arizona border.
- After being deemed too extreme by one militia, she formed her own group with:
- Jason Bush
- Albert Gaxiola
- The group planned robberies of immigrant households, assuming they’d find drugs and that victims wouldn’t report the crimes.
- They broke into the home of Gina and Raul Flores and murdered them.
- When their 9-year-old daughter Brisenia Flores began crying, they killed her too.
Outcome
- Gina survived long enough to call 911 and identify the attackers.
- Bush, Gaxiola, and Ford were arrested and prosecuted.
- Bush ultimately received death sentences tied to the murders.
- Ford was also sent to death row.
Updates Mentioned in the Rewind
Winnie Ruth Judd
- In 2024:
- Phoenix Theatre Company premiered a play, The Truth About Winnie Ruth Judd.
- Arizona author Laurie Notaro published The Murderess, a deep-dive book on the case.
Jodi Arias
- In 2020, her conviction and life sentence were upheld.
- She reportedly maintains a prison Substack called Just Jodi.
- A Lifetime film, Bad Behind Bars: Jodi Arias, revisited the story from the perspective of fellow inmates.
- In 2025, a documentary titled Obsessed: Unraveling Jodi Arias premiered.
Shauna Ford / Jason Bush
- Their convictions and death sentences were upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court in 2018.
- A&E later covered Ford in Women on Death Row in 2023.
Notable Themes and Takeaways
- Live-show chaos is part of the charm: the revolving stage becomes a running joke and an unforgettable backdrop.
- Arizona crime stories hit hard: all three stories are deeply tied to Phoenix or broader Arizona history.
- Obsession and control are central to both major cases:
- Winnie Ruth Judd’s social entanglements and cover-up
- Jodi Arias’s escalating possessiveness
- The audience contributes to the show’s energy, especially during the hometown story, where the crowd reaction becomes part of the performance.
Memorable Lines / Running Bits
- “One whole rotation”
- “Upper legs” — a joking correction that becomes its own bit
- The hosts repeatedly laugh at how impossible it is to stay oriented on the spinning stage
- Karen and Georgia both reflect that the Phoenix show was one of the most memorable live recordings they’ve done