Overview of Rewind with Karen & Georgia - 110: Live at the Palace Theatre in Columbus
This Rewind episode revisits a live My Favorite Murder show from March 1, 2018 at the Palace Theatre in Columbus, Ohio. Karen and Georgia reflect on the energy of the live audience, share behind-the-scenes memories from their Columbus trip, and then replay the original episode’s two main crime stories: the serial killer Donald Harvey and the still-mysterious Circleville letter writer. The episode closes with a local hometown story from an audience member about her biological father being suspected in a college murder case.
Live Show Opening and Columbus Banter
The episode opens with playful live-show crowd work and backstage jokes, including:
- The theater’s old vaudeville history and imagined “poodles in ballet costumes”
- A running gag about Columbus being “Flavortown” and Guy Fieri
- Stories about a vintage shop visit, Flower Child Vintage, which Karen and Georgia loved
- A memorable anecdote about Karen accidentally opening a stranger’s purse at the meet-and-greet
- Light teasing about the sound system, security, and the live audience vibe
The hosts emphasize that live shows feel most fun when they’ve spent time in the city beforehand and connected with local fans.
True Crime Story: Donald Harvey, “The Angel of Death”
Georgia’s first major story is about Donald Harvey, one of the most prolific hospital serial killers in U.S. history.
Core facts
- Harvey was active for years in Ohio hospitals, especially in Cincinnati
- He worked unsupervised in hospital settings and used his access to poison and suffocate patients
- Methods included:
- cyanide and arsenic poisoning
- suffocation with plastic bags and towels
- tampering with oxygen and IV lines
- other deliberate medical sabotage
Background and warning signs
- He had a traumatic childhood, including repeated head injuries and years of sexual abuse
- He was smart, but unstable, depressed, and drawn to death and control
- He later associated with an older lover who introduced him to occult ideas and morbid interests
How he got caught
- In 1987, after a suspicious patient death, an autopsy revealed cyanide
- Harvey quickly confessed to that killing
- Police then uncovered the much larger pattern of murders and attempted murders
What stood out
- Harvey kept a diary of murders
- He appeared disturbingly casual and attention-seeking when discussing his crimes
- The hosts repeatedly note how unsettling it is that he looked like a “Brady Bunch” kid despite being a predator
Updates
- Harvey was later convicted of multiple murders and attempted murders
- He was beaten to death in prison in 2017
- A 2019 update named inmate James Elliott as the person charged in Harvey’s fatal beating
True Crime Story: The Circleville Letter Writer
Karen’s story is the famous, unresolved Circleville letter case, one of Ohio’s strangest local mysteries.
The setup
- In Circleville, Ohio, residents began receiving anonymous, typewritten/block-letter threats in 1977
- The letters contained personal information that seemed impossible for strangers to know
- Many were directed at Mary Gillespie and referenced an alleged affair with the school superintendent
The escalation
- Mary’s husband Ron received threatening letters
- After confronting the situation, Ron died in a suspicious single-car crash shortly afterward
- The letters continued, and the case became a town-wide obsession
The booby-trapped sign
- Mary later found a sign attached to a trap box while driving her school bus route
- The mechanism contained a gun aimed to fire when the sign was removed
- The gun was traced to her brother-in-law, Paul Freshour, who was arrested and convicted
Why the case remains eerie
- Even after Freshour was jailed, the letters kept coming
- Some were typed, some handwritten, and some included threats, obscene material, or bizarre details
- The letter writer’s identity was never definitively proven
Later developments
- The episode notes a 2021 48 Hours re-examination suggesting Freshour may have been the writer, though the conclusion remains disputed
- The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office considers the case closed, but no one was ever officially charged for the full letter-writing campaign
Extra local flavor
- The hosts also rave about the Circleville Pumpkin Show, especially the giant pumpkin competition and the festive small-town vibe
Hometown Story from the Audience
The live hometown comes from Lauren, who shares a family story tied to Columbus-area crime and suspicion.
Story summary
- Her biological father was a prime suspect in the murder of his best friend in college
- The murder happened after a late-night drop-off at Capital University
- The victim was carjacked, forced to empty an ATM, and shot execution-style
- Her father was heavily scrutinized by police and the college community, even though she believes he was innocent
- She ends with a dark joke about Reverend Jim Jones and the “punchline being too long”
The audience and hosts love the hometown for its mix of seriousness, detail, and punchy delivery.
Notable Takeaways
- The live Columbus show had a strong, friendly, hometown feel because the hosts spent time in the city and met local fans beforehand
- Donald Harvey’s case is a grim example of medical access being exploited for murder
- The Circleville letter mystery remains one of the strangest unsolved Ohio cases, blending stalking, gossip, and paranoia
- The audience hometowns remain one of the most beloved parts of My Favorite Murder live shows, especially when they end with a sharp joke
Final Wrap-Up
The episode ends with Karen and Georgia thanking the Columbus audience, celebrating the community that grew out of the show, and signing off in their usual style with “Stay sexy, and don’t get murdered.”